Program

Johann Sebastian Bach Sonata no. 2 in A Minor

Johann Sebastian Bach Partita no. 2 in D minor

Soloist

Liza Ferschtman

Dutch violinist Liza Ferschtman is known for her passionate performances and strong connection with her audience. She has received much attention and recognition for her personal interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach's solo sonatas, and here she tackles two of these key works of the Baroque era. Bach wrote six sonatas and partitas for solo violin and they are considered among the highlights of violin in Western music history. They were composed around the1720, when Bach was in the service of the Prince of Anhalt-Köthen. These years were characterised by Bach's great output in the field of instrumental music, including the six suites for solo cello, four orchestral suites, and the six Brandenburg Concertos

In the pieces, the violin appears as a polyphonic instrument, and Bach's tightly woven texture often makes enormous demands on the instrumentalist. The final movement of the partita, Chaconne, is considered by many to be one of the greatest compositions in history. The German composer Johannes Brahms wrote about the work in a letter to Clara Schumann: "On one stave, for a small instrument, the man [Bach] writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and strongest feelings."