“BACH IN COMMUNITY” EVENT SCHEDULE - Feb. 27 through Mar. 2
"BACH IN COMMUNITY" EVENT SCHEDULE - Feb. 27 through Mar. 2
As part of the 2012 Festival Week, the Boulder Bach Festival is introducing intimate "Bach in the Community" events held in smaller venues around Boulder, i.e., coffee shops and cafes. These events bring Boulder Bach Festival musicians into the community and bring Bach's music to new listeners.
All Events are FREE and open to the public!
Celebrating “always honest, always profound” J.S. Bach at Boulder Bach Festival (Denver Post)
Celebrating "always honest, always profound" Johann Sebastian Bach at Boulder Bach Festival
by Sabine Kortals
Denver Post, 2/17/12
When it comes to Johann Sebastian Bach, Rick Erickson never had a choice.
"I consider myself born into Bach," said the newish music director of the Boulder Bach Festival, in his post since July. "I have so many relatives who are organists or choral people. And where I grew up in northern Wisconsin (Superior), we'd sing motets together at Christmas.
"Both my parents were passionate lovers of Bach's music. My father always said, 'If you have Bach, you have enough.' "
Passions & masses: Bach director brings cantata experience to festival week (Daily Camera)
Passions & masses: Bach director brings cantata experience to festival week
by Kelly Dean Hansen
Daily Camera, 2/19/12
The hiring of Rick Erickson as music director last year has drawn praise and signified rejuvenation for the Boulder Bach Festival. An opening "preview" concert in September was an unqualified success, setting the tone and anticipation for the main festival week, which begins Friday with a solo organ recital in Denver at St. John's Cathedral, to be repeated Saturday in Boulder at First Congregational Church. The two main concerts in Boulder follow next week, along with a special epilogue that brings a flavor of Erickson's life with Bach in New York to the Festival...
Boulder Bach Beat Blog: Interview with Michael Unger - “Bach Inspirations”
Edward McCue (EM): What is behind the title “Bach Inspirations” that you’ve given to your concerts at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Denver and First Congregational Church in Boulder?
Michael Unger (MU): With this program I’m inviting the audience to investigate some of the various ways in which Bach has inspired generations of musicians that came after him, how Bach himself may have been inspired by the music that he himself had heard, and also how we are all still inspired by Bach.
Read the full interview on the Boulder Bach Beat Blog
Bach for a lifetime (Boulder Weekly)
Rick Erickson, the new director of the Boulder Bach Fest, discusses why Bach remains so popular
by Peter Alexander
Boulder Weekly, 2/9/12
Rick Erickson’s father told him, “When you have Bach, you don’t need anything else.”
Erickson, the new director of the Boulder Bach Festival, took that advice to heart. As a child he studied Bach on piano and organ, he performed Bach’s cantatas as a student at the Eastman School of Music, and for nearly 20 years he has headed the renowned Bach Vespers series at Holy Trinity Church in New York.
Now he adds the Boulder Bach Festival to his list of professional accomplishments. Boulder Weekly asked Erickson some questions recently about his background and his plans for the festival.
Boulder Bach Beat Blog: Interview with Dan Seger - Bach in the Community
Edward McCue (EM): In addition to presenting formal concerts, how is the Boulder Bach Festival introducing people to Bach and his music?
Dan Seger (DS): Under the umbrella of ”Bach in the Community,” the Festival interacts with listeners and performers of all ages to bring Bach out of the concert hall and into their daily activities.
For example, on 12 February at 2pm, at the Canyon Auditorium at the Boulder Public Library, is “Kids for Bach,” where young music students, kindergarten through twelfth grade, will have stretched themselves by preparing a challenging work by Bach and then presenting it publically...
Read the full interview on the Boulder Bach Beat Blog
Boulder Bach Beat Blog: Interview with Gregg Cannady - Singing a Motet
Edward McCue (EM): Rick Erickson has shared extensive details about the chorale tradition and Bach’s cantatas, but you’re in the midst of preparing one of Bach’s motets for performance by the Festival Chorus on 3 March 2012. Tell us about Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden (BWV 230).
Gregg Cannady (GC): For some time there was a debate about whether this motet was really by Bach, but the general consensus today is that it was an early work that might have been commissioned for a special occasion, such as a memorial service...
Read the full interview on the Boulder Bach Beat Blog
Boulder Bach Beat Blog: Interview with Zachary Carrettin - Finding Our Sound
Edward McCue (EM): How is the Boulder Bach Festival ensemble developing its own sound?
Zachary Carrettin (ZC): Our instrumentalists come from a diversity of backgrounds, and each one of us has strong opinions and a strong musical voice. As we prepare our February and March programs, we’re working together to develop a unified voice with real character.
Read the full interview on the Boulder Bach Beat Blog
Boulder Bach Festival Celebrates “Brandenburg and More”: 31st season Continues, Feb. 24 - Mar. 4
The Boulder Bach Festival opened its 31st season in September under the direction of music director Rick Erickson with concerts in Boulder and Denver, attracting full houses and critical acclaim. With its annual Festival Week from February 24 to March 4, 2012, the Festival continues its celebration of “Brandenburg and More,” with an organ recital, chamber concerts, choral works, and a colloquium.
The Festival Organ Recital, February 24 & 25, 2012, in Denver and Boulder, respectively, features Michael Unger, the 2008 First Prize Winner of the American Guild of Organists National
Young Artists Competition. Unger, a Gold Medal graduate of the University of Western Ontario, received his master’s degrees in organ and harpsichord from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He performs extensively as a soloist and is also a church musician, chamber musician, and published composer.
The Boulder Bach Festival week kicks off on Tuesday, February 28, 2012, with the third “Bach in the Community” event featuring a colloquium that probes the deeper complexities of Bach and performances by festival artists. This afternoon event, which is free and open to the public, provides a wonderful introduction to the subsequent performances during the festival week.
The festival week continues on Wednesday, February 29, 2012, with a chamber concert featuring Brandenburg Concertos No. 2 and No. 4, Bach choral selections, and Bach solo organ works performed by Rick Erickson.
On Thursday, March 1, 2012, the final “Bach in the Community” event takes place with Bach for Kids, an interactive and multidimensional event featuring Boulder Bach Festival artists and kids at the Boulder Public Library.
The Boulder Bach Festival final concert takes place on March 3, 2012, at the Mountain View United Methodist Church, in Boulder, with the Boulder Bach Festival Players and the Boulder Bach Festival Chorus, featuring Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, Cantatas BWV 147 and 187, and Motet BWV 230. Vocal soloists include Amanda Balestrieri, soprano; Eric Brenner, countertenor; Daniel Hutchings, tenor; and Joe Damon Chappel, bass.
Bach Vespers, after the New York practice based on the Leipzig tradition, is a post-festival special event that takes place on March 4, 2012, at Grace Lutheran Church, in Boulder, with featured festival artists and vocal soloists performing Cantata BWV 159, Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem. The audience is invited to sing the chorale movement.
Dates for 2012 Boulder Bach Festival Concerts and Events (31st Season)
Bach in the Community, Kids for Bach Concert, February 12, 2012, Sunday, 2 p.m.
Boulder Public Library, Canyon Theater, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. (at 9th St. and Canyon)
K through 12 auditioned winners performing solo and chamber works of J.S. Bach (free)
Festival Organ Recital
February 24, 2012, Friday, St. John’s Cathedral, 1350 Washington Street, Denver, 7:30 p.m.
February 25, 2012, Saturday, First Congregational Church, 1128 Pine Street, Boulder, 7:30 p.m.
Michael Unger, 2008 Winner, Guild of Organists’ National Young Artists Competition.
Festival Week, Bach in the Community, Festival Artist Demonstrations and Colloquium: February 28, 2012, Tuesday, 2 to 4 p.m., First Congregational Church, 1128 Pine Street (free)
Festival Week, Chamber Concert
Open rehearsals, First Congregational Church, Boulder
February 27, 2012, Monday, 1 to 4 p.m.
February 28, 2012, Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
February 28, 2012, Tuesday, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. (dress rehearsal)
Chamber Concert, February 29, 2012, Wednesday, First Congregational Church, 1128 Pine Street, Boulder, 7:30 p.m.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, BWV 1047
Cantata BWV 167, Ihr Menschen, rϋhmet Gottes Liebe, chorale
Schmϋcke dich, O liebe Seele, BWV 654, organ
Mein treuer Heiland, lass dich fragen, bass aria and chorale, from St. John Passion
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, BWV 1049
Boulder Bach Festival Artists: Joe Damon Chappel, bass; Zachary Carrettin, concertmaster; Ann Marie Morgan, cello; Rick Erickson, harpsichord and organ; Christina Jennings, flute; Bruce Barrie, trumpet
Boulder Bach Festival Players and Boulder Bach Festival Chamber Choir
Bach in the Community, Bach for Kids, Interactive Sessions with Festival Artists
March 1, 2012, Thursday, Boulder Public Library, Canyon Theater, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. (9th & Canyon), 2:30 to 5 p.m.
A multidimensional, interactive day with BBF artists and kids (free)
Festival Week Finale Concert
March 3, 2012, Saturday, Mountain View United Methodist Church, 355 Ponca Street, Boulder, 7:30 p.m.
Cantata BWV 187, Es wartet alles auf dich
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, BWV 1046
Motet BWV 230, Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden
Cantata BWV 147, Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben
Rick Erickson, conductor; BBF artists Amanda Balestrieri, soprano; Eric Brenner, countertenor; Daniel Hutchings, tenor; Joe Damon Chappel, bass; Zachary Carrettin, concertmaster; Ann Marie Morgan, cello
Boulder Bach Festival Players and Boulder Bach Festival Chorus
Open rehearsals, Mountain View United Methodist Church, Boulder
March 1, 2012, Thursday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
March 1, 2012, Thursday, 6 to 9:30 p.m.
March 2, 2012, Friday, 7 to 10 p.m. (dress rehearsal)
Bach Vespers, after the New York practice based on the Leipzig tradition
March 4, 2012, Sunday, Grace Lutheran Church, 1001 13th Street, Boulder, 4:15 p.m.
Rick Erickson, conductor; BBF artists Amanda Balestrieri, soprano; Eric Brenner, countertenor; Daniel Hutchings, tenor; Joe Damon Chappel, bass; Zachary Carrettin, concertmaster; Ann Marie Morgan, cello; and Boulder Bach Festival Players
Cantata BWV 159, Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem
The audience is invited to sing the chorale movement. Audience rehearsal at 3:45 p.m.
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About the Boulder Bach Festival
The Boulder Bach Festival was founded in 1981 to present the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and to encourage knowledge and appreciation of the Baroque master. Since 1982 a multi-day festival has been presented each year, featuring an instrumental ensemble, chorus, and soloists drawn from a pool of area musicians as well as nationally-known artists from around the country. Over the years it has gradually added concerts outside of its original format so that presentations now extend through most of the year. The 31st season introduces new music director, Rick Erickson. For programming, tickets, and further information, visit the website at www.boulderbachfestival.org or call 303-776-9666.
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Boulder Bach Beat Blog: Interview with Rick Erickson - Bach’s Cantatas
Edward McCue (EM): Please tell us more about the cantatas as they have been performed less frequently here in Boulder than some of Bach’s other works.
Rick Erickson (RE): I really wanted to begin this season of my first year with cantatas, rather than what are sometimes called “Bach’s major works.” Cantatas are the heart of Bach and employ both brilliant instrumentation and writing for voices in both ensemble and in solo roles.
Read the full interview on the Boulder Bach Beat Blog
Boulder Bach Beat Blog: Interview with Rick Erickson - “Brandenburg and More”
Edward McCue (EM): The launch of your first season as Music Director with the Boulder Bach Festival at concerts in September was greeted with sold out concerts and very positive press. How did you happen to come up with the theme for this season, “Brandenburg and More?”
Rick Erickson (RE): I felt that it was important to begin my tenure as Music Director by focusing on several things. One of those chief issues was to form an instrumental ensemble with its own identifiable sound and to begin addressing some historical performance goals...
Read the full interview on the Boulder Bach Beat Blog
Boulder Bach Beat Blog: Finding the Perfect Balance
by Edward McCue
In 1756, Leopold Mozart observed that “there are performers who tremble consistently on each note as if they had the permanent fever” and suggested that vibrato should be used only on sustained notes and perhaps as an ornament at the ends of phrases. He recommended that ”the performer pay attention to the Affekt [i.e., emotion] intended by the composer, so that the most appropriate bowing could be chosen” and that musicians pursue an education broad enough to encompass the study of literature and especially poetry, “for a cantabile style should be the aim of every instrumentalist, and poetry is the key to good musical phrasing.”
Read the full article on the Boulder Bach Beat blog
Boulder Bach Festival launches a new blog: Boulder Bach Beat!
Boulder Bach Festival has launched a new blog called Boulder Bach Beat about "all things Bach"! Written by BBF board member Edward McCue, the blog will keep you up-to-date on interesting events and information related to Bach's music, genius and legacy. Please enjoy, participate and let us know what you think!
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In Memory - Carolyn Topping
The Boulder Bach Festival notes with sadness the passing of Carolyn Topping, wife of board member Jim Topping, who recently lost a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Carolyn was a faithful supporter of the Festival and accompanied Jim to rehearsals as long as she could to sing along with the music she loved. Donations in Carolyn's memory may be made to the Boulder Bach Festival by check or online. The donations will be used to purchase scores for the choral library.
Colorado Gives Day - Tuesday, Dec. 6
Thanks to all who made a donation to the Boulder Bach Festival on Colorado Gives Day! We are sincerely grateful for your support. Special thanks to Community First Foundation and Giving First manager Dana Rinderknecht and her team for making this opportunity available for the multitude of worthy Colorado nonprofits. Generous Coloradans donated $12 million through 52,000 donations - a 150-percent increase over last year.
In Memory - Janice Effenberger
In Memory - Janice Effenberger, a long-time member of the Boulder Bach Festival chorus and its predecessor, the St. Cecilia Singers, passed away on November 9, 2011. Donations, in memory of Jan, can be made to the Boulder Bach Festival and will be used to purchase choral scores for upcoming concerts.
BBF Has Direct Ties to New Choral Group: Seicento Baroque Ensemble Premieres in November
Boulder, CO – Starting with several choristers who are singing in both groups, continuing with Evanne Browne, who previously soloed with the Boulder Bach Festival (BBF) and has filled in as rehearsal choral conductor, and founded on a shared commitment to historically-informed performance techniques, the BBF has numerous ties to the area’s newest choral group, Seicento Baroque Ensemble.
Rick Erickson, BBF music director welcomes this distinctive new ensemble. “I am delighted to see the development of this outstanding new group dedicated to the rich repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries! Our common goals and musical loves will certainly contribute to a deepening love for historically informed musical experiences on the Front Range and beyond. I look forward to hearing Seicento Baroque Ensemble and to exciting collaborations ahead!”
The 25-voice auditioned chamber choir is focusing exclusively on choral music of the 17th and 18th centuries, highlighting composers such as Claudio Monteverdi, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Giacomo Carissimi, Heinrich Schütz, Heinrich von Biber, and Henry Purcell.
“How wonderful for us that years of excellent Boulder Bach performances created singers and audiences who immediately will connect with Seicento!” Browne stated. “In return, the repertoire that Seicento performs will only enhance an audience’s enjoyment of hearing the BBF. Seicento will feature music that would have been familiar to J.S. Bach, music by his predecessors and colleagues, music that influenced him to compose cantatas and other major works.”
Seicento Baroque Ensemble’s artistic director, Evanne Browne, has extensive performing and conducting experience both nationally and internationally. Prior to moving to Boulder in 2005, Ms. Browne sang with the Washington Bach Consort as well as numerous other groups. Here, she is known for bringing together a community of experienced musicians for major choral works.
Seicento’s premiere performance will be on Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 7:30 pm at First United Methodist Church, 1421 Spruce Street, Boulder. Program highlights include Come Ye Sons of Art by Henry Purcell, the Coronation Anthem My Heart Is Inditing by George Frideric Handel, and works by Claudio Monteverdi and Sigismondo d’India.
A second concert series is scheduled for February 17-19, 2012, with performances booked in Denver, Boulder and Estes Park.
For more information visit www.seicentobaroque.org or contact Evanne Browne at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
In appreciation: Camera music critic will be missed - Daily Camera, 10/6/11, by Christopher Brauchli
"In appreciation: Camera music critic will be missed"
by Christopher Brauchli
Daily Camera, October 6, 2011
Classical music in Boulder has lost a friend. Not just any friend but its champion and supporter for more than 30 years—a friend unlike any that Boulder or most communities could ever hope for.
Wes Blomster, the longtime Camera classical music critic who died on Saturday, was the announcer of musical events to come, critic of musical events past and reporter of musical events in distant places. Under the noms de plume of Andeas Anderswo and Adrian Angst he wrote insightful program notes for the University of Colorado College of Music, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and other musical organizations in our town.
He enthusiastically supported the creation of and performances by the Colorado Music Festival and the Boulder Bach Festival. His efforts contributed to the conversion of the Boulder Philharmonic from an amateur orchestra to a fully professional orchestra. The Mahler Fest, Ars Nova singers and countless other musical organizations have been the beneficiaries of his support. Wes was Boulder’s musical muse. Without the contributions made by him over the past 30 years the Boulder musical scene would not be the vibrant place it has become.
Wes was quiet. He did not crave publicity. When a group of us were arranging a tribute to him at a CMF concert in 2010 he got wind of it and in response to my letter urging him to let the tribute take place after I learned of his disapproval, he responded, saying, among other things: “I really do not want this—Central City tried to spring a big surprise for my 80th a year ago; I found out about it and didn’t show—great embarrassment on all sides . . . I am flattered by your words, but really do not want this.”
Although Wes would not let us honor him for his contribution to the musical life of Boulder while he lived, he will be honored and remembered for many years to come for the invaluable contribution he made to the musical life of our town. There will be other music reviewers and others who promote the musical arts, but Boulder will never again see the likes of Wes Blomster. We will all miss him.
Christopher Brauchli, co-founder and first president of The Colorado Music Festival and Boulder Bach Festival and current member of the Board of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra.
2011-12 BBF e-Brochure
Flip-through our brochure online:
Wes Blomster, 1929-2011: An Appreciation
Wes Blomster, 1929-2011: An Appreciation by Scott Cantrell
MusicalAmerica.com, October 5, 2011
DALLAS—Wes Blomster’s day job was as a professor of German, for 30 years at the University of Colorado at Boulder. But his passion clearly was music, and having begun a sideline as a music critic in the early 1980s he turned it into his “real” job after he retired from the university in 1992. He was also very active in the Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA), and his heroic work as the organization’s education chair prompted his election as an honorary life member.
Those who knew his intense dedication will not be surprised to learn that he attended a Boulder Bach Festival concert barely a week before he died of cancer that had spread to his lungs. Four days after the concert, he was admitted to hospice care. The day before his death, he sent out a typically terse, no-nonsense e-mail to be distributed to friends: “For the moment,” it concluded, “I am in no pain. Beyond that there is not much to say.” He died Saturday, Oct. 1, at age 82. He is survived by a son, Thomas Blomster, a Denver-based conductor.
Wes was for nearly 30 years a classical-music critic for the Boulder Daily Camera, and in later years he wrote for more and more print and online publications, including MusicalAmerica.com. Once freed of his university duties, he traveled to cover performances around the world, in the last year including China and Israel.
The most modest figure in a field not exactly known for small egos, Wes would have been the last to describe himself as a great critic. He clearly saw his job mainly as describing the experience of musical performances, and by implication signaling their importance. But he brought a long life’s experience of performances to his reviews and feature stories, and he was a clear, engaging writer.
A native of Aberdeen, South Dakota, he received a BA, magna cum laude, from the University of Iowa and MA and PhD degrees in German from the University of Colorado. His master’s thesis was on the influence of Wagner on the writings of Thomas Mann, his doctoral dissertation on Mann’s commentary on his own works. He also did graduate study at the Free University of Berlin and the University of Vienna. He held several teaching positions in the U.S. and Canada before joining the Colorado faculty, and during 1979-80 he was a visiting professor at the University of Tübingen, Germany. In addition to German language and literature—and early on, Russian—he taught courses in the operas of Mozart and Strauss.
I met Wes in 1986 at a MCANA educational institute he organized at the University of Colorado, in conjunction with the Colorado Music Festival. The festival’s focus that year was French music, and among the activities Wes gave a talk on the notorious Dreyfus affair. Afterward, he rather apologetically said the subject had been far out of his range of expertise, but the talk was a model of thorough research and thoughtful organization, complete with extensive visuals. I thought: This is one smart man, but such an unassuming one.
When I was elected president of MCANA in 1993, an immediate challenge was finding a chair for the education committee, in many ways a bigger job than the presidency. Having retired from the university, Wes offered to help with any MCANA work that needed doing, and I hesitatingly brought up the education job. “Actually,” he said, “I was thinking about that.”
He turned it into practically a full-time job, and, with help from William Littler in Toronto and others, arranged more educational institutes than I could keep up with. We were on the phone at least once a week, and e-mails flew back and forth. He was easily the best thing about my four years in the job.
I gather a lot of people found Wes hard to get to know, and he did tend to be a very private person. I feel so privileged that he became a friend of whom I was enormously fond; we got to know each other well enough to exchange all sorts of juicy gossip as well as essential business, with many laughs along the way. Wes had a remarkably clear-eyed view of life and people’s foibles, and a real sense of humor, and he had a deliciously mischievous—but never malevolent—streak.
I’m sorry we saw each other mainly in passing in recent years, at opera performances here and there. But there was always a big hug, and usually at least some tidbit of gossip. Wes was smart as could be, intensely dedicated and a hard worker. He was also sensitive and generous, a total sweetheart. Those whose paths he crossed were blessed.
At Wes’ request, memorial contributions may be made to his son Thomas Blomster’s Colorado Chamber Orchestra, 1820 Race St., Denver, CO 80206-1116.
Boulder’s Smiling Bach (Opus Colorado, 9/24/11)
Opening Concert review "...The members of the Boulder Bach Festival ensemble are all vastly superior musicians and they demonstrated that Friday night."
Boulder’s Smiling Bach
by Robin McNeil
OpusColorado.com
September 24, 2011
It is really remarkable, sometimes, how a change in leadership can so strongly affect musical organizations. In this case, I am referring to the musicians of the Boulder Bach Festival whom I heard Friday night at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church on Glenarm Place in downtown Denver. First of all, let me say that St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is an absolutely perfect venue for the Boulder Bach Festival. It is big enough for a good sized audience, and yet it is not so big that the music gets lost, and it is not so big that one loses the feeling of intimacy that adds to the enjoyment and warmth of the performance.
The change in musicians that I mentioned above has to do with the way they performed. I have often mentioned in my reviews that it is wonderful to see musicians enjoying the music that they are performing. To many of you, that may seem like an unnecessarily obvious statement, but I really don’t think it is. There are some chamber groups whose members sit stone-faced, perhaps because they are on the cutting edge of their technical ability, or they may be trying to cover for a member of the group who can’t quite cut the mustard. But the members of the Boulder Bach Festival ensemble are all vastly superior musicians and they demonstrated that Friday night. Add to that the joy of being given a certain amount of “free reign,” where they are allowed to show their tremendous gifts as musicians, as well as their love for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. There is no doubt in my mind that Maestro Rick Erickson is a perfect fit for these musicians, and that he has the experience and the love of Bach shared by everyone in the organization. Without going too far in making a comparison, I would imagine that it is quite similar to being conducted by Fritz Reiner or Gustavo Dudamel. Both are (were) astounding musicians, but one allows the musicians to have some joy and never insults their intelligence.
What an astounding difference he has made!
The BBF opened their program with Brandenburg Concerto Nr.3 in G major. As everyone knows, Bach dedicated the six orchestral Brandenburg Concertos to Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg. It was long thought that these concertos were the result of a commission; however, Bach never collected one single dime for them (it seems that even Bach suffered frustrations), and that has led many scholars to think that these six concertos were a form of job application. They were written in 1721, and there is no question that Bach absorbed the Italian concerto grosso style from Albinoni, Vivaldi, and probably, Corelli as well. It is my guess that everyone who reads this article is familiar with the Brandenburg Concerti, so I will not go into great detail, except to say that Nr. 3 was scored for three violins, three violas, three cellos, bass, and continuo. With this instrumentation, Bach creates such a wide range of instrumental colors that it boggles the mind.
From the outset, the musicians displayed a vivacity and liveliness which has been missing from their performances for the last year or so. It is not that past performances were all bad, but they were certainly lacking the rhythmic pulse and spirit that is so prevalent in Bach’s music. What was most noticeable was the impression they left of almost forgetting the audience, and just wallowing in their own joy of playing the music. There was eye contact from everyone to each other, always with a smile. Their energy was noticeable, as was their trust in each other. Entrances were precise, as was their overall skill. Phrasing from everyone was impeccable. And truly, why not? These are consummate musicians, and after hearing the performance Friday night, one wonders at the good fortune we all share in having them in Boulder. Zachary Carrettin, Mintze Wu, and Stacey Brady were the violinists. Erika Eckert, Matthew Dane, and Summer Rhodes performed on the violas. The cellists were Ann Marie Morgan, Katharine Knight, and Karen Terbeek, with Paul Erhard on bass, and Maestro Erickson, harpsichord.
Following the Brandenburg Nr. 3, Rick Erickson performed “O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig,” from the Great Eighteen Chorales. When Bach was in Weimar, one of his responsibilities as organist was the harmonization of Lutheran chorale melodies for the benefit of the choir. As a matter of fact, many music schools still use these chorale harmonizations for the instruction of music theory. During the period of 1715 to 1722 or three, Bach wrote eighteen chorale preludes which, for what ever reason, were not assembled as a group of pieces until approximately 1740. The work that Maestro Erickson performed is from this set of chorales.
The organ at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is not large. And while that may cause consternation among some organ aficionados, to my ears as a pianist, it seemed not only entirely adequate, but it lent itself quite well to the wonderfully intimate setting of this church. Let us not forget – and please refer to my article of January 12, 2011 on the BBF’s appointment of Richard Erickson – what his qualifications are, because he has a current position at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City which is not too distant from the positions that Bach held. Simply put, he is a superb organist. This was the first time I had heard a performance of this particular Chorale Prelude, and upon first hearing, some of the ornaments seemed quite difficult, probably because the “feel” of an organ keyboard is so very different from the piano keyboard (to me, an organ keyboard has always seemed much slower to react). But Erikson’s playing was absolutely marvelous musically and technically.
Next on the concert, the Boulder Bach Festival ensemble performed the final Brandenburg in the series of six. Erika Eckert and Matthew Dane violas; Ann Marie Morgan, Katherine Knight, and Karen Terbeek, cellos; Paul Erhard, bass, and Rick Erickson on harpsichord were the performers. What sets this particular Brandenburg Concerto apart from the others, is something that even trained musicians and musicologists might miss, but when it is mentioned, they have an “Oh, yeah!” moment. That is the fact that at the time Bach was active, the low strings were generally used for supporting roles. Not so in this final Brandenburg. They have some very difficult solo music to play. The result of Bach’s instrumentation in this particular work gives it an unmistakable sense of repose. The second movement, which is absolutely gorgeous, ends in a key other than the opening key, and the third movement, which is very quick, is a theme and variations, but the opening creates the impression that it is going to be a gigue. Bach’s inventiveness and originality know no bounds. My question is simply this: how do you pick a favorite Brandenburg Concerto? This piece was absolutely beautifully done.
After the intermission, Zachary Carrettin, the concertmaster performed the Chaconne in D minor from the Second Violin Partita. This ranks as one of the most difficult pieces written for violin. Why? Because the violin has so many double and triple stops, and chords which are arpeggiated. Brahms thought so highly of this Chaconne that he transcribed it for left hand alone at the piano, justifying it because the violinist has to finger the violin with all of its difficulties with just the left-hand. Therefore, the pianist should have to go through the same agony of difficulty. I have performed the Brahms’ transcription many times, and it is difficult. But every time I hear a violinist perform this work, there is no question that it is more difficult, because the violinist has to go clear across the strings so many times. Zachary Carrettin is a wonderful violinist, and quite frankly, he made the piece seem easy. I assure you that it is not. His tone was incredible and his sense of phrasing and voicing would surely have pleased Bach. This work contains so many hidden passageways that produce over 60 (yes, 60) variants of the original theme. The result can be the most beautiful sense of exhaustion, certainly for the performer, and probably the intent listener. It was a fantastic performance.
The last work on this concert was Brandenburg Nr. 5. This Concerto was written while Bach was in Cöthen, and is in his typical ritornello form. That is to say that each movement is based on a theme that is restated in the various instruments in many ways. The final movement, which sets this Concerto apart from the others, is a fugue comprised of gigue rhythms (compound meter) and a center section which is a cantabile version of the fugue subject. Constantly, ever constantly, Bach is so ingenious. The BBF ensemble again seemed so overjoyed at performing this work, Christina Jennnings on flute was fabulous, and the sincerity with which they played was absolutely unmistakable. The performance of this last Concerto was so consistently excellent, as was the whole program, that the audience demanded an encore. And much to my delight, they performed the last movement of Brandenburg Nr. 5 again, and only for the encore, they performed just a few ticks faster. That tempo seemed just as perfect, and it certainly demonstrated that every musician in the organization was technically gifted. Following Bach’s circuitous routes is never easy, but always delightful.
I am sure many of you readers are familiar with the portrait of Bach holding a slip of paper in his hand. He looks rather stern and incredibly serious. Written on the slip of paper is a canon: proof that he could write one, the proof which was requested by a potential employer. While holding the paper, his face seems to say, “Yes, I can write a canon. It is easy for me. Now hire me.” I am sure he was serious, but I kept thinking all throughout Friday evening’s concert, that he must have spent so much of his life smiling. The performers certainly smiled, and I can guarantee you that his music, and the wonderful performance which was given by the Boulder Bach Festival ensemble, made me smile.
The Exciting New Boulder Bach Festival (Opus Colorado, 8/24/11)
"It is the time of year when I receive many new press releases concerning organizations and their opening concerts. I must say that one of the most exciting is going to be the Boulder Bach Festival opening concert; in fact, their whole season will be quite exciting because they have a new director, Rick Erickson..."
The Exciting New Boulder Bach Festival
OpusColorado.com by Robin McNeil
August 24, 2011
It is the time of year when I receive many new press releases concerning organizations and their opening concerts. I must say that one of the most exciting is going to be the Boulder Bach Festival opening concert; in fact, their whole season will be quite exciting because they have a new director, Rick Erickson, whom I wrote about in an article last January.
In that blog article, I said: “Erickson earned a master’s degree in organ performance and literature and received a performer’s certificate from the Eastman School of Music. He studied organ with David Craighead, Lucile Hammill Webb, and Russell Saunders, improvisation with Gerre Hancock, and conducting with Robert DeCormier and David Effron. Erickson holds a bachelor’s degree in music and German from the University of Wisconsin, Superior, where he has been honored as “Distinguished Alumnus” and cited as “one of the 100 distinguished graduates” in the school’s 100th anniversary year. A native of Superior, Wisconsin, Erickson began organ study at the age of fourteen.
“Rick Erickson brings passion and excitement that will carry the Boulder Bach Festival forward,” said Robert (Bob) Spillman, emeritus music director, Boulder Bach Festival, “and he has the artistry and the skills to provide the most exhilarating performances of Bach’s music for our community.
“Erickson also directs the renowned Bach Vespers series at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, where he presents more than 20 cantatas and other major Bach works each season with the all-professional Bach Choir and Bach Players on period instruments. During the past ten seasons, Erickson has more than doubled the number of performances for the Bach Vespers series. He has performed Bach’s complete organ repertoire twice and is in the midst of the third cycle.”
All of this is good news, of course, and (another of course) one would expect the Boulder Bach Festival to hire the best in the business. But, to my way of thinking, one of the most exciting aspects of this is that Rick Erickson truly believes that one of his responsibilities, and I received this information directly from Ms. Marcia Schirmer, who is the Executive Director of the BBF, is the education of the audience, and particularly, the young people in the audience. As most of you know, I have written about the direction music has been taking in the last twenty or thirty years, and I think that it is terrific that a musician in his position wishes to expand the Bach for Kids and the Kids for Bach concerts, and will take the time to do it. All of you granting organizations and foundations out there who read this, take note: this is outreach at its best. In addition, in February, on the 27th and 28th, there will be open rehearsals at the First Congregational Church in Boulder.
The Boulder Bach Festival will present its opening concert twice, and the first will be September 23, Friday, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, which is in Denver at 2015 Glenarm Place. It will begin at 7:30 PM. Their second performance will be in Boulder on September 25, Sunday, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, at 1419 Pine Street. That concert will begin at 4 PM in the afternoon.
The opening concert will be comprised of three Brandenburg Concertos, Numbers 3, 5, and 6. Also on the program is the Chaconne in D minor from the Partita Nr. 2 for Violin, and one of Bach’s Chorale Preludes entitled O Lamm Gottes, Unschuldig, from the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, for solo organ.
This is really quite something to look forward to. So no one in the Denver Metro area has an excuse for not attending one of these concerts. One is in Boulder, the other is in Denver. What could be easier than that?
Bach Fest projects new image (Daily Camera, 8/21/11)
Boulder Bach Festival’s 2011-2012 Season Celebrates “Brandenburg and More”
BBF’s 31st season features seven traditional concerts, open rehearsals, and “Bach in the Community”
The Boulder Bach Festival welcomes Rick Erickson as the new music director and celebrates a season of Brandenburg and More, with seven traditional concerts, “Bach in the Community” events, and rehearsals that are free and open to the public. The 2011-2012 season, BBF’s 31st, runs from September 23, 2011, to March 4, 2012.
The BBF season opens with a chamber concert on September 23 and 25, 2011, in Denver and Boulder, respectively, and features Brandenburg Concertos No. 3, 5, and 6, performed by the Boulder Bach Festival Players, a newly formed ensemble with members that include Zachary Carrettin, concertmaster; Ann Marie Morgan, cello; Erika Eckert and Matthew Dane, viola; Christina Jennings, flute; and Rick Erickson, harpsichord and organ.
The first of the “Bach in the Community” events takes place on November 12, 2011, featuring a free concert at the WOW Children’s Museum in Lafayette, Colorado. On February 12, 2012, Kids for Bach, the second event in this public series takes place at the Boulder Public Library featuring K through 12 auditioned winners performing solo and chamber works of J.S. Bach.
The Festival Organ Recital, February 24 & 25, 2012, in Denver and Boulder, respectively, features Michael Unger, the 2008 First Prize Winner of the American Guild of Organists National Young Artists Competition. Unger, a Gold Medal graduate of the University of Western Ontario, received his masters’ degrees in organ and harpsichord from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He performs extensively, and is also a church musician, chamber musician, and published composer.
The Boulder Bach Festival week kicks off on Tuesday, February 28, 2012, with the third “Bach in the Community” event featuring a colloquium that probes the deeper complexities of Bach and performances by festival artists. This afternoon event, which is free and open to the public, provides a wonderful introduction to the subsequent performances during the festival week.
The festival week continues on Wednesday, February 29, 2012, with a chamber concert featuring Brandenburg Concertos No. 2 and No. 4, Bach choral selections, and Bach solo organ works performed by Rick Erickson.
On Thursday, March 1, 2012, the final “Bach in the Community” event takes place with Bach for Kids, an interactive and multidimensional event featuring Boulder Bach Festival artists and kids at the Boulder Public Library.
The Boulder Bach Festival final concert takes place on March 3, 2012, at the Mountain View United Methodist Church, in Boulder, with the Boulder Bach Festival Players and the Boulder Bach Festival Chorus, featuring Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, Cantatas BWV 147 and 187, and Motet BWV 230. Vocal soloists include Amanda Balestrieri, soprano; Eric Brenner, countertenor; Daniel Hutchings, tenor; and Joe Damon Chappel, bass.
Bach Vespers, after the New York practice based on the Leipzig tradition, is a post-festival special event that takes place on March 4, 2012, at Grace Lutheran Church, in Boulder, with featured festival artists and vocal soloists performing Cantata BWV 159, Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem. The audience is invited to sing the chorale movement.
Dates for 2011/2012 Boulder Bach Festival Concerts and Events (31st Season)
Season Opening Chamber Concerts
September 23, Friday, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 2015 Glenarm Place, Denver, 7:30 p.m.
September 25, Sunday, St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1419 Pine Street, Boulder, 4 p.m.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, BWV 1048
BWV 656, O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig, from the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, solo organ
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, BWV 1051
Chaconne in D Minor from Partita No. 2 for Violin, BWV 1004
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, BWV 1050
Boulder Bach Festival Artists: Zachary Carrettin, concertmaster; Ann Marie Morgan, cello; Erika Eckert and Matthew Dane, viola; Christina Jennings, flute; and Rick Erickson, harpsichord and organ
Boulder Bach Festival Players
Open rehearsals, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Boulder
September 20, 2012, Tuesday, TBA
September 21, 2012, Wednesday, TBA
September 22, 2012, Thursday, 7 to 10 p.m. (dress rehearsal)
Bach in the Community, Bach for Kids Concert
November 12, 2011, Saturday, 11 a.m.
WOW Children’s Museum, 110 N. Harrison Ave, Lafayette, Colorado, (free).
Boulder Bach Festival Trio
Bach in the Community, Kids for Bach Concert
February 12, 2012, Sunday, 2 p.m.
Boulder Public Library, Canyon Theater, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. (at 9th St. and Canyon),
K through 12 auditioned winners performing solo and chamber works of J.S. Bach, (free).
Festival Organ Recital
February 24, 2012, Friday, St. John’s Cathedral, 1350 Washington Street, Denver, 7:30 p.m.
February 25, 2012, Saturday, First Congregational Church, 1128 Pine Street, Boulder, 7:30 p.m.
Michael Unger, 2008 Winner, Guild of Organists’ National Young Artists Competition.
Festival Week
Bach in the Community, Festival Artist Performances and Colloquium
February 28, 2012, Tuesday, 2 to 4 p.m., location TBA, (free).
Chamber Concert
February 29, 2012, Wednesday
First Congregational Church, 1128 Pine Street, Boulder, 7:30 p.m.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, BWV 1047
Cantata BWV 167, Ihr Menschen, rϋhmet Gottes Liebe, chorale
BWV 654, Schmϋcke dich, O liebe Seele, solo organ
Mein treuer Heiland, lass dich fragen, bass aria and chorale, from St. John Passion
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, BWV 1049
Boulder Bach Festival Artists: Joe Damon Chappel, bass; Zachary Carrettin, concertmaster; Ann Marie Morgan, cello; Rick Erickson, harpsichord and organ; Christina Jennings, flute; Bruce Barrie, trumpet
Boulder Bach Festival Players and Boulder Bach Festival Chamber Choir
Open rehearsals, First Congregational Church, Boulder
February 27, 2012, Monday, 1 to 4 p.m.
February 28, 2012, Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
February 28, 2012, Tuesday, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. (dress rehearsal)
Bach in the Community, Bach for Kids, Interactive Sessions with Festival Artists
March 1, 2012, Thursday
Boulder Public Library, Canyon Theater, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. (9th & Canyon), 2:30 to 5 p.m.
A multidimensional, interactive day with BBF artists and kids, (free).
Final Concert
March 3, 2012, Saturday
Mountain View United Methodist Church, 355 Ponca Street, Boulder, 7:30 p.m.
Cantata BWV 187, Es wartet alles auf dich
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, BWV 1046
Motet BWV 230, Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden
Cantata BWV 147, Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben
Amanda Balestrieri, soprano; Eric Brenner, countertenor; Daniel Hutchings, tenor; and Joe Damon Chappel, bass; Zachary Carrettin, concertmaster; Ann Marie Morgan, cello
Boulder Bach Festival Players and Boulder Bach Festival Chorus
Open rehearsals, Mountain View United Methodist Church, Boulder
March 1, 2012, Thursday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
March 1, 2012, Thursday, 6 to 9:30 p.m.
March 2, 2012, Friday, 7 to 10 p.m., (dress rehearsal)
Bach Vespers, after the New York practice based on the Leipzig tradition
March 4, 2012, Sunday
Grace Lutheran Church, 1001 13th Street, Boulder, 4:15 p.m.
Rick Erickson, conductor
BBF artists: Amanda Balestrieri, soprano; Eric Brenner, countertenor; Daniel Hutchings, tenor; and Joe Damon Chappel, bass; Zachary Carrettin, concertmaster; Ann Marie Morgan, cello
Boulder Bach Festival Players
Cantata BWV 159, Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem
The audience is invited to sing the chorale movement. Audience rehearsal at 3:45 p.m.
About the Boulder Bach Festival
The Boulder Bach Festival was founded in 1981 to present the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and to encourage knowledge and appreciation of the Baroque master. Since 1982 a multi-day festival has been presented each year, featuring an orchestra, chorus, and soloists drawn from a pool of area musicians as well as nationally-known artists from around the country. Over the years it has gradually added concerts outside of its original format so that presentations now extend through most of the year. For programming, tickets, and further information, visit the website at http://www.boulderbachfestival.org or call 303-776-9666.
Boulder Bach Festival Welcomes Music Director Rick Erickson
“Bach, with good reason, is addictive,” says Rick Erickson, the new music director of the Boulder Bach Festival. “He invites the best of us, as listeners and performers—he seldom lets us off the hook with his rich, complex compositions and his beautiful, simple melodies.” This is the energy and passion that Erickson, who directs the renowned Bach Vespers series at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City, is bringing to the BBF. “I look forward to moving BBF into an exciting and creative future,” he says.
Boulder Bach Festival Welcomes Music Director Rick Erickson
Noted cantor, organist, and conductor to bring Bach into coffee houses, wine bars, and community venues
“Bach, with good reason, is addictive,” says Rick Erickson, the new music director of the Boulder Bach Festival. “He invites the best of us, as listeners and performers—he seldom lets us off the hook with his rich, complex compositions and his beautiful, simple melodies.”
This is the energy and passion that Erickson, who directs the renowned Bach Vespers series at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City, is bringing to the Boulder Bach Festival. “I look forward to moving BBF into an exciting and creative future,” he says. “That includes establishing an identifiable and stable instrumental ensemble, expanding the ability of the choral ensembles, and inviting solo artists from the Front Range and beyond—in part, to make a festival that not only invites our community, but also people from far away to join us.”
This year’s Boulder Bach Festival celebrates a season called Brandenburg and More, with seven traditional concerts, “Bach in the Community” events, and rehearsals that are free and open to the public. “We plan to engage the entire community, especially by bringing Bach into coffee houses, wine bars, art galleries, and more,” says Erickson. “The concert events follow the pattern of the past, and we are exploring the cantata literature more in depth than in prior seasons. In addition, we’re adding Bach Vespers, on the final day of the festival, which is what I spend my life in NYC doing.”
At Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Erickson presents more than 20 cantatas and other major works by Bach throughout the year. During the past ten seasons, he has more than doubled the number of performances for the Bach Vespers series. He has performed Bach’s complete organ repertoire twice and is in the midst of the third cycle.
“For me, the Boulder Bach Festival is a fresh experience and a welcomed new direction in my own life,” he says. “It’s renewing and delightful, and it invites my strengths and encourages me to think differently about everything.”
Erickson earned a master’s degree in organ performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music. A native of Superior, Wisconsin, he began to study the organ at the age of fourteen.
The Boulder Bach Festival 2011-2012 season runs from September 23, 2011, to March 4, 2012. For information, visit www.boulderbachfestival.org.
Boulder Bach Festival Brochure is in the Mail!
The brochure for the 2011 season of the Boulder Bach Festival is in the mail. Look for it in your mailbox.DOWNLOAD IT HERE AND FORWARD IT TO A FRIEND!
Bob Spillman to Give Lectures on the B-Minor Mass
Coming to a Neighborhood Near You!
Boulder Bach Festival
Lecture Series: BACH MASS IN B-MINOR
Who: Robert Spillman, emeritus music director
February 15, 2011, Tuesday, 7:30 PM – The Academy – 970 Aurora Ave, Boulder
February 20, 2011, Sunday, 9AM – First United Methodist Church, 1521 Spruce Street, Boulder
February 22, 2011, Tuesday, 12:15 to 1:15 PM – Academy for Lifelong Learning Willshire Presbyterian Church, 2999 South Colorado Blvd (south of Yale, north of Hampden), Denver
February 27, 2011, Sunday, 9AM – First Congregational Church, 1128 Pine Street, Boulder
March 2, 2011, Wednesday, 7:30 PM – Frasier Meadows Retirement Community – 350 Ponca Place, Assembly Meeting Room, Fourth Floor, Boulder
March 6, 2011, Sunday, 10:15 AM – Atonement Lutheran Church, 685 Inca Parkway, Boulder
Bach Unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas at College of Music
On February 2 at 7:30 p.m. violinist James Stern, a multi-faceted musician whose violin playing has been heard worldwide, will present a recital of J. S. Bach's ordered set of six works for unaccompanied violin (the sonatas and partitas). Stern visits CU-Boulder from the University of Maryland School of Music for this rare complete performance of the Sei Solo.
See the full concert description under Bach Around the Clock.
Fall Chamber Concert is Sunday, Oct. 24!
Don't miss our October concert featuring violinist Lina Bahn and flutist Christina Jennings!
The 30th anniversary season opens with a fall chamber concert featuring Lina Bahn, violin; and Christina Jennings, flute in Bach’s Concerto in C minor, originally scored for violin and oboe. Click here for full details and a preview of the Fall 2010 Chamber Concert
Festival Announces Search for New Music Director.
The Boulder Bach Festival Board of Directors announces a search for a new Music Director. The Music Director's musical and artistic direction will lead the Festival into its fourth decade of celebrating the legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach. The Board invites qualified applicants to send materials according to the directions in the accompanying Position Description.
Music Director
Description:
The music director position is a contracted, part-time position with the primary responsibility for overall artistic leadership of the Boulder Bach Festival. This leadership falls into several broad categories that include planning, event preparation, rehearsal management, conducting musical ensembles in concert, and community relations. The music director reports to the board of directors and works in concert with the committees, and other staff to carry out the mission and vision of BBF according to the current strategic plan. The position begins with the 2011 – 2012 season.
Qualifications:
• MMA, or comparable degree—required; DMA—preferred;
• Extensive knowledge of the music of J. S. Bach and related composers, and expertise in Baroque performance;
• Choral and instrumental conducting experience;
• Residential requirement in the Boulder-Denver metro area OR demonstrated plan to be available for outreach events, important administrative meetings, fundraising, and PR activities, Festival performances, and chorus preparation fall through spring;
• Knowledge of potential guest artists and soloists and experience in selecting them on artistic merits.
Highly desired skills and attributes:
• Experience in leading a community-based, non-profit organization with substantial outreach to the community;
• Experience working with a board of directors;
• Experience in creating and managing operating budgets for non-profit organizations;
• Experience in creating personnel policies and making personnel decisions for chorus and orchestra;
• Good communication skills with internal constituencies as well as the community;
• Experience and skill with public speaking;
• Ability to inspire our performers and our audience;
• Dedication to excellence.
To apply:
Submit a letter of introduction, a resume, and three references via e-mail to: musicdirectorapps@boulderbachfestival.org. Review of applications will begin Sept. 17, 2010.
Hard copy submissions will be accepted and should be mailed to: P.O. Box 1896, Boulder, CO 80306.
Phone inquiries: 303 494 6669.
