Aside from Gershwin, there is no other classical composer to whom jazz musicians return more frequently for inspiration than Johann Sebastian Bach. The Modern Jazz Quartet played Bach pieces in its time and the name of Frenchman Jacques Loussier also became known the world over for his interpretations of Bach. In Germany, it was the pianist Joachim Kühn who furthered the legacy of the great baroque composer, not least because he was born in the city of the St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. More ...recent generations of jazz aficionados are more likely to be familiar with the inspirational impact of Bach on jazz music through Keith Jarrett solo recordings on the ECM label.
Having marked 20 years since the start of his career last year, Brad Mehldau also felt it was time to release his take on Bach's work. The result is his Three Pieces After Bach programme, which he first performed at the Carnegie Hall with the support of the Swiss Fondation Hoffmann, which contributes to the organisation of culturally important events. The significance of Mehldau's performance is also illustrated by the fact that he was invited to perform in Bach's own church, the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig.
Over the past 20 years, Mehldau has grown into one of the world's most sought-after jazz pianists. Both his own compositions and his arrangements of evergreen jazz classics are prime examples of contemporary jazz. It can be said of his work that it is a meditation on certain preludes and fugues of Das wohltemperierte Klavier rather than improvised variations on Bach themes as was previously the practice. Mehldau is a wonderful Bach performer, whether he is playing composed music or improvising. His programme is filled with playful stylistic references to music history and stylistic traditions, including nods to Shostakovich and Ravel, or to the recently departed John Taylor from among his own contemporaries. There is a positive sense of tension in his performances, which call into being a convergence of the European classical music canon and American improvised jazz. Now 46 years old, the pianist and composer's Budapest concert promises to be one of the most important jazz events in Hungary of 2017.
Presented by: Müpa Budapest
Parking information
We wish to inform you that in the event that Müpa Budapest's underground garage and outdoor car park are operating at full capacity, it is advisable to plan for increased waiting times when you arrive. In order to avoid this, we recommend that you depart for our events in time, so that you you can find the ideal parking spot quickly and smoothly and arrive for our performance in comfort. The Müpa Budapest underground garage gates will be operated by an automatic number plate recognition system. Parking is free of charge for visitors with tickets to any of our paid performances on that given day. The detailed parking policy of Müpa Budapest is available here.
Safe ticket purchase
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