Internationally acclaimed violinist Leonidas Kavakos will perform a solo repertoire by Johann Sebastian Bach at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus as part of a special event to mark the 65 years of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival.
Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin (1720) is considered one of the canonical works of the violin repertoire. Bach had originally named this composition Sei Solo a Violino senza Basso accompagnato (Six Solos for Violin Without Bass Accompaniment), to draw emphasis on the technical capability of the violin as a solo instrument.
Leonidas Kavakos will play solo at Ancient Epidaurus famed for its perfect acoustics. Photograph: Thomas Daskalakis/NTG
The three sonatas are written in the form of a Baroque sonata, commonly known as Sonata da chiesa (church sonata), consisting of four movements, the first of which has a slow tempo, only to be succeeded by a fast movement; this alternation is repeated in the next two movements.
By contrast, the partitas are comprised of a series of dance rhythms, as attested by their titles, each of which references a specific dance (Loure, Gavotte, Menuett, Gigue and so on).
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Leonidas Kavakos made his concert debut at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in 1984, along with the ERT National Symphony Orchestra. Within the next few years, he went on to win numerous international awards which firmly established him among the top soloists in the world, including the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition (1985) and the Paganini and Naumburg Competitions (1988). Kavakos has collaborated with the world’s greatest orchestras both as a soloist and as a conductor.
THE VENUE
The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is regarded as the best-preserved ancient theatre in Greece, famous for its perfect acoustics. Constructed in the late 4th century BC, it has a capacity of more than 12,000 spectators.
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