Harpsichordist Max Yount and violinist Mary Perkinson collaborate at Arts + Literature Laboratory on Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 3pm. Tickets are $12 ahead of time at https://maxmary.bpt.me, or $15 at the door. Online ticket sales close 1 hour before the show. Doors open at 2:30pm.
From Max:
"I am happy to join with superb violinist (Dr.) Mary Perkinson, in performing J. S. Bach's sonatas for violin and harpsichord in a series of concerts. There are six of these masterpieces, characterized by Bach's son, Philipp Emanuel, as "among the finest my father composed.' Mary and I will perform three of the sonatas in this, our premier appearance as a Bach Duo: BWV (Bach cataloging number) 1018 in f Minor, 1015 in A Major, and 1017 in c Minor. This music is pure chamber music, with the violinist and and keyboardist engaging in dialogue as equal partners. With the baroque violin's softer but brighter resonance, the blend with my classic Italian harpsichord is close to heavenly, and it was this writing by Bach and others (but most notably Bach) that began the development of chamber music with keyboard, which we love, by later masters like Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms. Although containing no picturesque titles, these sonatas cover a world of dramatic contrasts. The f Minor sonata begins with an extended solemn movement of extreme beauty, and then has allegro movements which are as intense as the minor key; a slow movement of violin double stops with arpeggiated accompaniment sounds as if it is reaching to Schumann in the 19th century. The A Major sonata throws away all care and is almost freely abandoned in its happiness. (You can tap your toes!) But, being Bach, he offers a slow movement in which the violin and the harpsichordist's right-hand melody are in strict canon, which, if you and I tried it, the result would be so academic that we would all stop listening, but Bach makes it enchantingly beautiful."
PROGRAM
Mary Perkinson, baroque violin
Max H. Yount, harpsichord
in a program of sonatas by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Sonata V in f Minor, BWV 1018
(no tempo)
Allegro
Adagio
Vivace
Sonata II in A Major, BWV 1015
(no tempo) dolce
Allegro assai
Andante un poco
Presto
INTERMISSION
Sonata IV in c Minor, BWV 1017
Siciliano, Largo
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro
