Viola da Gamba and Bach’s Cello Suites

Soloist Paolo Pandolfo (viola da gamba, Italy)

Programme: Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suites, BWV 1007–1012

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Let’s get on with our discoveries in historical instrumentology! We will meet yet another great-grandmother of the modern cello – viola da gamba! The festival welcomes a unique personality, Paolo Pandolfo, an Italian string player who gives you the opportunity to hear the viola da gamba in the performance of all six cello suites by Johann Sebastian Bach. Some of the most frequently performed solo compositions ever written for cello, each of the Bach‘s suites consist of the opening prelude, allemande, courante, sarabande, two minuets (or two bourrées, or two gavottes) and a final gigue. Music historians have called Bach’s cello suites “among the most profound of all classical music works,” and described them as “monophonic music wherein a man has created a dance of God.”

Pandolfo is probably the only person in the world to have released a CD of these suites performed specifically on viola da gamba. Combining creative and authentic approaches, Pandolfo not only reads Bach’s score, but also adds harmonies and accompanies himself on the seven-stringed viol, thus revealing the authentic sound of Bach’s time. His transcription, released in 2001 (Glossa), has been beyond its great success an important musical event and is a “must” in every complete Bach discography, along with such benchmarks as Glenn Gould’s or Gustav Leonhardt’s renderings of the Goldberg Variations or Anner Bylsma’s performances of the original cello suites.

INFORMATION FOR CONCERT GOERS

• We ask all visitors to stay at home, if you have fever (at least 37.3 C) or experienced symptoms that cannot be attributed to a pre-existing condition or injury (cough, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, shortness of breath or difficulty of breathing, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, muscle or body aches, etc.).
• As organisers we have the right to ask authorized professionals to photograph or film our events. Photographs and/or video recordings may be used in our printed publications and/or on our website, in social media, in other publicity materials, or in third-party media. Please be aware of such possibility while attending our events. If you do not wish to be photographed or filmed in the above manner (without the attribution of your identity), you have a right to request that your image be removed from the digital server and from any publicity material on the web by email gidone.vaitkuviene@koncertusale.lt or telephone +370 650 17988.

AVAILABLE DISCOUNTS

• 50% off for schoolchildren, students, senior citizens and people with disabilities (appropriate cards to be shown);
• Admission free for persons in wheelchairs (appropriate cards to be shown ) and 50% off for one accompanying person;
• 10% off for group bookings (20 and more tickets for one event);
• 100% off for schoolchildren and students of the Klaipėda art schools (appropriate ID cards to be shown), which include: Klaipėda Stasys Šimkus Conservatory, Klaipėda Juozas Karosas Music School, Klaipėda Eduardas Balsys Gymnasium of Arts, Klaipėda Jeronimas Kačinskas Music School, Klaipėda Faculty of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Klaipėda Adomas Brakas School of Art. A transaction fee of € 1.20 is applied when purchasing tickets via the BILIETAI ticketing system.

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