Murray Perahia, one of the most sought-after pianists of our time, performs an all-Bach program Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 8 p.m. in Bailey Hall as part of the Cornell Concert Series.
The program includes Chorale Preludes "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme," BWV 645; "Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland," BWV 659; "Nun freut euch, lieben Christen," BWV 734; and "Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ," BWV 639; and also features the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988.
Perahia's playing has been classified as intelligent, warm, refined and charming. About Bach, Perahia has said, "The basis of all music is Bach. There is a spirituality which is not a cliché -- a sense of life's inevitability."
Tickets for the concert range from $23 to $35 for the general public and $15 to $21 for students, and they are on sale in 124 White Hall. The ticket office is open for telephone and walk-up sales Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. (255-5144); VISA, Discover and MasterCard are accepted. Tickets also can be ordered via the Cornell Concert Series web site at www.arts.cornell.edu/ccs.
Recognized worldwide as a musician of rare musical sensitivity, Perahia performs in all of the major international music centers and with every leading orchestra of the world. This season in recital he is touring his most recent addition to his repertoire: Bach's Goldberg Variations.
In February 1999 Perahia's recording of Bach's English Suites (numbers 1, 3 and 6) received a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist (without orchestra). He since has released a second album of English Suites, and his next release will feature Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words.
Born in New York, Perahia started playing the piano at the age of 4 and later attended Mannes College, where he majored in conducting and composition. His summers were spent in Marlboro, Vt., where he collaborated with musicians such as Rudolph Serkin, Pablo Casals and the members of the Budapest Quartet.
Perahia is an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music.
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