Johann Sebastian Bach has been said to have been capable of composing music so complex it leaves one completely mystified. And yet, pianist Joanne Camilleri tells Veronica Stivala why he is one amazing man.

Johann Sebastian Bach is really something of an enigma. We know less about his private life than about that of any other major composer of the past 400 years.

And we tend to look at him as a somewhat stern composer who wrote music that twists your fingers when attempting to play it and your brain when attempting to decipher his scores. The reason, perhaps, is because he looks so austere in his portraits.

Yet, his music is filled with so much life, dance, passion, suffering. Pianist Joanne Camilleri speaks about Bach and the Bach family with an almost contagious enthusiasm.

“He was a guy,” she says, “who went through a lot of ups and downs in his life and his music reflects this. Once you go beyond the stern portrait look he is one amazing man.”

As John Eliot Gardner aptly put it: “Bach was capable of composing music so complex that it leaves us completely mystified, then at other moments so irresistibly rhythmic that we want to get up and dance to it and then at others still so full of poignant emotion that we are moved to the very core of our being.”

This month Camilleri will be performing works by the Bach family.

The majority of us are familiar with Johann Sebastian Bach who is most famous for his Well-Tempered Clavier, a collection of works written in all 24 major and minor keys and regarded as one of the most influential works in the history of western classical music.

But there are other Bach musicians. Five of J. S. Bach’s children had musical careers of their own. Camilleri will be playing works by three of these: Whilhelm Friedemann (1710-1784), Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788) and Johann Christian (1735 -1782).

The month in which the piano recital will take place is of particular significance as it is when two of the Bachs (C.P.E. and J.S.) celebrated their birthday.

Camilleri attributes her close relationship with Bach to her doctorate studies as it was then that she “realised what wonderful music there was in store for me to explore”.

The more she read about Bach and the more she heard of his music, “the happier [the] right side of [her] brain crackled”. Releasing two CDs of Bach’s solo keyboard works (In Bach’s Footsteps and Bach’s Goldberg Variations) and a number of Bach concerts later, she feels much attuned with “Mr Bach”.

Capable of composing music so complex that it leaves us completely mystified

Out of the massive Bach repertoire, Camilleri has chosen four pieces to play: J. S. Bach’s English Suite No.3 in G minor; C.P.E. Bach’s Sonata in A; J.C. Bach’s Sonata in C minor and W. F. Bach’s Fantasia in E minor. What determined her choice of repertoire?

Camilleri explains that she wanted to give the other Bachs exposure: “My recital presents works by J. S. Bach and some of his sons because although J. S. is the most famous from the vast Bach family tree, his sons’ works had a lot to offer too and they were the springboard to the new style that was emerging and which influenced other composers such as Mozart.

“The sons’ works are unfortunately rarely performed, because one tends to focus on their father’s greatness, but they too had much to offer.”

Speaking about performing, I am curious to learn about the reason for Camilleri’s choice of performance instrument.

There are different schools of thought and some believe in authenticity and are very adamant about performing 18th-century works on 18th-century instruments. However, Camilleri strongly believes that if Bach were to be reincarnated, he would also take to the piano.

“When he was introduced to the instrument, which was still in its very early stages, he did not shy away from it, although he did acknowledge the fact that it still had some years before the instrument reached its potential,” says Camilleri.

In spite of its many challenges - such as having a heavier action than the harpsichord, which requires the fingers to work much, and having to find just the right amount of arm-weight to make the music sound light yet full at the same time - performing Bach on the piano has its advantages too because the intricate melodies come out much clearer with a judicious sound-control for example, says Camilleri.

“Although I have performed on the harpsichord many times, the piano has always been my primary instrument. I feel at home performing the works of a composer whose music has become a very important part of my repertoire,” says Camilleri.

Speaking about the most difficult part about playing Bach/s, Camilleri says he is “not exactly kind on the fingers”.

The most fun part is that once you’ve cracked the musical and technical code, the music sounds so easy-going and effortless. It is pure joy to play it.

Camilleri has an exciting Bach journey ahead of her. Following her concert in Malta, she will be celebrating Bach’s birthday with a piano recital at the Royal Northern College of Music (UK) on March 21.

She also has exciting appointments with the Geneva International Summer Festival and Academy, the Camilleri Trio in Sweden and next year’s Valletta International Baroque Festival.

Joanne Camilleri presents Bach and his Sons: A Piano Recital on Thursday at 7.30pm at St James Cavalier, Valletta.

www.joannecamilleri.com

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