28 Juli 1750, In Memorian J.S.B.

In the early 1990s, Russian Valentyn Silvestrov (b. 1937) composed a tribute to Bach that uses the pattern in order of ascending pitches, A-B-H-C (thus, A, B-flat, B-natural, C). The poetic title, 28 July 1750, in memoriam JSB…, makes clear Silvestrov’s source of inspiration. It was written to reflect the rhapsodic textures of Bach’s solo cello suites, though there are times when the player uses left-hand pizzicato to suggest a funereal bell. Silvestrov never leaves the quieter dynamic range, and manages to compress an enormous amount of personal reflection and meditation into about seven minutes.

(c) Jason Stell