Erbarme dich!

Erbarme dich! is a spiritual journey from torment to redemption built around the instrumental transcriptions of Bach arias in combination with pieces and sonatas for our formation of violin, violoncello piccolo and cello.

The goal of this programme is to take the audience through a spectrum of universal human emotions - anger, guilt, remorse, acceptance, and ultimately, redemption. By taking the religious text away from the arias, we want the audience the be guided intuitively through each stage of this journey, removing the explicit religious content from them. The cello piccolo will be the voice in the tenor arias, giving freedom to the imagination and encouraging a different way of listening to this music through its instrumental tone. The music by Locke, Biber and the slow movements of the Bach sonatas will let us reach and reflect on each moment of this path towards personal absolution.

Torment

MATTHEW LOCKE (ca.1621/1622-1677)

Suite Nº 5 in e minor from the collection The Little Consort

HEINRICH IGNAZ BIBER (1644-1704)

Sonata for violin and continuo in e minor, C.142: I.- II. Variatio III. Aria

Path to redemption

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)

Sonata for viola da gamba and harpsichord No.2 in D Major, BWV1028 (transcription for violoncello piccolo, violin and cello): III. Andante

Aria Erbarme dich from the Cantata Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündernknecht BWV 55 for tenor, violin and continuo (transcription for violoncelo piccolo, violin and cello)

HEINRICH IGNAZ BIBER (1644-1704)

Sonata for violin and continuo in c minor, C.143: I. – Passaaglia II. – Gavotte – Adagio – Allegro – Adagio

Forgiveness and peace

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)

Sonata for viola da gamba and harpsichord Nº 3 in g minor, BWV 1029 (transcription for violoncello piccolo, violin and cello): II. Adagio

Ich traue seiner Gnaden from the Cantata In allen meinen Taten BWV 97 for tenor, violin and continuo (transcription for violoncello piccolo, violin and cello)

Sonata for viola da gamba and harpsichord BWV 1027 in G Major (transcription for violoncello piccolo, violin and cello): I. Adagio II. Allegro ma non tanto III. Andante IV. Allegro moderato