Programme Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Arioso from cantata, BWV 156 c
Johann Sebastian Bach
Sonata No. 3 in G minor, BWV 1029
Vivace-Adagio-Allegro
Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751)
Adagio
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Sarabande, HWV437
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Sonata No. 2 in D major, BWV 1028
Adagio-Allegro-Andante-Allegro
Johann Sebastian Bach
Sonata n. 1 in G major, BWV 1027
Adagio-Allegro ma non tanto-Andante- Allegro moderato
Performers
Sébastien Hurtaud, cello
Paméla Hurtado, piano
Programme Notes
At the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, a major shift occurred: the viola da gamba, held between the legs and long associated with the refined atmosphere of salons, gradually gave way to the cello, from the “da braccio” family more powerful and better suited to the expressive demands of the Baroque. The title of the programme highlights this historical transition between two instrumental traditions that “carry” the music.
Bach’s Arioso from Cantata, arranged for cello and piano, captures an intimate and spiritual tenderness. In its original form, it introduces a meditative tenor aria. Transcribed, the cello takes on a hauntingly human, voice-like line, supported by an intimate piano accompaniment, making this one of the most touching miniatures of the Baroque.
Sonata No. 3 for viola da gamba and harpsichord exemplifies Bach’s contrapuntal vigor, with a strikingly beautiful slow movement framed by two brilliant, virtuosic fast ones. His Sonata No. 2 in D major unfolds a luminous palette in which the dialogue between the instruments achieves exemplary clarity, while the Sonata No.1 combines French elegance with German intensity, balancing lyricism and rhythmic vitality.
Two iconic works complete the programme: the famous Adagio in G minor, attributed to Albinoni actually reconstructed by Remo Giazotto after World War II from a fragment of the score discovered in the ruins of Dresden, and Handel’s Sarabande, noble and solemn, made famous through Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. These works offer both meditative depth and timeless grandeur at the heart of the programme.
Biographies
Sébastien Hurtaud (cello) and Paméla Hurtado (piano)
It was at the Pablo Casals Festival that Franco-Spanish pianist Paméla Hurtado and French cellist Sébastien Hurtaud, born in La Rochelle, first met over Rachmaninov’s Sonata — the starting point of an intense artistic collaboration. Since then, the duo has developed a wide-ranging repertoire, from Baroque to contemporary, and performs internationally (France, the United States, Wales, Tunisia, Malta…) in major chamber music series and festivals.
In 2014, they recorded the complete Hindemith sonatas for cello and piano for the Naxos label, a release unanimously praised by critics. Their profound and vibrant style has won them an enthusiastic and loyal audience.
A Fulbright and Zaleski scholar, Paméla Hurtado, trained at the CNSM in Lyon and at the École Normale de Musique in Paris, also pursues a solo career, performing concertos by Beethoven, Grieg and Tchaikovsky with brilliance. An engaged pedagogue, she teaches at the Conservatoire of Yerres and in several international academies.
Sébastien Hurtaud, trained at the CNSM in Paris and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, is a prizewinner of prestigious competitions (Naumburg Foundation, Adam Cello Competition). He leads a distinguished solo career, performing with renowned orchestras such as the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra in Seoul, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra and
the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (2028). His playing, acclaimed for its depth and refinement, is featured on Naxos, Rubicon and ECM.
Together, their duo embodies a vibrant vision of chamber music: passionate, profoundly human, rooted in rare mutual listening and an authentic connection with the audience.