Above: Australian Brandenburg Orchestra musicians performing in this collaboration with Circa. Image: Laura Manariti Photographs.
Bach’s The Art of Fugue BWV 1080 is an important late work, his last will and testament to polyphonic writing that had so defined his compositional and performing genius throughout his lifetime.
Its score stops mid phrase during a final fugue whose subject is built from the letters of Bach’s surname. This fugal fragment was annotated by the composer’s son Carl Phillip Emanuel to explain the work was incomplete as the composer died.
This final fugal work has no less that 14 fugues and 4 canons demonstrating JS Bach’s total mastery of the art form. This composition is also imbued with the humanity and drama of death, and the musical intrigue of being left unfinished.
These strands of predicament, finality and feeling lend themselves well to extra musical collaboration. Such collaboration is achieved here in the fine choice of movement in addition to the flow of the music.
This is masterfully and intricately provided by Circa in some brilliant mirroring of the increasing complexities and inventiveness of Bach’s late-life score. Their athletic work is beautifully paced and nuanced, non stop for 85 minutes with a variety of expression.
There is a lot of love, longing, togetherness and separateness in the action here. Plus there is a fine sense of adventure and pushing the boundaries of patterns, repetition, canon and closeness of elements in the choreography, which is as progressive as Bach’s polyphonic ingredients.
Above: Members of Circa performing in front of ABO musicians. Image : Laura Manariti Photographs.
To hear The Art of Fugue live – here on string quartet and keyboard-is a rare treat for lovers of Bach or early instrumental music in general. To attend an event where this work is presented in its entirety with breathtaking movement inspired by Bach’s manipulation of the fugue themes is to witness a triumph.
Circa’s proficiency in enhancing the contours and narratives of concerts and operas goes from strength to strength. Its reliability as an artistic group providing powerhouse, jaw-dropping physicality is immense.
Working on the stage in front of Australian Brandenburg Orchestra members and being so intrinsically linked to the flow of Bach’s fugal exploration takes this ensemble’s choreography and participation in the current, forward-looking concert world to the next level.
Don’t miss the chance to hear and see this phenomenon, celebrating the excellence and drama behind Bach’s unfinished masterwork and the success of artistic collaboration to give us new, enhanced live concert experiences.
Circa and the Art of Fugue is at City Recital Hall until August 16.
