IBO’s season opener features music from four of J.S. Bach’s sons
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The Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra prepares for its 29th season kickoff concert, celebrating the musical legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach in a program titled “Bach Heritage,” set for 3 p.m. Nov. 23 at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis.
Artistic Director Barthold Kuijken will lead the orchestra and solo on Johann Christian Bach’s Flute Concerto in D Major.
As IBO co-founder and harpsichordist Tom Gerber notes, “this is the one concert that has no Johann Sebastian Bach, but has music by four of his sons – from the oldest, Wilhelm Friedemann, to the very youngest, Johann Christian. In the middle are two others – Carl Philipp Emanuel and Johann Christoph Friedrich.”
On the program
- Wilhelm Friedemann Bach | Sinfonia in F major (Falck 67)
- Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach | Sinfonia in D Minor (HW I/3)
- Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach | Symphony in G Major (Wq 182/1)
- Johann Christian Bach | Flute Concerto in D Major (Warb C 79)
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach is known for his brilliance and improvisatory daring that baffled some of his contemporaries. Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach was called the “Bückeburg Bach” for the small German court where he served most of his life; his Sinfonia in D Minor blends both Baroque and Classical styles. Carl Philipp Emanuel (C.P.E.) Bach served Frederick the Great in Berlin before moving to Hamburg, where his expressive, almost theatrical music helped define the Empfindsamer Stil (“sensitive style”). Johann Christian Bach was the youngest of Bach’s sons and spent time in Berlin and Milan before becoming known as the “London Bach.” His Flute Concerto concludes the program in style.
In a single afternoon, the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra will chart the journey from the ornate counterpoint of the High Baroque to the clear, singing lines of early Classicism. These four Bachs didn’t just carry their father’s legacy forward – they reinvented it, each in their own corner of Europe.
Tom Gerber puts it simply: “You’ll hear how the family’s genius evolved – from Wilhelm Friedemann’s intensity to Johann Christian’s elegance.”
It’s a chance to hear not just one Bach, but a whole family that shaped Western music. Four sons, four voices, one remarkable lineage.
Tickets are $35 for General Admission, $25 for seniors, and $15 for students. Purchase a season subscription and enjoy a 20 percent discount at IndyBaroque.org.