SF Pro Musica performs Brandenburg Concertos
BY KATHALEEN ROBERTS
Santa Fe Pro Musica will welcome the New Year with all six Brandenburg Concertos.
The ensemble will play the Bach masterpieces on Tuesday, Dec. 29 and Wednesday, Dec. 30 in St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art. The group performs the complete work on alternate years during the holidays.
“It’s a tradition to do all the Brandenburgs together on New Year’s Eve,” music director Thomas O’Connor said, adding, “Bach’s level of sophistication is so far above everybody else’s. Of the six, no two share the same instrumentation.”
The composer presented the works to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, in 1721. The margrave was a military commander. The concertos are widely regarded as some of the best orchestral compositions of the Baroque era.
The first concerto marks the debut of horns into the Baroque music canon. Before Bach, horns were limited to hunts.
“The horns were like the uninvited guests to the party,” O’Connor said. “So that’s very forward-looking.”
Number six introduces the viola da gamba with the cello; pairing the older instrument with its more contemporary counterpart. The fifth showcases the harpsichord, originally played by the composer.
The third concerto is arguably the most famous. Voyager I sent the music into space in a time capsule, O’Connor said. The third regularly ranks as one of the most popular classical pieces in top ten lists, he added.
“It’s one of the most timeless creations of history,” O’Connor said. “It’s an incredibly rich set of pieces.”