Double Bach: The Experience of Infinity for Mortals

Anette Bik, violinist with the internationally popular Klangforum Wien, is familiar with both early and contemporary music. On her first solo album, “Double Bach”, she presents a fascinating experiment: she asked leading contemporary composers to write a “double” of each movement of Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous Partita in B-minor. The idea seemed even more compelling since Bach also added a variation, or double, to each movement of his suite. As listeners we are in the unique situation of being able to experience a Bach double double, a stroke of genius in the mirror of our times, a fascinating auditory document where the greatest virtuosity and immediate impact come together in a rare coalescence. In that moment, we feel what the Austrian publicist Armin Thurnher expresses so succintly in the Liner Notes for this release: “Bach is a complete cosmos for sceptics, Bach is the experience of infinity for mortals.”