Performers:

Valletta Baroque Ensemble (ViBE)

Sarah Spiteri violin

Tatjana Chircop violin

Jacob Portello cello

Pablo Zapico theorbo

Programme:

Johann Sebastian Bach

Sonata for two Violins and continuo in C Major BWV 1037

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach

Trio in Bb major for 2 vlns and continuo

Carl Philip Emanuel Bach

Trio Sonata in E minor Wq 155 (H 577)

Johann Christian Bach

Trio for 2 vlns and cello in G major Op 4 No 6

Programme Note:

The Bach family is renowned in music history for its extraordinary contributions to the world of classical music. At the heart of this illustrious lineage stands Johann Sebastian Bach, a towering figure whose compositions are revered for their complexity, beauty, and profound emotional depth. However, the musical legacy of the Bach family extends far beyond Johann Sebastian, encompassing several generations of talented musicians.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), often referred to simply as Bach, was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. His innovative compositions, which spanned various genres including sacred and secular music, keyboard works, orchestral pieces, and chamber music, established him as one of the greatest composers of all time. Bach's musical style is characterized by its meticulous craftsmanship, contrapuntal complexity, and expressive depth, laying the foundation for much of the music that followed.

Among Bach's many children, four sons in particular—Wilhelm Friedemann (1710-1784), Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788), Johann Christoph Friedrich (1732-1795), and Johann Christian (1735-1782)—achieved prominence as composers in their own right. Each son inherited his father's musical talent and received rigorous training under his guidance. Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, the eldest son, was a gifted organist and composer known for his virtuosic keyboard works and inventive compositions. Influenced by his father's contrapuntal mastery, Wilhelm Friedemann's music exhibits a blend of Baroque complexity and expressive freedom.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, often referred to as C.P.E. Bach, was the most famous and influential of Bach's sons. He was a pivotal figure in the transition from the Baroque to the Classical era, with his innovative compositions embracing elements of both styles. C.P.E. Bach's music is characterized by its emotional depth, dramatic contrasts, and bold harmonic language, foreshadowing the expressive freedom of the Classical period.

Johann Christian Bach, the youngest son, achieved renown as the "London Bach" for his influential contributions to the development of the Classical symphony and opera. Inspired by the emerging Galant style, Johann Christian's music is characterized by its elegant melodies, transparent textures, and graceful lyricism, marking a departure from the contrapuntal complexity of his father's music.

This program portrays their distinctive styles in the trio sonata format, showcasing the evolution of musical expression from the intricate polyphony of Johann Sebastian Bach to the expressive freedom and elegant lyricism of his sons. Through this presentation, audiences will gain a deeper appreciation for the rich and varied contributions of the Bach family to the classical repertoire.

About The Valletta International Baroque Ensemble

The Valletta Baroque Ensemble was launched in December 2012. Its inaugural concert, featuring Dame Emma Kirkby, was an early milestone in a journey which had started over a meal between musician friends. Someone lamented the lack of a specialist group to perform the rich repertoire of Maltese baroque works and suggested that it would be great to set up such an ensemble. What begins in jest often ends in earnest, and this playful proposal led to the birth of the Valletta Baroque Ensemble, a group committed to historically informed performances on original instruments of Renaissance to early Baroque music. 

The group’s acronym – ViBE – is remarkably appropriate, since the ensemble brings together leading and upcoming musicians who enthusiastically breathe life into jewels of early music. The Valletta Baroque Festival, of which ViBE is the resident ensemble, provides the group with an important and prestigious platform, and has led to memorable concerts including, in recent years, performances of large-scale works such as Händel’s Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks, Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine, the Biber Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Dettingen Te Deum and Belshazzar, Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostra, Bach’s St John’s Passion and Stradella’s San Giovanni Battista.

Apart from its participation in other seasonal events and festivals, VIBE organizes standalone concerts of Renaissance and Baroque works, with a particular emphasis on music by Maltese composers including Girolamo Abos, Giuseppe Balzano, Mikiel Anġ Vella and other composers whose scores are held at the Mdina Cathedral archives. ViBE has brought this repertoire to the international stage, particularly during a 2017 European tour which saw the group perform Maltese baroque music in Madrid, Berlin and Paris and also in Belgium for the Intra Muros Festival 2022.

The group has worked and performed alongside leading world authorities in the early music field including Steven Devine, Catherine Martin, Mahan Esfahani, Stefano Molardi and Christian Curnyn. ViBE also has an ongoing collaboration with KorMalta, Malta’s National Choir, with whom they have performed major works and bespoke projects.