A Celebration Of Bach Through The Works He Inspired

It's not uncommon for great composers to call on, emulate and venerate the music of those that came before them, especially when it comes to the work of German Baroque giant Johan Sebastian Bach. The Seattle Symphony and music director/conductor extraordinaire Ludvico Morlot present a program of works directly inspired by Bach, featuring renowned English organist Wayne Marshall, an instrumentalist of breathtaking virtuosity, boundless energy and enthusiasm. 

Marshall helps kick the program off on soloist duties during English conductor Leopold Stokowski's sweeping symphonic arrangement of Bach's 'Toccata' and 'Fugue in D Minor', one of 37 orchestrations and transcriptions Stokowski devised from Bach's music. This is followed by modern classical composer John Harbison's 'What Do We Make Of Bach?', a stirring Bach-inspired symphony that aptly summarizes his lifelong appreciation of the primary influencer of his own works. The evening comes to a close with Shostakovich's last ever work 'Symphony No. 15', a dark, tumultuous and profound piece that reflects Bach's rhythmic structures and kaleidoscopic patterning.