For the 2020-2021 season, Live Arts Maryland’s Bach+ series will respond to the current COVID-19 pandemic by offering a series of virtual concerts that builds on the same pillars of its in-person concerts: communication—exploring the musical dialogue among Bach and those who came before him as well as those who were influenced by his music; and creative collaboration among performers working in variety of genres.
While Bach+ takes its inspiration from the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and the latest in Bach research, Bach+ is not an early music series. While you will find "historically informed performances" within our Bach+ programming, you'll also experience works that span a number of centuries, including twenty-first century compositions and jazz improvisation.
For the 2020-2021, in a series of linked virtual programs, we’ll explore a couple key questions:
· What are the ways in which Bach used formal musical devices (e.g., canon and fugue) to create such enduring masterpieces such as Goldberg Variations (October 2020), the Musical Offering (November 2020) and the Art of Fugue (March 2021)?
· How did the generations following Bach view his works (especially as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven)?
· And – specific to the current context – how can we find new ways to collaborate and communicate around interesting musical ideas in a “virtual” space?
Even in a virtual setting, Bach+ will feature its usual mix of chamber music, solo keyboard, choral works, and our popular silent film presentations with improvised accompaniment.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All Bach+ concerts will start at 6:15pm and last for approximately one hour. For 2020, all Bach+ concerts will be virtual (no onsite seating will be offered.)