Search - J. S. Bach, Radio Symphony Orchestra Bucharest, Bogdan Bacanu :: J. S. Bach - Marimba Concertos

Harpsichord, Piano or even a Marimba? Whether one should perform Bach?s harpsichord concerti on a harpsichord or piano is debated still today; it is certain that Bach played on the pianoforte (or hammerclavier) in the 1730?s, what was then a very new instrument; comparable to the marimbas to be heard in our day and age. The ?Leipziger Zeitung? reported in June of 1733 that in Bach?s Collegium Musicum there was a ?Clavicymbel, of that kind as yet not heard.? Accordingly, one can assume that Bach did not close out the development of new instruments, which, here, includes the marimba. Whether Bach would have advocated the use of the modern piano or the marimba as a solo instrument in his concerti remains speculative. One can surely not compare the performance practice techniques of the harpsichord, piano or marimba with another ? the sonic possibilities of these instruments are too different from one another. Therefore, the freedom is left to the interpreter to carefully decide whether to perform the concerti on historical or modern instruments. It takes a visionary like Bogdan Bácanu to attempt to transform the beautiful compositions of the genius J. S. Bach to complement the many sonic capabilities of the marimba. Bácanu exercised the utmost respect for Johann Sebastian Bach?s original compositions as he adapted them with the sonic possibilities and character of the instrument in mind. It was even more important to him that the marimba should convincingly convey the originally intended sound. Michael Preibisch