Bach is big. Musically, yeah? He’s gigantic that way. We don’t know exactly how big Bach the dude was, but the Montreal Bach Festival is definitely much smaller. Of course, it’s still something to be reckoned with (it is important to be clear when dealing with Germanic temperaments.)
But first, an important aside: I hate previews because I’m a pessimist. I recognize this is my personal problem, but when a nice PR rep sends me a CD, I can’t just enjoy the free music. I must imagine ways for it to go wrong live. Spectacularly wrong, like Ron Emmerich guest conducts: cruise ships borne on tidal waves level the church while the violinist screams about her damp Stradivarius. And the last pack of wolves in Montreal descends on l’Église de l’immaculée-Conception, wet and confused. This is what goes on when I contemplate preview recordings, and still I ask for them.
So, even though it’s riskier than a CD, I recommend this year’s edition of the Montreal Bach Festival, it’s third, which runs through December 5th and includes 16 performances. A few events stand out even though the lineup is generally excellent. And, if it is absolutely necessary to feed the wet wolves, I demand these musicians be written at the bottom of the list:
The young Belgian organist Els Biesemans, who (I’m told deservedly) won the Bach prize at last year’s Canadian International Organ Festival, will play from the Clavierübung III. Her talents should be more than sufficient for the lyrical, intricate and symbolically-laden pieces it contains. The concert will take place at the hopefully wolf-free l’Église de l’immaculée-Conception tonight.
McGill professors Matt Haimovitz, Jonathan Crow, and Douglas McNabney will play the extraordinary Goldberg Variations arrangement for String Trio tomorrow. The organizers have ingeniously paired each one of the nine variations with a wine. That sounds nice. And since the musicians will probably stand thirstily in the corner, you can enjoy them, too; if that’s your kind of pleasure.
A kinder pairing would be to attend both the Haimovitz concert and that of the reclusive Russian pianist Evgeni Koroliov. He will perform the original Goldberg Variations on December 4th in his Montreal debut. That would be hard to believe for any other artist of his stature, but he rarely performs in North America. I have never heard him live, though has been on my list since I listened to his seminal 1990 recording “Art of the Fugue”. His playing is transformative; it is casually careful and full of love. It’s not for kicks that he’s compared with Glenn Gould, though he doesn’t mutter while playing.
So: Bach not wolves, and for more information and tickets, visit the Montreal Bach Festival site. The festival runs through December 5th at various locations.
