Bach in time

Bach in Time can be considered Philippe Thuriot’s magnum opus. It is the culmi- nation of a four-decade-long exploration of a wide variety of musical genres. His musical journey has meandered through classical music (baroque and con- temporary) and jazz, as well as popular music. For an artist like Philippe, having to choose between these styles would be a true act of self-denial. The fusion of these different genres was thus a logical next step in his career. For this accor- dionist, all his musical paths come together in Bach in Time.

For Bach in Time, Thuriot drew inspiration from Bach’s organ works and his Preludes and Fugues for harpsichord. Even his small pieces from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach sow the seeds for something new. A symbiosis develops between “Blackbird” and three-hundred-year-old music. Balkan music sprouts from the Orchestral Suite No. 4, and the famous “Air” gets a breath of fresh air, literally. Thuriot unravels Bach’s works to their core. They become X-rays, and he dresses them right up again in his own inimitable way.

Bach in Time is a surprising program and a tribute to the world’s greatest musical genius. It is largely a poetic trip, sometimes frivolous, and then again serious and sacred, as illustrated by the Argentinian song “Alfonsina y el Mar” that is masterfully interwoven with “Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder” from the St. Matthew Passion. Above all else, Bach in Time is an exciting musical adventure with a driving energy. A trance-inducing musical world that leaves no one untouched.