Episode 98 — March 25, 2021
Rachmaninoff/Bach: “Violin Partita in E Major” for piano
Performed by Mika Sasaki

Pianist Mika Sasaki felt hopeful for the first time in a long while at the end of February: she and her boyfriend received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, her students were getting vaccinated, too, and she was able to rehearse with other musicians in the same room. So when it came time to choose her House Music series video, she wanted to pick something that communicated a simple, familiar joy. She landed on Sergei Rachmaninoff’s piano transcription of J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E Major, which is affectionately titled “Bach-maninoff.” The theme is familiar, ringing with the bright energy of springtime.

Sasaki first performed with Metropolis Ensemble in 2017 during their 5 Nights, 11 Pianists series on a program that highlighted orchestral works transcribed for piano. She performed a solo piece by Thomas Adès, which was daunting, but ultimately excited her so much she ended up bringing it on the road. She also performed Benjamin Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes for piano four-hands with longtime friend Andrew Hsu, and watched Timo Andres and David Kaplan perform a four-hands version of Brahms’s Symphony No. 1.

Here, she plays the “Bach-maninoff” with flair, flowing through the virtuosic music with ease, even though it presented a challenge to learn all the hand crossings and to balance Rachmaninoff’s romantic flair with Bach’s precise drive. Learning this music in February gave her an adrenaline rush; she’s been on pause, like many of us, focusing on teaching, so having this project was a therapeutic release. This video was recorded in Philadelphia just after she received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. She’s grateful to Mitch Lyon for videography, to the Lyon family for lending their home for recording, and to Metropolis Ensemble for having her. She hopes this performance brings to listeners the same optimism it brings her.

Notes by Vanessa Ague

 
House Music: Bite-sized concerts recorded at homes around the world

In 2020-21, we created a weekly video series featuring short-form concerts of newly-commissioned works, supporting 208 artists around the world during the pandemic.