In his liner-note essay for the new Bach Trios (Nonesuch) pianist and composer Timo Andres writes of Bach’s work, “Part of the utility of his music is its protean adaptability to any number of instrumental combinations; the labor of performing is divided easily into voices or parts, each a satisfying narrative thread on its own.” Indeed, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, bassist Edgar Meyer, and mandolinist Chris Thile traverse a variety of works the composer originally penned for different instruments. There are a slew of pieces for solo keyboards—including selections from The Art of the Fugue and The Well-Tempered Clavier—as well as ones written for solo organ or viola da gamba, each of which has been transcribed for the unusual instrument combination these three versatile musicians present.…
In his liner-note essay for the new Bach Trios (Nonesuch) pianist and composer Timo Andres writes of Bach’s work, “Part of the utility of his music is its protean adaptability to any number of instrumental combinations; the labor of performing is divided easily into voices or parts, each a satisfying narrative thread on its own.” Indeed, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, bassist Edgar Meyer, and mandolinist Chris Thile traverse a variety of works the composer originally penned for different instruments. There are a slew of pieces for solo keyboards—including selections from The Art of the Fugue and The Well-Tempered Clavier—as well as ones written for solo organ or viola da gamba, each of which has been transcribed for the unusual instrument combination these three versatile musicians present.…