J.S. BACH. THE ART OF FUGUE

April 12 | Italian Academy

Fretwork
Illustrated talk by Richard Boothby

J.S. Bach — Art of Fugue

Counterpoint was a constant preoccupation throughout J.S. Bach's life and The Art of Fugue, one of his last works, was the culmination of this lifelong obsession. It has long been supposed that the composer's death interrupted its completion, yet recently other possibilities and theories have been suggested. Richard Boothby presents an illustrated performance with his group Fretwork, whose celebrated recording of this remarkable work is their best-selling album, and discusses some of the music's most intriguing features. The evening will conclude with an analysis of the final fugue and a performance of a possible reconstruction of its missing final bars.