Eric Nathan:
Dancing with J.S. Bach
Chelsea Music Festival Records
Music by J.S. Bach
Orchestrated by Eric Nathan
The inaugural release on Chelsea Music Festival Records (Press release)
Featuring:
Amanda Hardy, oboe
Chelsea Music Festival Strings
Ken-David Masur, Conductor
Produced by Melinda Lee Masur, Ken-David Masur
Engineered by Brian Losch, Brett Leonard
Design by Karen Seapker
PRESS
Featured as WCRB Classical Radio Boston’s CD of the Week (November 2019):
“Composer Eric Nathan steals a page from the playbook of J.S. Bach with two irresistible, newly re-imagined orchestral suites that straddle the centuries”
- WCRB Classical Radio Boston (11.4.19)
Read more
ABOUT
At the 2018 Chelsea Music Festival performances of Dancing with J.S. Bach (Photo credit: Chelsea Music Festival)
Chelsea Music Festival Records has released its inaugural album titled, “Eric Nathan: Dancing with J.S. Bach,” which showcases two newly created dance suites, comprised of various J.S. Bach keyboard works orchestrated by Eric Nathan (b.1983). The Chelsea Music Festival gave the first suite, commissioned by A Far Cry and composed in 2012, its New York Premiere; the second suite was commissioned by the Festival and its world premiere performance took place in June 2018 at the Festival. The commissioning of both suites was generously supported by Dr. Michael B. Sporn in memory of his wife, Kitte Sporn. Featured artists include oboist Amanda Hardy and Festival strings conducted by Ken-David Masur.
The first suite is scored for string soloists with string orchestra, and the second suite is for solo oboe and string orchestra. Nathan says, “I worked to imbue these orchestrations with a similar vibrancy that a pianist might bring to a solo performance of this repertoire.” He adds, “these suites celebrate Bach’s keyboard music from an orchestral vantage point and illuminate connections between movements Bach composed years apart. I have tried to honor Bach’s music while also realizing my own interpretations of his works. You may hear my own compositional voice come through subtly at times. You might think of it as a tip of the hat to Bach, from who I have learned so much as a composer.”
Dancing with J.S. Bach I: for String Orchestra with string soloists
Commissioned by Michael Sporn in memory of his wife, Kitte Sporn, for premiere by A Far Cry
Duration: c. 25 minutes
I. Capriccio (from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826)
II. Gavottes I and II (from English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808)
III. Gavottes I and II (from French Overture in B Minor, BWV 831)
IV. Gavottes I and II (from English Suite No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 811)
V. Courante II (with two Doubles) (from English Suite No. 1 in A, BWV 806)
VI. Andante (from Keyboard Sonata in D Minor, BWV 964)
Pictured (R-L): Ken-David Masur, Melinda Lee Masur, Eric Nathan, Amanda Hardy
Dancing with J.S. Bach II: for Solo Oboe and String Orchestra
Commissioned by the Chelsea Music Festival and Michael Sporn, in memory of Kitte Sporn
Duration: c. 20 minutes
I. [Untitled] (from Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971)
II. Bourrees I/II (from English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807)
III. Sarabande (from French Suite No.5 In G Major, BWV 816)
IV. Bourrees I/II (from English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806)
V. Echo (from French Overture in B minor, BWV 831)
Total Duration: 55 minutes
PROGRAM NOTE
My two Dancing with J.S. Bach suites arose out of a love of Bach’s music and desire to engage more intimately with it. Dr. Michael Sporn approached me with a vision for this project, wanting to commission new orchestral suites assembled from favorite movements from J.S. Bach keyboard works. I have orchestrated Bach’s keyboard music for string orchestra with instrumental soloists, assembling together movements Bach composed years apart, with the hope of illuminating connections between them.
I view the art of orchestration as both an interpretive and creative act. If you were to look at the scores of Bach’s original music and my orchestrations next to one another, you would notice that Bach’s has few dynamics while mine are filled with instructions for the players. In solo performances, I feel that Bach’s music comes to life through the choices a performer makes in how they “speak” his music – much as a great actor brings new meaning to a Shakespearean text. I worked to imbue my orchestrations with a similar vibrancy that a pianist might bring to a solo performance, while also searching deep within these keyboard works to find, and imagine, hidden dialogues that could exist between the orchestral instruments. I have tried to honor Bach’s music and bring it to life in my own way, giving it space to breathe in this orchestral setting.
LISTEN
WATCH
SUITE I:
Full live performance of Suite I (perf. by A Far Cry)
YouTube Playlist:
Excerpts of live performance from Suite I (perf. by Chelsea Music Festival Strings; Ken-David Masur, cond.)
SUITE II:
Full live performance of Suite II (Chelsea Music Festival Strings; Ken-David Masur, cond.; Amanda Hardy, oboe):
Suite II: