Die Kunst der Fuge

Laurens de Man recently became the first organist to be awarded the Dutch Music Prize, the most prestigious recognition in the Netherlands for classical musicians. His concert with Die Kunst der Fuge on 14 April is already sold out. This extra concert with the same programme gives as many people as possible a chance to hear him.

A first for the Fokker-organ. The young Dutch organist Laurens de Man performs Bach’s majestic Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of Fugue) for the very first time on this instrument. And therefore for the first time in the pure meantone temperament. Also, the work that Bach never completed is given a new ending, in which both the composer and the 31-tone organ are fully honoured. A unique concert featuring Bach’s Die Kunst der Fuge, as pure as it has never sounded before.

In Bach’s time, tuning in the meantone temperament was the standard. The tuning enhances the coloration of tone sequences, as the distance between the tones is not uniform throughout. Because of the characteristics of the 31-tone organ, it is possible to do full justice to the different tonalities of the Kunst der Fuge. With harmonies that have an archaic purity, and dissonances that stand out more and are more compelling than ever.