Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) and Curt Sydnor have just released their self-titled debut album as Bach Artillerie, which is described as “an absurdist take on the nine canons from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations and his Brandenburg Concerto No. 5.” While the canons are arranged for live synthesizers and drums, the concerto movements are rendered employing MIDI technology.
The two musicians have collaborated on past recordings and Sydnor adds that while both have conservatory studies behind them, they were eager to demonstrate that classical music is not above bold reinterpretation.
The pair recently spoke about the possibilities for reinterpretations of classical works, how different performance configurations for Bach Artillerie might creative even more musical variations, and Saunier’s observations about Milos Forman’s 1984 adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus.
Host/Producer: Jedd Beaudoin
Theme music: Torin Andersen
