J. S. Bach: Piano Partita no. 6 in E minor, BWV 830 - I: Toccata (for marimba solo)

Danish marimbist Anders Elten performs the opening movement - Toccata - of Johann Sebastian Bach's sixth partita for keyboard instrument, in a new adaption for marimba solo.

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About the music:

The toccata from Bach's sixth keyboard partita owes much to the well-developed North German toccata-style (Buxtehude, Böhm etc), in which sections of virtuosic - and at times almost improvisational - character give way to stricter, contrapuntal writing.

Essentially following the above formula, Bach's toccata opens and ends with free-spirited sections steeped in grandiose arpeggios and flourishes, interspersed by a lengthy fugal section. Bach ingeniously manages to weave these seemingly contrasting sections together through the employment of a secondary chordal motif, which first occurs in the exposition. Towards the end of the fugal section, the motif inconspicuously resurfaces and gradually supplies enough momentum for the music to break free of the confinements of the strict fugue; leading us at last into the final section, which elaborates upon, and finally resolves, the emotional struggles of the exposition.

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About the performer:

Danish marimbist Anders Elten is fiercely devoted to the dissemination of the marimba as a modern classical concert instrument. He is the winner of several major music competitions: Among others, the ‘Grand Prize’ at the Enkor Music Competition in Germany, First Prize in both the internal solo, chamber and concerto competitions at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, as well as third prize and the ‘Keiko Abe Honorary Award’ in the Universal Marimba Competition in Belgium.

Lately, he has been the recipient of the prestigious Sonning Talent Prize, the Harbye Foundation scholarship, the Gladsaxe Music Prize as well as the Danish Radio P2 Talent Prize.

In 2017 he joined forces with renowned Danish percussionist Mathias Reumert, and as a duo they have played numerous concerts all over Denmark. In 2021, the French composer Phillippe Manoury dedicated "ARGUMENTA" to them - a brand new piece for percussion duo - and it was premiered later that year. In mid 2022, they will release their debut album, featuring music by aforementioned Phillippe Manoury, as well as a new arrangement of "Le Tombeau de Couperin" by Maurice Ravel.

Aside from his concert activities, Anders Elten currently holds the position of marimba teacher at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, from where he also obtained his soloist class diploma in 2019, having studied with prof. Gert Mortensen.

For more information, please visit www.anderselten.com.

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Video and sound recording: Torsten Jessen
Location: Musikhuset København