Bach to the Future

Featuring

Ashley Wass
Ron Abramski
Johann Sebastian Bach
Alban Berg
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ferruccio Busoni

Samuel Barber

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Recording & Production

The album features two pianos for the J.S. Bach arrangement of 'Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV687', with Ron Abramski joining Ashley Wass.

Performer Biography

Ashley Wass, the pianist on this recording, is the only British winner of the London International Piano Competition and a former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist.

Compositional Technique

Ferruccio Busoni's Fantasia nach J.S. Bach is a Nachdichtung, meaning it immerses an existing text into a new musical style, expanding direct quotes from Bach's organ works with Busoni's unique harmonic language.

Album & Artwork

The album title, Bach to the Future, reflects the program's journey through musical ages, from J.S. Bach to mid-20th century works.

Composer's Artistic Vision

All the music on this album, despite spanning several centuries, is related through style, form, or structure to J.S. Bach, whom pianist Maria Curcio called 'the Grandfather of music'.

Performer Biography

Ron Abramski, who performs on this album, is a pianist praised for his virtuosity and original interpretations, and he studied with the legendary pedagogue Maria Curcio.

Compositional Technique

Samuel Barber's Piano Sonata in E flat minor, Op.26, written in 1949, incorporates many 20th-century techniques such as bitonality, tone rows, jazz, and ostinati, alongside Baroque-era contrapuntal skill.