Celebrating 30+ Years of Wild and Scenic Music

Praise for the Taos Chamber Music Group!

“One of the great treasures of Taos” -The Taos News 
“Big magic…silken ensemble playing” -Albuquerque Journal
“A remarkable concert of juxtaposed styles” -Horse Fly 
“Depth, vitality and inventiveness” -Spencer Beckwith, KUNM

Press Release

Taos Chamber Music Group Presents Johann Sebastian Bach’s “A
Musical Offering” in the second of two Fall Festival programs,
performed on period instruments on Saturday, November 7, at 5:30
pm and Sunday, November 8, at 3:30 p.m. at the Harwood Museum in Taos, New Mexico

It started with a challenge and ended with a collection of Johann Sebastian Bach’s most
masterful compositions.
In May of 1747, Bach was invited to visit King Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia where
his son, Carl Phillip Emmanuel was in the King’s employ. King Frederick, a flutist himself
and well educated musically, challenged Bach to improvise on the King’s own long and
complex theme. Bach, whose skills were legendary, improvised a three-part fugue on
the spot.
When King Frederick asked Bach to improvise a six-part fugue on the same theme,
Bach instead offered up a six-part fugue with a theme of his own choice, with was
astoundingly impressive. When Bach returned to Leipzig, he composed two fugues
based on the royal theme, one of which was a six-part fugue that the King had
requested. After this Bach then went on to expand on the project, composing an
impressive collection of canons, ricercars, and his masterful trio sonata.
On September 30, 1747, the Leipzig newspaper announced the publication of The
Musical Offering and noted: “The elaboration consists in 1.) two fugues, one with three
parts, one with six obbligato parts; 2.) in a sonata for transverse flute, violin, and
continuo; 3.) in diverse canons, among which is a fuga canonica”—a combination of a
canon and a fugue.
In fact, Bach wrote all these compositions in three installments, starting with the two
fugues, or ricercars (the 17 th century term for fugues). Then came the 10 canons, which
explored different devices, playing the theme simultaneously forward and backward,
entering at different starting points, upside down, contrary motion with longer notes,
different speeds, and key modulations.
Last, but not least, was the Trio Sonata. This was Bach’s gift to King Frederick, a flutist,
who invented the theme that so inspired Bach. It is a four-movement work that uses the
church sonata form alternating between slow and fast tempi. The royal theme can be
heard being passed around especially in the second and fourth movements.

It is understood that Bach did not intend to have all the pieces performed in a single
performance. Since they were written in three installments, there was no direction in
what order they should be performed. Each performance order is unique. However, by
performing all the ricercars, canons, and trio sonata in one sitting, one can experience
the fullness of Bach’s masterful hand throughout the collection.
Furthermore, Bach’s design of the Musical Offering was inspired by two earlier large-
scale works: the Goldberg Variations from 1741 and The Art of the Fugue from 1742.
These works had a major impact on Bach’s instrumental compositions in his last years.
The performances will be played on period instruments, allowing the listener to
experience the music as it was performed originally.

For tickets and more information on our season, program details, artists and
performances, visit taoschambermusicgroup.org.
Do you want to help bring wild and scenic music to Taos? Email
info@taoschambermusicgroup.org for more information on volunteer opportunities.