Bach never left Germany, yet his music incorporates styles from Italy, France, and Nordic lands, creating a vast international musical compendium.
Composition History
During his visit, Frederick the Great challenged Bach to improvise a six-part work on a royal theme, leading to the creation of the Musical Offering.
Composition History
Bach's Musical Offering was inspired by his 1747 visit to the Potsdam palace of Frederick the Great, the flute-playing king, where Bach's son Carl Philipp Emanuel worked as court musician.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach consciously composed the Musical Offering against the popular 'galant style' of the time, embedding his underlying philosophy of divine order in counterpoint.
Performer Biography
Ann-Helena Schlüter, the Swedish-German pianist on this recording, studied piano, organ, and musicology at several prestigious institutions in Europe, the USA, and Australia.
Recording & Production
This album features a unique mix of Bach's early and late works, including the very early Capriccio and the late Musical Offering.
Performer Biography
Ann-Helena Schlüter has won prizes at international piano, poetry, and authors' competitions, including Steinway, Villach, Schumann, Nürnberg, Brüssel, and Regensburg.
