Die Kunst der Fuge in meantone temperament
Bach’s Art of Fugue is a pinnacle of music history. On the basis of a single theme, the famous German composer created a marvellous cycle of polyphonic music in which he captures, in a compelling way, an encyclopaedia of contrapuntal techniques. The monumental work, lasting over an hour, is rarely heard in its entirety. It will now be performed for the first time on the Fokker organ by the brilliant organist Laurens de Man, recent winner of the Dutch Music Prize 2024, and thus for the first time in modulating meantone tuning, the tuning that was standard during the Renaissance. This gives the harmonies an archaic purity, while the chromaticism gains in tension.
The Art of Fugue has not survived complete and breaks off abruptly in bar 239 of the final fugue. It remains uncertain whether Bach was unable to complete it before his death, or whether the missing section has been lost. Over the centuries, musicians have made numerous attempts to bring this famous work to a logical conclusion. Today, De Man – for whom Bach’s oeuvre plays a central role in his activities – provides the work with an automated magical-realist ending by Sander Germanus, in which all 31 notes of the 31-tone tuning honour both Bach and the Fokker organ.
NB. As the concert on 14 April is already sold out, there will be an additional concert on Sunday 12 May. Make sure you don’t miss it!
Programme
Johann Sebastian Bach – Die Kunst der Fuge (BWV 1080)
Laurens de Man (’s-Hertogenbosch, 1993) became the first organist to win the Dutch Music Prize in 2024, the highest distinction awarded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to a musician active in classical music. He studied piano, organ and harpsichord (minor subject) with Jacques van Oortmerssen, David Kuyken and Johan Hofmann at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He continued his studies with Leo van Doeselaar at the Universität der Künste in Berlin (Konzertexamen Organ), completing this course in 2019 with the highest marks.
Laurens has won numerous prizes as a pianist and organist, including competitions in The Hague (Prinses Christina Concours 2009, 1st prize), Würzburg (Klavierwettbewerb J.S. Bach), Groningen (Martini Organ Competition, 1st prize) and Freiberg (Silbermann Wettbewerb, 1st prize), where he was named “ECHO Young Organist of the Year 2020.” In 2018 he was awarded the Sweelinck-Muller Prize.
Among other activities, he performs and arranges chamber music spanning four centuries as the pianist of the Chimaera Trio, which has recorded two CDs. Since 2012 he has been principal organist at the Janskerk in Utrecht. In the 2022-2023 season he served as “Organist in Residence” at the Contius organ in Leuven. He is affiliated with the Conservatorium van Amsterdam as a lecturer in classical piano for jazz pianists, and from September 2023 he has been appointed principal organ instructor at the Utrecht Conservatorium.
Support
This concert is made possible by: Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Gemeente Amsterdam (stadsdeel Oost).
Also the SNS REAAL Fonds – renamed Fonds 21 (renovation Fokker organ), Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds (renovation Fokker organ), Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ and Huygens-Fokker Foundation.
