Event programme

Chat with Josetxu Obregón (ES)

Artist’s message to visitors: This is a unique opportunity to listen to a very unusual combination of the first repertory ever written for the cello, combined with Bach cello suites, in a way that the concert recreates some sort of imaginary suite in which we can hear a prelude and one of each dances that Bach wrote for each of the cello suites, alternating with related pieces from the seicento, not only related in key and tempo, but also taking into account the evolution of music during the baroque, so for instance the free improvisatory Ricercare form relates very much to Bach preludes, or for instance some dance forms such that were both used in the Italian seicento as well as later on in Bach’s high baroque in Köthen. All of this performed in an original violoncello from the baroque, with a historical setup and bow, to try and come as close to possible to the original sound of this repertoire.

My artistic mission: After concluding regular modern cello and chamber music studies in Spain as well as a Master’s degree in Holland, in a moment where I was working with Concergebouw Orchestra and some chamber music group as the Octeto Ibérico de Violoncellos, as well as teaching modern cello in Madrid’s Royal Conservatory, I decided to specialize in the historical performance of early music, and from this moment I founded La Ritirata with the goal of performing both renown and unknown repertory from the very beginning of the cello in the early baroque until the classicism and early romanticism, always with an historical approach.

Recording: Radio Slovenija