That is the connection between Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn? Were it not for Mendelssohn, we might never have a chance to delve into the work of Bach. The twenty-year-old Mendelssohn led the first performance of the St Matthew Passion since Bach’s death, reviving the memory of the Leipzig cantor’s achievement. Among other pieces, the organ works of the two composers will feature in the recital of Piotr Rojek.

The concert will start with the sounds of Fugue in E minor BWV 548 by Johann Sebastian Bach, whose creation dates back to 1727–1731, i.e. when the composer settled for good in Leipzig. This small work is also referred to as a “wedge” due to the shape of the sound pattern gradually expanded around the tonal centre. Felix Mendelssohn was behind the revival of Bach’s music in the 19th century, and therefore it is not surprising that in his work he turned to organ instrumentation. In the Organ Sonata No. 1 in F minor op. 65 from 1844, the melody of the Lutheran chorale Was Mein Gott Will, Das Gescheh’ Allzeit served as the basis, while the entire cycle, of which the work is a part, is considered one of the most prominent achievements in organ music.

Despite his premature death, Julius Reubke went down in history as one of the most intriguing German composers. He belonged to the group of Hans von Bülow’s and Ferenc Liszt’s favourite students and was valued for his artistry in the field of organ playing. A good knowledge of the work of the new German school had a direct influence on his style. In 1857, just a year before his death, he completed his masterpiece: the Organ Sonata in C minor. Although it remains under the clear influence of a style close to Liszt, the individual aspect of the composer’s style is manifested in it, too. The concert will also include improvisation, an inherent component of organ recitals.