Home / Arts and Entertainment / BachFest Ignites Bath with Virtuosic New Director
BachFest Ignites Bath with Virtuosic New Director
23 Feb
Summary
- Adrian Brendel leads Bath Bachfest with a dynamic new ensemble.
- Performances featured Handel, Purcell, Bach, and Vivaldi.
- Sitkovetsky's Goldberg Variations arrangement concluded the day.
The Bath Bachfest has been revitalized under the leadership of its new artistic director, Adrian Brendel. Brendel has established the BachFest Ensemble, bringing together emerging artists with seasoned performers.
This ensemble collaborated with Brendel, cellist Nicholas Daniel, and countertenor Reginald Mobley. Their performance included works by Handel, Purcell, and Bach, demonstrating a palpable joy in shared music-making that resonated with the audience.
Standout moments included Stephen Waarts's violin performance, Reginald Mobley's expressive vocalizations, and Nicholas Daniel's astonishing oboe playing, particularly in a Handel concerto and an aria from Orlando.
The festival concluded with a captivating performance of Dmitry Sitkovetsky's arrangement of Bach's Goldberg Variations for string trio. Brendel, alongside violinist Tim Crawford and violist Noga Shaham, delivered a rendition that perfectly captured the work's complexity and emotional depth.
