Jordi Savall–renowned gambist, conductor, composer, musical researcher and leader in the field of early music–collaborates with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas in a series of six master classes featuring alumni of the New World Symphony (NWS). He works with the young string players on solo pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, exploring with them the significance of style, technique, musicianship and historical context in the performance of baroque music.
NWS alumni perform the aria “Laudamus te” from Bach's Mass in B Minor. An orchestration of a verse from the “Gloria”, the full version of the work includes soprano II solo, obbligato violin and orchestra. It features dramatic coloratura that embody the joyousness of the text’s meaning. In these extracts from the master class, Jordi Savall delves into the power articulation and bow technique in defining musical style and expression.
