DIALECTIC OF BACH AND COUPERIN

The Festival Internacional de Música Antigua de Tenerife (Fimante) presents the concert Dialectic of Bach and Couperin at Centro Cultural Playa San Juan de Guía de Isora.

It was in 1722 when Johann Sebastian Bach finished his first book Das Wohltemperierte Klavier in Köthen, Germany. That same year, François Couperin published his Concerts Royaux in Paris, France. It was a highly creative time for both musicians who delivered a good deal of compositions some of which have remained among the most important works of the first half of the 18th century. Both Bach and Couperin were influenced by their respective national compositional styles -German and French- although neither of them ever stopped searching for new musical possibilities.  

This programme is an attempt to show what these two masters represented and even how they might have been mutually inspired. We know that the goût français had considerable influence on musical practices in Germany during the 18^th century. Bach himself was familiarised with the French style: apart from meeting many French musicians, including composer, organist and harpsichordist Louis Marchand in 1717, he also copied and used Jean-Henri d’Anglebert’s famous table of ornaments.

François Couperin’s music had a great influence on Bach. Although it is not documented, it is quite likely they both exchanged correspondence. True or not, what we certainly know is that Bach knew some of Couperin’s compositions. He even copied some pieces both for himself and for his wife, Anna Magdalena. Thanks to a 1790 piece of writing of one of Bach’s student, Gerber, we also know he loved Couperin’s music and he recommended his students to study it.

Although both composers were strongly influenced by music from the past, it was their creativity that turned their compositions into groundbreaking music as it reflected the lively culture of their time. For the Goldfinch Ensemble, it is always a pleasure and an inspiration to perform works by these two great maestros.

Conrado Álvarez Fariña