Johann Sebastian Bach - Bachian Elegies (Michael Tsalka)

Information

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

• Chorale Prelude for Organ "Erbarm dich mein, O Herre Gott," BWV 721
• Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettisimo in B-Flat Major, BWV 992
• Keyboard Concerto in G Major, BWV 973
• Partita for Violin No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004, Chaconne
• The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, BWV 893, Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B Minor
• C.P.E. Bach - Fantasia in F-Sharp Minor, Wq. 67
• The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080, Fuga a 3 Soggetti in D Minor (Contrapunctus XIV)
• Chorale Prelude "Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit," BWV 668a

Michael Tsalka, fortepiano & harpsichord

Date: 2025

Label: paladino music

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Bachian Elegies – Musical Meditations for Uncertain Times is pianist Michael Tsalka’s deeply personal tribute to J. S. and C. P. E. Bach—composers whose works offered solace, clarity, and resilience during the global upheaval of the pandemic. Framed by chorale preludes as quiet prayers, this album traces a journey through fugues, toccatas, and elegiac reflections, revealing Bach’s music as a vessel for emotional depth and spiritual strength. In times of isolation and loss, these pieces speak with renewed urgency, inviting us to reflect, to feel, and to rebuild. A moving meditation on continuity, care, and the power of sound.

Pianist and early keyboard specialist Michael Tsalka is an internationally acclaimed performer, known for his versatility across repertoire from the Baroque to contemporary music. He studied in Israel, Germany, Italy, and at Temple University, earning master’s degrees in chamber music and harpsichord, and a doctorate in piano performance. Tsalka has performed at prestigious venues worldwide, including the Royal Concertgebouw, the Metropolitan Museum, and the Forbidden City. He has taught in Mexico, Sweden, and New Zealand, and currently leads the keyboard department at Vanke Meisha Arts Academy in China. He has given over 130 masterclasses and co-directs a critical edition of Türk’s keyboard sonatas.