Thoughts & Recommendations from the Artistic Director: March

March… have we had enough of winter? Are we longing enough yet for spring? Dare we dream of summer and the beaches of Chicago… and Tuesday Rush Hour Concerts? We’ve paid our dues this winter, to be sure.

Yes, March… that odd “lion/lamb” month – St. Patrick’s Day mixed in with the Christian church’s Lenten season of fasting and longing for the light and lush of Easter. All these sentiments swirl in my head during this month, but foremost among them is the happy reminder that it is Johann Sebastian Bach’s birthday month.

March 21, 1685: The man who considered himself a “servant of God and the King” in his work of composing, whom the Classical period composers studied and revered, whose music has served as a pillar of the Western canon, entered this world. By the time he left it at age 65, he left behind a staggering body of music and 21 kids.

Bach was my favorite composer as a kid. To this day, my day isn’t complete unless I’ve played something of Bach. It makes my hands and soul feel good. I love teaching Bach to all ages (from five to seventy-five), I love playing Bach with colleagues, and I love the stories around Bach’s life. Here are a few of my favorites:

• He wrote the “Goldberg” Variations to ease Count Keyserlingk’s insomnia.
• He walked several hundred miles to hear Dieterich Buxtehude, then considered the best organist in all Europe.
• He underwent a procedure to remove cataracts without anesthesia!

Many people do not realize that Bach’s music underwent a period of being “out of favor.” From the time of his death in 1685 until the early 1800s, only composers knew Bach’s music. Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert all played “the great Bach” in their studies and strived to be able to produce a fugue at least in the same league as Bach’s. It wasn’t until Mendelssohn came along and premiered the St. Matthew Passion on March 11, 1829, in Leipzig, however, that Bach’s music came back into public life. From that moment on, his music began to be published, taught, learned and played worldwide.

While we’re on Bach, let me circle back to the “Goldberg” Variations and recommend two of my favorite Bach recordings: Pianists Andras Schiff and Daniel Barenboim have each made splendid recordings of this great work. Venturing beyond the keyboard world, Yo-Yo Ma’s recording of the Bach Cello Suites is a testimony to the magic Bach can weave with one line.

The Anticipatory Place

I hate to wait.

My last few articles have contained an almost subconscious countdown to June and our first concert. The childlike part of me is plaintively saying, “Are we there yet?” and the annoyed adult is answering back, “We’ll get there when we get there!”

This year, I feel that way about spring, about an upcoming trip, about Rush Hour, about my impending graduation from my master’s program… I’m a veritable bundle of anticipation. It is hard to remember sometimes that this anticipatory sensation has an important and natural place in the cycle. In each of these cases (although I do not claim to have any control over spring), the vast majority of the preparatory work is already done. The RH staff and board has had an extremely productive winter, and while behind-the-scenes work is never truly finished, we have reached the anticipatory place in our calendar. The RH season is set and the brochure will be printed shortly. We have contacted musicians, met with community partners, and planned some really spectacular concert events. But the truth remains – and eats at me – “We’ll get there when we get there.”

The truth is, this short period of less frenetic activity will make the arrival of all of these events that much more enjoyable. I’ve never been one to actively anticipate anything; I would far rather have my expectations wildly surpassed than wildly disappointed. This year, I am trying my best to feel conscious of each moment as a necessary precursor to the main event, whatever it is. This is not easy for the most enlightened person, which means it’s a real chore for me.

So join me, if you will, in a deep and cleansing breath. My goal for March is to enjoy it as the appetizer of all the good things that are coming soon, and appreciate it for what it is – even if I’m not there yet.

- Megan Balderston