The eclectic musical musings of Camerata Pacifica Artistic Director Adrian Spence were in full evidence last Friday in Hahn Hall. Apropos for this company’s beginnings as Bach Camerata, the night was devoted to making a connection between the music of Bach and that of some 20th & 21st century composers. It all began with Bach’s brief 2 Part Invention in F Major for harpsichord followed by his Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello and Harpsichord. The last piece of the evening was the most recent, Caroline Shaw’s Boris Kerner for cello and flowerpots performed by Ani Aznivoorian and Ji Hye Jung, and the instrumentation alone gives you an idea how far the journey had come. Another very interesting stop on this tour was Andy Akiho’s devilishly syncopated 21, also featuring Ani on cello and bass kick-drum with Ji Hye on marimba and tambourine, with electronic loops. It wasn’t too hard to see Adrian’s point: Bach still has a profound influence on western music, even 300 years later.
Paolo Bordignon, Adrian Spence, James Austin Smith and Ani Aznavoorian perform Bach – Camerata Pacifica 10/18/16 Hahn Hall
