The cellist superstar of her generation, Alisa Weilerstein wows audiences with her technical mastery and emotionally intense interpretations of Romantic and contemporary repertory. In 2016, she began to focus on a kind of musical Everest: playing all Bach’s cello suites in a single performance. In an interview with The New York Times last year, she described the experience. “It’s like Transcendental Meditation, almost, this incredible arc. You start from No. 1, which is this flower bud of innocence, with deep purity, and then it just expands as you go through. I see them as a circle of life, in a way. The first one is childhood; second is adolescence. One can’t get specific without sounding trite, but let’s say the sixth is when you’ve had a very rich life and you reflect on what life has been to you. At the very end, I am emotionally exhausted, physically exhausted, and my brain is turned to mush — and it’s the most wonderful feeling, a cathartic feeling. I love it.
J. S. BACH: Suite No. 1 for Unaccompanied Cello in G major, BWV 1007
J. S. BACH: Suite No. 2 for Unaccompanied Cello in D minor, BWV 1008
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J. S. BACH: Suite No. 3 for Unaccompanied Cello in C major, BWV 1009
J. S. BACH: Suite No. 4 for Unaccompanied Cello in E-flat major, BWV 1010
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J. S. BACH: Suite No. 5 for Unaccompanied Cello in C minor, BWV 1011
J. S. BACH: Suite No. 6 for Unaccompanied Cello in D major, BWV 1012
Note: Program runs 3 hours.
The Aspen Music Festival and School present up to 10 events a day, including performances by five orchestras, fully staged operas, chamber music, recitals, family events, master classes, panels, and lectures. Many events are free. See the full schedule at www.aspenmusicfestival.com.
