Rudolf Stejner

It is no secret that there are quite a few excellent recordings of the Five Beethoven Piano Concertos available – especially Brendel (both sets with Chicago and Vienna), Kempff, Perahia, Schiff, the list goes on. However, what I find particularly stunning about Rudolf Serkin's readings of the Beethoven Concertos is the pure human element he somehow employs in his playing and at the same time his ability to transcend that same element.

The J.S. Bach Foundation has embarked on a remarkable undertaking: over a period of some 25 years, the Foundation will perform the complete vocal works by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Each month, one of the over 200 Bach cantatas is performed in the idyllic town of Trogen in Appenzell, Switzerland. With a rhythm of 12 cantatas per year, the project is estimated to conclude in the year 2030. All introductory workshops, concerts and reflection lectures on the cantata texts are recorded; the texts of the lectures are published in a continually expanding Bach Anthology. The main aim of the J.S. Bach Foundation's ambitious project is to provide a living Bach experience for today's listeners and to deepen our understanding of the great composer's works.