‘Bachtoberfest’ Fundraiser for Bach Week Festival
The Bachtoberfest fundraiser serves as a preview of the commemorative 40th annual Bach Week Festival, as well as a means to an end for its organizers. “A Cornucopia of Keyboards” will highlight five different incarnations in a spectrum of keyboard predecessors, celebrating many a Bach tune across mediums on this Sunday, Oct 7 at the Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston, Chicago.
The musical feast Bachtoberfest is partnered with a liquid treat in true “Oktoberfest” form: a complementary German beer and wine tasting will keep concertgoers in high spirits, along with a buffet of German breads, cheeses, meats and potato salad as well as scrumptious desserts like blackforest gateau and apfelstrudel.
Those who aren’t entranced by the heady smells wafting through the Bachtoberfest air will perhaps be more tickled by the concert lineup. Stanislav “Stas” Venglevski performs the Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565) on bayan, a Russian chromatic button accordion; Gregory Ceurvorst plays a harmonium rendition of Sinfonia No. 11 in G minor (BWV 797); Jason Moy reinvents the Prelude, Allemande and Sarabande of the English Suite in D minor (BWV 811) on harpsichord; Mark George and Fiona Queen partner up on duet pianos for Sheep May Safely Graze, from Cantata 208; and Richard Webster bangs out the “Gigue” Fugue in G Major (BWV 577) on the organ.
In addition to lending his dexterous hands, Webster—who happens to be the Bach Week Festival co-founder and music director—will challenge himself with the 26.2-mile Chicago marathon the very same day as Bachtoberfest. This is again intended to raise money in support of the upcoming Bach Week Festival, which will take place from April-May 2013.
Doors to this slice of Bach open at 5:30 pm, with general admission starting at $50 then advancing to $100 “patron” and $150 “champion” tickets. Each option also yields, respectively, one, two or three free drinks with the option of $7 additions. Tickets can be purchased at www.bachweek.org; donations in support of Webster’s marathon run can also be made there.
