“To strip human nature until its divine attributes are made clear, to inform ordinary activities with spiritual fervor, to give wings of eternity to that which is most ephemeral; to make divine things human and human things divine; such is Bach, the greatest and purest moment in music of all time.”Pablo Casals, cello

Johann Sebastian Bach composed his six Brandenburg Concerti around 1721. He dedicated and sent the collection to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt and the younger brother of King Frederick I of Prussia, though the Margrave almost certainly never had them performed. Together, these concertos represent the apex of the Baroque concerto grosso form. This program features four of the six: the festive first concerto, the lean and exhilarating third concerto, the sparkling and virtuosic fourth concerto, and the warm, velvety textured sixth concerto. Across these four works, Bach’s inexhaustible invention is on full display! Each concerto is a testament to his mastery of form, texture, and counterpoint.