Christian Tetzlaff: Infinite Bach

"Not Bach! It should be called Sea: because of its infinite, inexhaustible wealth of tone combinations and harmonies." With these words, Ludwig van Beethoven is said to have expressed his admiration for Johann Sebastian Bach. Even though this statement was likely attributed to him by later generations, it still captures the unique fascination that Bach's music exerts even today. Christian Tetzlaff explores the hint of infinity hidden within it at the Old Cathedral. The program features the famous sonatas and partitas for solo violin, which Bach composed during his time as Kapellmeister in Köthen. He may have even performed the complex works himself as a soloist at the Köthen court. Here, infinity and finitude are closely intertwined: within the polyphonic structures of the sonatas and partitas, various chorale quotations are concealed, revolving around the themes of death and resurrection.