Maria Bach "Wolgaquintett"

[Wheesht]

Last October I attended a concert at Austria's only women's museum, in the village of Hittisau, near Bregenz. Works by Austrians Johanna Müller-Hermann and Maria Bach were on the programme. The latter's Wolgaquintett was a revelation, a very moving piece with interesting variations on The Song of the Volga Boatmen. The artistic leader, violist Klaus Christa apparently had to be really persistent to be allowed to make the work available because of rights issues as Maria Bach died only in 1978. There will be CD eventually, but currently the performance is available on Youtube.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks Wheesht. The work dates form 1927, but it could have been written 20 years earlier. The long central movement variations are really rather lovely. More information on Maria Bach here.