Trevor Pinnock Plays Bach

Our former music director Trevor Pinnock brought—and continues to bring—an unmistakable sparkle to our stage. Trevor is a brilliant harpsichordist as well as a conductor. Therefore, it is with delight that we share an all-Pinnock Home Delivery with you, which includes a 1995 performance of J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, with Trevor as harpsichord soloist, Joanna G’froerer on solo flute, and now-retired concertmaster Walter Prystawski on solo violin.  In addition to Bach, we include two lively symphonies: Mozart’s Symphony No. 38, “Prague”, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3, “Scottish". 

Trevor shared his memories and thoughts on Bach and Mendelssohn: 

“The Fifth Brandenburg concerto shows off Bach as a flamboyant performer as opposed to a very serious composer. The famous cadenza in the first movement replaces his original shorter one and was designed to show off the qualities of a new harpsichord for the court. I enjoy the fact that Bach the performer was willing to throw aside the formal balance of the movement in order to wow his public.  It was great fun to play this concerto with Walter and Joanna.

“The European tour with the NAC Orchestra in 1995 was a high point of our time together. Before going on tour we played the repertoire at home. Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony shows off the virtuosity and expressive playing of the NAC Orchestra.  It has a romantic genesis, as Mendelssohn wrote the opening theme during travels in Scotland as a young man in 1829, where he visited Holyrood Palace and the rugged ruins of Holyrood Abbey. He returned to this inspiration twenty years later when he wrote the full symphony.”

Musicians in the orchestra who worked with Trevor Pinnock over the years relish the joy he brings to music-making. These concert archive recordings remind us all of the simple pleasures of listening to brilliant music, performed honestly and with passion and care.