Inachis - Aglais - Lysandra are the compositions by Barry Guy which will exist between Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas on our three CD project. They are all named after butterflies which for me represent the ultimate symbol for the mysteries and spirituality in nature, for colour, lightness of touch, intensity.
I am pleased to have found a writer in Elisabeth Binder who agreed to compose an essay for this CD, not necessarily based on J.S.Bach and his music but on nature, depicted by one of the world’s greatest artists Albrecht Dürer in his painting “Das grosse Rasenstück”.
For me, the magical world opening up by letting yourself been drawn into Dürer’s painting is very similar to the excitement and wonderment whenever one starts the day with yet another attempt at getting closer to Bach’s solo Sonatas and Partitas. In the intro to my first Bach/Guy Solo CD I wrote about “the lifelong search to transform the violin into a singing voice”. Having come as far as the second recording with the juxtaposition of Old and New, the search intensifies and the wish for accuracy is stronger than ever : this longing to be able to work on the tiniest of details in a totally naturalistic way in the hope to transcend into the bigger picture. This recording captures one moment in time during this never ending journey. - Maya Homburger
AGLAIS: In contrast to the first piece Inachis, Aglais researches a lighter more ethereal, transparent musical world inhabited by discoloured unison pitches and floating harmonics, contrasting more conventional violin techniques such as barriolage. The piece is through composed, using ideas from an earlier, purely graphically notated version to create an almost improvisational character but maintaining a degree of control, balance and perspective in respect of Bach’s masterpieces and the final set of three works. - Barry Guy |