They say every person on earth is connected by, at most, six degrees of separation. This week in our 14th episode of “The Concert,” we’ll listen to some Vivaldi and Brahms, two composers from totally different times and places who are connected by just one degree of compositional separation—Johann Sebastian Bach. Vivaldi was a very prolific composer, and many of his works were relatively unknown after his lifetime. As Vivaldi became increasingly popular, though, people started to realize what an influence he’d had on Bach. It’s no secret that Bach, in turn, had a great influence on Brahms. In the second piece on this program, Brahms’ cello sonata in E minor, you’ll particularly hear the influence of Bach’s fugues in the final movement. And maybe you’ll even hear a trace of Vivaldi’s counterpoint.
