The World According to Bach
The World According to Bach
There are some musicians who are principally performers. There are those who make better educators. But few musicians can combine the two as successfully as Geoffrey Thomas.
Mr. Thomas makes J. S. Bach come alive through the ‘medium’of this one-man show in which he plays the part of Bach’s third son, Carl Philipp Emanuel. Using just enough props to set the scene- C. P. E. Bach’s Hamburg home in the year 1780 - we are given the opportunity to enter into the “period” and spend an hour or so in his presence.
C. P. E. would dearly love to tell you about himself (after all, he is Europe’s greatest keyboard player); but he concedes that we have really come to hear about his father, the great Johann Sebastian Bach.
What ensues is a fascinating combination of theatre and live music in which C. P. E. shares his thoughts with the audience, as we are told of the “conflicts” between father and son - the grief, the sorrow, the anguish. There are “lighter” touches as well, such as when C.P.E. shares some of his father’s eccentricities. In addition, there is the musical element - and here, we are treated to Mr Thomas’ masterful command of the fortepiano. These “interludes” (sometimes used to emphasise a point; and at other times used to demonstrate a musical detail) are all an integral part of the play.
Mr Thomas’ play is well-crafted, witty, instructive - and above all, fun!
A refreshing and remarkable insight into the life of J. S. Bach - the “real” man. Thanks to Mr Thomas, my knowledge of Bach has been widened. Geoffrey Thomas has a rare gift for communication and the audience lapped it up! If you enjoy good music, The World According to Bach is a must - don’t miss it!
Edinburghguide.com
C.P.E Bach invites us into the world he shares with his father, Johann Sebastian Bach, with performances of his work and reminisces of his life. Thomas is an accomplished pianist; his playing is exquisite; and though the links were sometimes tenuous, sometimes slow, he captured the spirit of a talented man stuck in the shadow of his father’s genius… if you are a fan, this engaging recital is a definite must.
The World According to Bach
Like a school music lesson but more entertaining, The World According To Bach has more to offer than would merely attract a niche audience.
This one-man performance by Geoffrey Thomas details the work and life of JS Bach from the perspective of his son. Talented and accomplished in his own right, Bach junior struggles to bear the burden of being the son of a genius.
Set as an eighteenth century piano concert, the immensely gifted son tells stories of childhood hardship and the ways in which incidents can influence compositions.
This is not a full-scale performance of Bach’s works, allowing it to be more accommodating. Those who enjoy piano music but don’t know all that much about it will be able to grasp both the basics of composition and the particular types of music associated with Bach. For those more knowledgeable, on the other hand, all that is needed is the music.
Fest
The World According to Bach
HAMBURG, 1780: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach is Europe’s most renowned keyboard player. Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven publicly acknowledge their debt to him. Yet there is a ghost clanking about in his head. The ghost of his father still looking over his shoulder, never fully satisfied, never entirely approving.
You are invited to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s home in Hamburg. C.P.E would like to tell you about himself but he must reluctantly acknowledge that you have come to hear about his father. You have come to hear a great man perform the works of a far greater man.
The World According to Bach is a unique fusion of musical performance and theatre. There are many fine musicians and actors, but only one man could combine the skills necessary for this show. Geoffrey Thomas does just that. He plays Bach and plays Bach’s music on the fortepiano.
The World According to Bach combines theatre, live performance of Bach’s music, interaction with the audience, wit and pathos.
Learn what one genius has to say about an even greater genius. Was CPE jealous of his father? Did he dismiss his father as hopelessly old fashioned? How did he play his father’s pieces? What did he think about his father’s music?
The World According to Bach takes a stone-faced genius and makes him a living human being: feisty, demanding, struggling, masterful.
Photo: www.theater.hu (Béla Ilovszky)
