Crossroads

For her latest project Crossroads, Sidorova expands this idea with further arrangements of Bach, and pieces by other composers who have been deeply influenced by his music. The most substantial work in the programme is Bach’s Concerto BWV 1052. The earliest versions of this work date from the 1720s, with organ as the solo instrument, and were composed as movements of two choral cantatas. (There are theories that even earlier versions exist with violin as soloist, but these remain conjecture.)

In the 1730s Bach rewrote them and stitched them together to create a three-movement harpsichord concerto, and it is this version which is now most often heard. But as Bach himself was flexible as to choice of soloist, others have felt free to take his lead: adaptations have been made for piano, violin, recorders, and even heavy metal guitar.

“For this reason, I hope that having another version for a two-manual instrument shouldn’t surprise anyone,’ says Sidorova. ‘It’s such a wonderfully exuberant work too – almost like a piece of rock music of its time, giving the soloist a real chance to show off. And it’s so well written for the fingers, that it required almost no alteration in the score to be played on the accordion.”

Sinfonietta Rīga
Ksenija Sidorova – Accordion
Normunds Šnē – Conductor