Soup Concert with TrioDe3

When Johann Sebastian Bach worked as Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold in Köthen in 1722, he composed 15 three-part practice pieces for piano for his son, Wilhelm Friedemann. Bach called them sinfonias, and he wrote a foreword in which he clearly described how he wanted the pieces to be used. They should be played simply yet melodically, he wrote, to stir in the musician a desire to try the art of composing her own music.

Like many of Bach’s other educational works, the sinfonias are also far more valuable than merely as practice pieces. Just listen to the beautiful fugues concealed among the parts! His son, Wilhelm Friedemann, later became an organist in Dresden, Halle and Berlin, so clearly these exercises produced results.

With today’s soup, Trio De3 will play these sinfonias in an arrangement by Russian violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky. The trio includes cellist Daniel Holst, who has played with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra since 1989; Joakim Wendel, who has been a member of the first violin section since 2004; and Grop Mikael Sjögren, alternate section leader of the viola section and also a national folk musician.

Menu: Asparagus soup, served with shredded smoked salmon, chives and crème fraiche.