Birgit Matzerath: J.S. Bach, “The Well-Tempered Clavier,” A Listening Journey, No. 5-6, BWV 850-851

Once a month, pianist Birgit Matzerath will give the audience a guided tour through two Preludes and Fugues from J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. In the course of one year the project will cover all 24 Preludes and Fugues of Book 1, beginning with an introduction on September 15, 2019 and ending with a performance of the entire book on September 11, 2020.

With her project, the artist intends to create a space where people can take a break, refuel and be inspired through the music. There is a great need for this in a time where the struggle for justice, human rights and the preservation of the planet has become more urgent than ever. “Bach’s compositional technique of counterpoint represents in music what we encounter in life: a network where everything hangs together,” explains Matzerath. “What happens in one voice has an impact on the entire system of independent, but not self-sufficient voices that share responsibilities in a common task.”

Suggested donation: $10 (Adults). Admission for students is free.