Beethoven at 200: The influence of JS Bach

BEETHOVEN AT 200: THE INFLUENCE OF JS BACH

Grant McLachlan, composer, South African College of Music, University of Cape Town

Tuesday 26 January  7.30 pm  COURSE FEES R250; Staff and students R200

VENUE Baxter Theatre Concert Hall

2027 is the 200th anniversary of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven – the maverick eccentric genius born of the Enlightenment, an avant-garde ahead of his time who paved the way for the Romantic era which followed.

But who did Beethoven himself follow on from?

During his teens, when Beethoven spent much of his time preparing to be a pianist, the fundamental part of his training was the great work by Johann Sebastian Bach, Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, a set of 48 preludes of fugues in all 24 keys. This is a work which not only covered every possible keyboard technique, but was also a compositional toolbox that Beethoven was to draw on increasingly, and most strikingly in the works of his last period.

Grant McLachlan will present a lecture-recital in which we explore this heritage. With live performances by some of Cape Town’s finest musicians, we will be playing the music of both Bach and Beethoven.

TO BOOK: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/performance.aspx?itemid=1602808595

Grant McLachlan is a South African composer based in Cape Town who holds master’s degree in composition from King’s College, London, and a film music degree from Bournemouth University. Grant spent nearly 20 years in England during which time he composed extensively for chamber ensembles and for choirs. Since returning to South Africa in 1994, Grant has specialised in composing for natural history films, and has scored music for more than 120 wildlife and feature film productions over the last 3 three decades. He has composed for many broadcasters, including the BBC, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Animal Planet, Discovery, ZDF, NKH, Terra Mater, and many more. Other films Grant has composed for include Cosmic Africa (best music, Stone awards); Faith Like Potatoes; Killer Whales; The Megahunt; and 2099: The Soldier Protocol; a documentary on the penguins at Boulder’s Beach called City Slickers. Since 2020, Grant has been presenting lectures for the UCT Summer School, exploring music in human, emotional and scientific contexts.

Hailed by the Washington Post as a "pianist of genius", Gustavo Romero is internationally renowned for his technical brilliance and interpretive depth. Since his debut with the New York Philharmonic at the age of 14, he has performed across the world in recitals and with the world's leading orchestras including Carnegie Hall and the Barbican centre and has recorded the 5 Beethoven concerti with the English Chamber Orchestra.