The Art of Violin

In this episode of Talking Bach, Artistic Director Madeleine Easton is joined by Pru  Goward, distinguished broadcaster, journalist and politician, and life long fan of Bach and his music. Madeleine and Pru explore the choral music of Bach and Charpentier, two of the greatest Baroque composers who most probably never met but whose music shares many similarities. They also explore writing for solo violin and some special pieces written for it, and Madeleine opens up about her recent injury and her road to recovery.With thanks to the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra for permission to use excerpts from their Soli Deo Gloria label:https://open.spotify.com/track/3VyJDUQyGVgxfClVIRdSRJ?si=744ea39c59614d48https://open.spotify.com/track/1jXTcJPOMdwHUF9QFSzcfh?si=120ed6d1da56430a Chapters (00:00:14) - Introduction to Talking Bach(00:00:58) - Bach and Charpentier: Word Setting Mastery(00:02:55) - Other Great Word-Setters: Purcell, Monteverdi, Handel(00:05:17) - Bach's Unmatched Variety in Word Setting(00:06:49) - Examples: Charpentier's Et Incarnatus Est(00:08:29) - Musical Example: Charpentier(00:09:39) - Bach Equivalent: BWV 70 Bass Aria(00:11:04) - Musical Example: Bach BWV 70(00:11:59) - Introducing the Violin From Bach to Bluegrass Recital(00:13:20) - Bieber, Bach's C Major Sonata and the Fugue(00:14:55) - Bach's Influence on Later Violin Composers(00:16:44) - Program Highlights: Bluegrass, Paganini and the Devil(00:17:54) - Are Bach's Violin Works Performable?(00:19:10) - Madeleine's Accident and Recovery(00:20:32) - Rebuilding Technique from Relaxation(00:22:04) - Recovery and Growth as a Player(00:24:11) - Performance Example Post-Recovery(00:26:09) - Closing Remarks and Next Episode Preview

In our first podcast for 2026, Artistic Director Madeleine Easton welcomes Chris Watson, the Director of Music at Trinity College as her guest. Chris is a former member of the internationally acclaimed Tallis Scholars and Director of Music at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He has had an international career spanning 3 decades as a tenor soloists and choir director and now calls Australia home. Madeleine and Chris as Bach Akademie Australia prepare to perform all of these wondrous works throughout one program in February. For text translations and our recommended recording for listening, click the link below  https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cf8d9ae2e760300019e8752/t/6965d8efb0c80a60b56bdaeb/1768282351673/Bach+Motets+text+and+translations.pdf Chapters (00:00:22) - Talking Bach(00:02:05) - Talking Bach(00:03:01) - The Motets(00:07:45) - Bach's motets(00:12:46) - The Music of Purcell(00:14:44) - The difficulty of singing the symphonies(00:16:11) - The Brandenburg Concertos(00:20:37) - Serenade(00:21:33) - Bach's use or choice of hymns(00:24:58) - The Motets

In this episode of Talking Bach, Artistic Director Madeleine Easton takes listeners on a journey through The Art of Violin—a sweeping exploration of the instrument’s origins, evolution, and enduring allure. From the medieval rabab and rebec to the golden age of Cremonese violin-making, Madeleine traces how the violin rose to prominence as the most expressive and beloved instrument in Western music. Along the way, she highlights the great composers and virtuosi who shaped its voice—Vivaldi, Handel, Bach, Paganini, Kreisler, and many more—revealing how performers and composers worked hand in hand to expand the violin’s technical and emotional possibilities. With vivid historical insights, musical examples, and reflections on performance, this episode celebrates the artistry of both violin makers and violinists, and the timeless music they brought into the world Chapters (00:00:13) - Talking Bach(00:01:33) - What is the violin?(00:06:24) - The Origins of the Violin(00:09:35) - What is the Viola?(00:12:05) - Baroque Music(00:14:08) - The violin's historical trajectory(00:15:30) - What is it about the violin?(00:17:47) - The violin(00:21:49) - The role of the violin in music(00:27:50) - Bach(00:29:20) - The Art of Violin

In this episode of Talking Bach, Artistic Director Madeleine Easton is joined by violinists Simone Slattery and Rafael Font to explore The Art of Violin—a program that delves into the origins, evolution, and expressive power of the violin during the Baroque period. Together, they discuss the enduring fascination with this singular instrument, tracing its journey from its earliest incarnations to the virtuosic solo works of Vivaldi, Leclair, Handel, Telemann, and J.S. Bach.   Through personal stories, historical insights, and reflections on performance practice, this conversation offers a deep appreciation for the craftsmanship and creativity of Baroque composers who redefined the violin’s potential. With works that feel like musical time travel, the episode celebrates the violin’s unique voice and its place at the heart of Western music’s past, present, and future. Chapters (00:00:00) - Talking Bach(00:01:23) - Talking Bach(00:01:39) - The Art of the Violin(00:08:15) - Simone On Her Journey to the Violin(00:13:42) - The story of the Venezuelan violinist(00:19:12) - The Discovery of the Suzuki Method(00:25:28) - The Secret to the Violin's Success(00:31:36) - The Claude Pierre Violin(00:37:23) - The Baroque Violin(00:43:03) - The story of Grancino Viola(00:48:16) - The Baroque Violin(00:50:28) - The Voice of Baroque Violists(00:51:28) - Handel and Telemann violin concertos(00:57:43) - Jean Marie Leclerc Violin Concerto(01:01:11) - Bach's violin concertos(01:03:23) - Bach Academy Australia

In this episode of Talking Bach, Artistic Director Madeleine Easton is joined by soprano Susannah Lawergren and principal flautist Mikaela Oberg to discuss the “Class of ’85.” The odds are slim that three musicians of global significance could be born in the same year, but in 1685, that’s exactly what happened. Domenico Scarlatti, Georg Frideric Handel, and Johann Sebastian Bach—known as the Class of ’85—have had an overwhelming and enduring influence on music.   This program features Handel’s rich Concerto Grosso in B-flat major, Op. 6 No. 7; Domenico Scarlatti’s Salve Regina, performed by mezzo-soprano Hannah Fraser; and J.S. Bach’s magnificent secular cantata Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209, featuring soprano Susannah Lawergren. Together, these works celebrate the supreme craftsmanship, versatility, and imagination of these three titans of Western classical music.

  Madeleine Easton’s guest is none other than the Internationally recognised Grammy nominated American Countertenor Reginald Mobley.  In anticipation of Bach Akademie Australia’s first national tour with Reginald as soloist, Mobley talks about growing up in Gainesville Florida, his wanting to be a visual artist before discovering that he had voice which was was to take him all around the world, and finally here to Australia.   

Artistic Director Madeleine Easton is joined by Australia’s own Marko Sever, virtuoso organist to talk about J.S. Bach’s remarkable journey on foot of over 400kms to hear his idol Buxtehude. They discuss what kind of a person it takes to attempt such a huge feat of endurance completely on your own, his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, what he gained from the experience, and the enduring legacy for all music as a result.     

In this month’s edition of Talking Bach, Madeleine Easton interviews Australian Pianist Phillip Shovk. Phillip is not only one of Australia’s most celebrated pianists, but is also an extremely skilled chess player, attaining a world ranking. Madeleine and Phillip discuss how the mind of a genius works through the music of J.S. Bach, whose works Phillip is deeply familiar, in the run up to Bach Akademie Australia’s next concert series: 'Bach - the mind of a Genius'    

Roland is one of Australia’s most respected performers, academics and artistic directors. His directorship of the Song Company over many years saw the ensemble reach heights of fame and artistic excellence never before achieved. His celebrated tenure as artistic director of the Canberra International Music Festival has won him legions of fans throughout the country. 2024 is his last year I this role, however we are celebrating him and this years festival with this podcast, and looking forward to presenting the 6 masterpieces that are Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos.  

 She explores the meaning of the word itself, and takes a deep dive into the program which includes Bach’s Cantata BWV 39 ‘Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot’, dubbed Bach’s ‘refugee’ cantata, his harpsichord concerto in E which has been arranged for violin by Kati Debrezeni, and finally his Cantata BWV 147 ‘Herz und Mund, und Tat und Leben’. Madeleine takes us through the history of these works plus explores just why Bach was the greatest musical benefactor of all to us, his grateful listeners.