Tafelmusik premieres excerpts from Elisa Citterio’s
new orchestral arrangement of Bach’s The Goldberg Variations
Toronto, April 30, 2020 … Tafelmusik takes the music of Bach online with newly recorded excerpts of the Goldberg Variations in an original orchestral arrangement by Music Director Elisa Citterio. Originally scheduled for live performance earlier this month, the world premiere of Citterio’s arrangement of this masterpiece was to be a major highlight of Tafelmusik’s 2019/20 season, before the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of several concerts. The short video offers a peek at the larger work, which Tafelmusik hopes to present live in its entirety at a future concert.
In their own homes, Tafelmusik musicians recorded the first and final variations (#1 and #30), which Citterio scored for strings, winds, and continuo. These excerpts will be premiered on May 1 on Tafelmusik’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube channels as part of #TafelmusikTogether. Launched on March 17, the digital initiative invites music lovers to join us virtually for short performances and other artistic content being shared daily from musicians’ living rooms.
Bach’s Goldberg Variations were written as an exercise in keyboard virtuosity and remain among the most technically demanding works ever written for harpsichord. Citterio first imagined the idea of a new arrangement in 2017, when Tafelmusik performed orchestral transcriptions of two excerpts from The Goldberg Variations during a tour of its multimedia program J.S. Bach: The Circle of Creation.
Citterio’s personal connection to the music was a powerful stimulus for this arrangement. “Since my teenage years, Bach’s Goldberg Variations is music that has been present at all the crucial moments of my life,” said Citterio. “It’s been especially comforting to return to this music during the unprecedented situation that we are all experiencing. The enduring, timeless nature of Bach’s music grounds us and reminds us of our shared humanity. The musicians of Tafelmusik wanted to come together to offer a little taste of our preparations for the pre-empted Goldbergs premiere. I hope that our digital performance will bring joy and help people feel a little less isolated.”
On April 14, Tafelmusik launched the Keep Tafelmusik Together campaign with the goal of raising $250,000 before June 30, 2020. This appeal will help Tafelmusik musicians and team members to continue to work on new initiatives, like #TafelmusikTogether, and prepare for the 2020/21 season. Donations can be made online at tafelmusik.org/together. Subscriptions for Tafelmusik’s 2020/21 season, Passions of the Soul, are available at tafelmusik.org.
ABOUT TAFELMUSIK
Led by Music Director Elisa Citterio and Executive Director Carol Kehoe, Tafelmusik is an orchestra, choir, and experience that celebrates beauty through music of the past.
Founded over 40 years ago on the pillars of passion, learning, and artistic excellence, Tafelmusik continues to bring new energy to baroque music and beyond. Historically informed performances of 17th- to 19th-century instrumental and choral music (led by Chamber Choir director Ivars Taurins) share the stage with vibrant, insightful multimedia programs, and bold new music written just for the group. Each piece is played on period instruments, underscored and illuminated by scholarship.
Through dynamic performances, international touring, award-winning recordings, and comprehensive education programs, Tafelmusik invites audiences to engage with beauty and experience the breadth of emotion music can inspire.
2019/20 SEASON PARTNERS
Tafelmusik wishes to thank the following for their generous support: BMO Financial Group, RBC Foundation, KPMG, Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Whitmer Trudel Charitable Foundation, The Pluralism Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Classical 96.3 FM, and NOW Magazine. Tafelmusik is a proud partner of the Bloor St. Culture Corridor.
Website: tafelmusik.org
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Media contact: Luisa Trisi, Big Picture Communications, (416) 456-0499
luisa@luisatrisi.com | 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X7