Chris Thile was born to play the mandolin. The 32-year-old musician, composer, and arranger grew up steeped in bluegrass and American folk traditions, beginning his career with acclaimed trio Nickel Creek at the tender age of eight. Since then, Thile has brought the mandolin’s gentle twang to musical projects that crisscross genres, connecting his bluegrass roots with jazz, rock, and most recently, the classical music of J.S. Bach. On his bold new recording, Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1, Thile tackles the composer’s most challenging repertoire for solo violin, re-imagining the time-honored works on the mandolin.
On Tuesday, Thile kicked off the album tour for Sonatas and Partitas with a solo recital hosted by the UW World Series, bringing a unique mix of Bach, bluegrass, and original compositions to the stage at the UW’s Meany Hall. A consummate entertainer with a laid-back, goofy stage presence, Thile easily charmed the crowd of college students, bluegrass fans, and classical music buffs that filled the auditorium. “Welcome to the first night of Bach-toberfest!” he exclaimed with a smile before tucking into an elegant rendition of the Adagio movement from Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor. When played on the mandolin, the slow and graceful work showcases the instrument’s capacity for light, airy tones reminiscent of a lute.
The last notes of the Adagio barely had time to fade before Thile blasted off into the country music realm, jumping straight into the brash vocal introduction for the Louvin Brothers’ “Broad Minded.” The abrupt transition set the tone for the rest of the program, which interspersed movements from Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas with folk songs, original compositions, and even a Fiona Apple cover. Though all this genre-jumping might give purists pause, Tuesday’s audience embraced the fun, diverse program, singing along to bluegrass favorite “Rabbit on a Log” but also showering Thile with well-deserved cheers after his performance of the complete Partita No. 1 in B minor.
For a musician with strong roots in bluegrass, embarking on an exploration of Bach is a courageous, challenging move. Though Thile’s approach to Bach is far from traditional, his interpretations are convincing and filled with reverence for Bach’s genius as both a composer and improviser. “This record to me is not about this iconic violin music played on the mandolin — like, ‘Oh boy, what fun, he’s playing a weird instrument!'” Thile said. “It’s about Bach being one of the greatest musicians of all time, the solo violin music being some of his best work, and the mandolin having the potential to cast it in a new and hopefully interesting light.”
In a way, Thile and Bach have much in common. A skilled composer and improviser in his own right, it’s easy to see how Thile draws inspiration from Bach’s writing, especially when he’s tearing into rapid-fire passages in a Bach Corrente movement with the same joyful abandon that he tackles a blazing bluegrass solo. Other parallels began to emerge over the course of Tuesday’s concert, particularly shared connections to dance traditions. Movements from Bach’s Partitas follow the strict form and structure of the minuet, sarabande, gigue, and other popular social dances of the day. Similarly, bluegrass and country songs often go hand in hand with dancing.
Though lively movements like the Tempo di Borea from Partita No. 1 virtually danced out of Thile’s mandolin, some of Bach’s slower movements didn’t hold up as well during the translation from violin. Partita No. 1’s Allemanda movement felt plodding at times, weighed down by passage upon passage of plucked eighth notes. However, awkward moments like these were far outnumbered and outweighed by sparkling gems that shone in a new light when played on the mandolin. In particular, Thile’s performance of the fugue movement from the Sonata No. 1 in G Minor held the audience spellbound with a combination of eloquent musical storytelling and breathtaking technical mastery.
If Tuesday’s performance is any indication, Thile is well on his way to expanding our perspectives on Bach while also pushing the boundaries of the mandolin. No matter what he’s playing, Thile makes the instrument sing, his nimble fingers plucking out impossibly complex patterns while his wiry frame grooves along with the music. On Tuesday, it was a joy to watch him explore the potential of the mandolin through such a huge variety of repertoire. Though Bach-toberfest is ostensibly about Thile’s relationship with Bach, it also tells an parallel tale of his love for his instrument.
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