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Evening in the Palace of Reason

The Musical Offering

,Milton Court Concert Hall
Mahan Esfahani leaning near hapsichord

May 1747: Frederick the Great, philosopher-king of Prussia, meets composer Johann Sebastian Bach – and challenges him to an unwinnable musical duel. Bach’s Musical Offering is the astonishing result.

In Evening in the Palace of Reason, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani and author James R Gaines explore the story of Bach’s Musical Offering. And no question, it’s a powerful story – of timeless genius pitted against pure reason; of faith against Enlightenment; and two of the greatest figures of world history, king and musician, locked in philosophical combat.

James R Gaines, author of the bestselling account of their meeting, explains the human dimension, but the real miracle is Bach’s music. Performed by harpsichordist-without-limits Mahan Esfahani, it unlocks our weekend-long exploration of music’s most beautiful mind.

Tagged with: Classical music Inside Out Milton Court More...

End-time to be announced nearer the event.

Programme

  • 1.30pm, Talk   Introduction by author James R Gaines (Evening in the Palace of Reason)
  • 2.30pm, Concert  
  • J S Bach   Sonata in E minor for violin and continuo BWV 1023
  • Frederick the Great   Sonata for flute and continuo in C minor
  • J S Bach   Sonata in E major for violin and harpsichord BWV 1016
  • C P E Bach   Sonata II in C minor, Prussian
  • J S Bach   Partita in D minor for solo violin BWV 1004
  • 5pm, Panel discussion   A group of Bach experts dig deep into the contrasting mindsets of J S Bach and Frederick the Great
  • 7.30pm, Concert  
  • C P E Bach   Sonata in D major for viola da gamba and basso continuo, WQ 137
  • C P E Bach   Sonata for solo flute in A minor
  • Quantz   Trio Sonata in A minor
  • J S Bach   The Musical Offering

Performers

  • Mahan Esfahani   harpsichord & curator
  • James R Gaines   author and panellist
  • Adam Walker   flute
  • Antje Weithaas   violin
  • Richard Boothby   viola da gamba
  • Dr Michael Maul   panellist from Bach-Archiv Leipzig/Leipzig Bachfest
  • Dr Ruth Tatlow   panellist from the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala

Download the programme

‘He’s unquestionably a player of great technical brilliance and musical intelligence, and there’s always the sense of that pioneering zeal in the way he plays the baroque repertoire.‘
The Guardian, 22 December 2016

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Milton Court Concert Hall

Location
Milton Court Concert Hall is located within the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and is approximately a 5 minute walk from the Barbican entrance on Silk Street.  

Address
Milton Court
Silk St, London
EC2Y 9BH

Nearby public transport
We are within walking distance from a number of London Underground stations, the closest being Barbican, Old Street, St Paul’s and Moorgate. The nearest train stations are Liverpool Street and Farringdon. Bus Route 153 runs directly past the Barbican along Chiswell Street

Car and bicycle parking
We have free bicycle spaces and paid car parking spaces available