Bach’s four orchestral suites

Following on from the Camerata’s triumphant performance of all six of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos on period instruments at the Onassis Stegi in October 2012, the internationally feted ensemble and its artistic director, George Petrou, promise audiences another unique experience in the company of Johannes Sebastian’s much-loved music.

The four celebrated orchestral suites by the great German composer come to life on the Camerata’s baroque instruments. These magnificent compositions, inspired by the grandeur of the French baroque dance suite, are works of Bach’s maturity.

From the virtuosic solo contributions of the baroque oboe and bassoon in Suite no. 1, we move on to a tender exchange between the transverse flute and the strings in Suite no. 2 and the famous “Bandinerie”, surely one of the most popular... ringtones of all time!

The magnificent sound of the natural baroque trumpet and the leather-headed period tympani bookend one of the most moving melodies ever written: the celebrated “Air on a G string” from Suite no. 3.

Suite no. 4 juxtaposes solo exchanges between three trumpets and tympani, on the one hand, and three oboes and a bassoon, on the other, against the ethereal sound of the Camerata strings.

So there you have it: Bach at his most fleet of foot!