Seven Bach Variations (2024)
Interacting with Bach’s music for this project felt to me like a strange one-sided musical conversation of sorts. Whereas I worked to retain recognizable elements of Bach’s variations, I also had absolute freedom to reinterpret and reframe the material in any way that inspired me, whether contemplative, tongue-in-cheek, frenetic, or exuberant. At times I borrowed heavily from Bach, using original melodic lines and harmonies (albeit somewhat altered); other variations stem from details as small as a repeating note or a three-note figure. While some Baroque elements may be discernible here and there, other stylistic references primarily reflect my own influences, ranging from 80’s synth pop bands to postmodernism.
The resulting seven variations were given subtitles to convey my reimagined take on Bach’s material: No. 9 “Bach Appears in a Dream”, No. 10 “Bach Takes a Walk”, No. 11 “Bach Dancing with Joy”, No. 12 “Bach Floating on Air”; No. 13 “Bach, in Bright Sunlight”; No. 14 “Bach’s Obsession”, and No. 15 “Bach Descends”.
