Overtures to Bach Matt Haimovitz

• Philip Glass (1937- ):
• 1 Overture 05:36
• J.S. Bach (1685 - 1750):
• 2 Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: I. Prélude 02:15
• Du Yun (1977- ):
• 3 The Veronica 11:57
• J. S. Bach:
• 4 Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008: I. Prélude 03:56
• Vijay Iyer (1971- ):
• 5 Run 07:28
• J. S. Bach:
• 6 Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009: I. Prélude 03:20
• Roberto Sierra (1953- ):
• 7 La memoria 09:09
• J. S. Bach:
• 8 Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010: I. Prélude 03:08
• David Sanford (1963- ):
• 9 Es War 08:34
• J. S. Bach:
• 10 Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: I. Prélude 05:27
• Luna Pearl Woolf (1973- ):
• 11 Lili'uokalani 10:28
• J. S. Bach:
• 12 Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: I. Prélude 04:28
• Total Runtime 01:15:46

Info for Overtures to Bach

Matt Haimovitzs continuously-evolving and intense engagement with the Bach Cello Suites reaches a new zenith with Overtures to Bach, six new commissions that anticipate and reflect each of the cello suites. The new overtures expand upon the multitude of spiritual, cross-cultural, and vernacular references found in the Bach, building a bridge from the masters time to our own.

The new album, Overtures to Bach, pairs each new work with the Prélude from the suite it introduces, with Haimovitz performing on cello and cello piccolo. Philip Glass simply and eloquently prepares the audience for the first Suite with his Overture, encouraging an open and calm frame of mind. For the second suite, Du Yun creates a heartbreaking quilt of cries in The Veronica, mingling a Russian Orthodox prayer for the dead, Serbian chant, and central European gypsy fiddle music. Vijay Iyers Run responds to Bachs third suite with infectious energy and kinesthetic rhythms that celebrate the natural resonance of the instrument as well as the composers jazz roots.

Then, Roberto Sierras La memoria plays on our memory of Bach's Suite IV, seamlessly referencing motivic fragments and creating a kaleidoscopic mirage with the exotic flavors of Caribbean bass lines and salsa rhythms. David Sanfords Es War, a response to the fifth suite, opens with a tour de force of pizzicato, then wrestles with Bachs epic fugue with a saxophones wails. For the sixth and final suite, Luna Pearl Woolf is inspired by pre- Western Hawaiian chant, taking full advantage of the virtuosic properties of the cello piccolo and treating it operatically, from the low bass to the soprano stratosphere.

Matt Haimovitz, cello, cello piccolo

Matt Haimovitz
is acclaimed for both his tremendous artistry and as a musical visionary – pushing the boundaries of classical music performance, championing new music and initiating groundbreaking collaborations, all while mentoring an award-winning studio of young cellists at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music in Montreal.

Mr. Haimovitz made his debut in 1984, at the age of 13, as a soloist with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic, and at 17 he made his first recording for Deutsche Grammophon (Universal Classics) with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Haimovitz made his Carnegie Hall debut when he substituted for his teacher, the legendary Leonard Rose, in Schubert’s String Quintet, alongside Isaac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovich, Pinchas Zukerman and Shlomo Mintz.

Haimovitz’s recording career encompasses more than 20 years of award-winning work on Deutche Grammophon and his own Oxingale Records. His recent release Meeting of the Spirits was nominated for a GRAMMY® for Best Classical Crossover Album and won a GRAMMY® for Best Producer of the Year (Classical). A new recording with pianist Christopher O’Riley, Shuffle.Play.Listen, celebrating the evolution of the listening experience since the iPod, has received unanimous acclaim. In fall 2012 Haimovitz will be featured as soloist in three world-premiere concerto recordings, Paul Moravec’s Montserrat, Laura Schwendinger’s Esprimere, and Philip Glass’ Cello Concerto No. 2 recorded live with the Cincinnati Symphony and Dennis Russell Davis.

The solo cello recital is a Haimovitz trademark, both inside and outside the concert hall. In 2000, he made waves with his Bach “Listening-Room” Tour, for which, to great acclaim, Haimovitz took Bach’s beloved cello suites out of the concert hall and into clubs. He was the first classical artist to play at New York’s infamous CBGB club, in a performance filmed by ABC News for “Nightline UpClose.”

Haimovitz’s honors include the Concert Music Award from ASCAP, the Trailblazer Award from the American Music Center, the Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Grand Prix du Disque, the Diapason d'Or, the Premio Internazionale "Accademia Musicale Chigiana". He was in the final studio of legendary cellist Leonard Rose at the Juilliard School and received a B.A. magna cum laude with highest honors from Harvard University. Haimovitz plays a Venetian cello, made in 1710 by Matteo Gofriller.

Booklet for Overtures to Bach