Cellist Matt Haimovitz on five-string cello piccolo and Christopher O’Riley on clavichord explore Bach’s Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Cembalo (BWV 1027– 1029) and Trio Sonata No. 5 (BWV 529) in The Bach Dialogues, a Digital-Only Album not available on SACD or CD disc.

The clavichord and cello piccolo, two of Bach’s favorite instruments, offer an otherworldly entry into the composer’s imagination and musical intentions. The diaphanous timbres and rich palette of articulation and dynamic amplify a dialogue not only between the period instruments but also across time, technology, and human nature. Resonance is the guiding philosophical principle, shaping every phrase and gesture.

Recorded over four days at state-of-the-art Skywalker Sound in California, the sessions required headsets for both performers to hear each other clearly, with O’Riley isolated in the live space to capture the clavichord’s delicate sound. Haimovitz’s baroque bow and gut strings, paired with O’Riley’s clavichord (modeled on the Swedish baroque clavichord), bring out the expressive nuance and affect inherent in Bach’s music. The result is a detailed, vivid performance where historical instruments, modern recording techniques, and the artists’ deep musical insight converge to create a living conversation across centuries.

Matt Haimovitz, Five String Cello Piccolo
Christopher O’Riley, Clavichord