Benjamin Alard
HARPSICHORD - J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 - Teatro Fernando de Rojas
Sala Fernando de Rojas del Círculo de Bellas Artés
C. del Marqués de Casa Riera
Apr 28, 2024
7:00 PM GMT+2
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About this concert
Sunday, April 28, 2024, 7:00 p.m
Harpsichord Recital
Series: Círculo de Cámara
Venue: Teatro Fernando de Rojas - C. del Marqués de Casa Riera, 2, 28014 Madrid (Spain).
Programme
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
Benjamin Alard, Harpsichord
Legend has it, fueled by Forkel, the musician's first biographer, that Bach wrote the Goldberg Variations at the request of the Russian ambassador in Dresden, Count Keyserlingk, to alleviate his sleepless nights, since a young harpsichordist at his service, Johann Gottfried Goldberg, I would interpret them for him. Bach must have had a lot of confidence in this teenager, since he produced a work of extraordinary difficulty designed for a double keyboard harpsichord and built from a theme ( Aria ), which is an anonymous sarabande (possibly original by Bach himself) extracted from the Little Book of Anna Magdalena , whose harmonic scheme subjects the composer to 30 variations. It will be offered by Benjamin Alard, who in the last decade has risen to a position of honor in Bachian interpretation around the world.
Organizer: The Círculo de Bellas Artes of Madrid (CBA)
Collaboration: Embassy of France / French Institute in Madrid
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Benjamin Alard Biography
BENJAMIN ALARD . Harpsichord, Organ, Clavicord
Benjamin Alard’s principal passion has always been the music of J.S. Bach and it was for his interpretation of this great composer that he was awarded first prize in the 2004 International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges.
While still quite young he began studying music in his hometown in Dieppe, France. He was soon drawn to the organ and entered the Conservatory of Rouen where he studied with Louis Thiry and François Ménissier.
He was first introduced to the harpsichord by Elizabeth Joyé, with whom he studied in Paris before going on, in 2003, to the Schola Cantorum in Basel to work with Jörg-Andreas Bôtticher, Jean-Claude Zehnder and Andrea Marcon.
Since 2005 he has been organist of the Bernard-Aubertin organ in the church of Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile in Paris where each season he gives concerts about the music of Bach.
Today Benjamin Alard divides his time between performing recitals and chamber music on both the harpsichord and organ. He often performs repertoire for two harpsichords with Elisabeth Joyé, in duo with the violinist Francois Fernandez or in trio). He is regularly invited to perform as soloist in music series in Europe, Japan and North America.
Benjamin Alard has recorded for the label Hortus and has made several recordings of works by J. S. Bach for Alpha (Sonatas in trio, Clavier Übung I and II). His recordings have consistently received high praise from the press and have been awarded multiple prizes.
He will now devote himself to the complete works for harpsichord and organ solo of Johann Sebastian Bach for harmonia mundi. Two boxes, on 17, are already available. The third box will be released in March 2020.
During the season 2019-2020, Benjamin Alard will be playing in Saint-Petersburg, in Barcelona and Madrid, in Ireland, among others. And he will continue the recording of the Bach cycle for keyboards solo at harmonia mundi.
Read MoreBenjamin Alard’s principal passion has always been the music of J.S. Bach and it was for his interpretation of this great composer that he was awarded first prize in the 2004 International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges.
While still quite young he began studying music in his hometown in Dieppe, France. He was soon drawn to the organ and entered the Conservatory of Rouen where he studied with Louis Thiry and François Ménissier.
He was first introduced to the harpsichord by Elizabeth Joyé, with whom he studied in Paris before going on, in 2003, to the Schola Cantorum in Basel to work with Jörg-Andreas Bôtticher, Jean-Claude Zehnder and Andrea Marcon.
Since 2005 he has been organist of the Bernard-Aubertin organ in the church of Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile in Paris where each season he gives concerts about the music of Bach.
Today Benjamin Alard divides his time between performing recitals and chamber music on both the harpsichord and organ. He often performs repertoire for two harpsichords with Elisabeth Joyé, in duo with the violinist Francois Fernandez or in trio). He is regularly invited to perform as soloist in music series in Europe, Japan and North America.
Benjamin Alard has recorded for the label Hortus and has made several recordings of works by J. S. Bach for Alpha (Sonatas in trio, Clavier Übung I and II). His recordings have consistently received high praise from the press and have been awarded multiple prizes.
He will now devote himself to the complete works for harpsichord and organ solo of Johann Sebastian Bach for harmonia mundi. Two boxes, on 17, are already available. The third box will be released in March 2020.
During the season 2019-2020, Benjamin Alard will be playing in Saint-Petersburg, in Barcelona and Madrid, in Ireland, among others. And he will continue the recording of the Bach cycle for keyboards solo at harmonia mundi.
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