Ensemble Locatelli’s Season 2025 continues: one of the most ambitious musical programs offered by the Ensemble in years. It has two strengths: the absolute and guaranteed quality of Bach’s music and the uniqueness of the arrangements.
In collaboration with “The Music Center”
Bach dall’organo all’arco is one of the most ambitious programs offered by Ensemble Locatelli over the years, and it has two strengths: the absolute and guaranteed quality of Bach’s music and the uniqueness of the arrangements personally edited for the ensemble by Thomas Chigioni.
The concept of this program is to transfer some of Bach’s greatest pages of organ music to the other great medium of expression available to the composer: the string orchestra.
Indeed, we can consider Bach as a “pure” composer, whose music transcends the limits of the instrument for which it was conceived and may well be adapted and transcribed for other instruments. The most striking example of this is the collection on which the composer focused his energies in the last days of his life: “The Art of the Fugue.” Composed without indicating the instruments intended for performance, this collection of counterpoints demonstrates how for Bach music is absolute, and how the instrument is only the means to a final end, which is the Divine.
An avid student of the works of composers from the Belpaese, Bach adapted many Italian concertos to the organ. Bach’s great compositional skill and care in handling the voices allows us to go the opposite route and create unprecedented versions for string orchestra with original arrangements.
Program:
– J .S. Bach (1685-1750): Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme BWV 645
– J.S. Bach: Fantasia in G major BWV 572
– J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C major BWV 531
– J.S. Bach: Doric Toccata BWV 538
– J.S. Bach: Fugue in G minor BWV 542
– J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G major BWV 541
– J.S. Bach: Prelude and Triple Fugue in E-flat BWV 552
Ensemble Locatelli
Violins: Jérémie Chigioni, Ulrike Slowik
Viola: Nicola Sangaletti
Contrabass: Carlo Sgarro
Harpsichord: Tomas Gavazzi
Bassoon: Mario Garavelli
Thomas Chigioni, small cello and direction
Photo credit: Gianfranco Rota