Roger Lebow – 10 Hour Bach Marathon at Union Station
ADDRESS
Union Station, North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA, USAADDRESS DETAILS
North PatioTIME
March 24, 20184:30 PM - 4:55 PM
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Bachground: My name is Roger Lebow. I grew up in LA, and have been playing the cello since I was 10—nearly 60 years. I made my living as a cellist, playing in string quartets, for movie soundtracks, record albums, solo concerts, and enjoyed 30 years in the pit with LA Opera.
Thinking Bach: Now that I’m “retired” (cellists don’t stop playing; they just stop showing up for work), nearly every day I take my cello out of its case, sit down and play music from the Bach solo suites—the music I first began working on in 1962. It doesn’t get old. I’m tempted to think it keeps me young. It certainly keeps me modest. Whether it’s Bach’s rhythmic groove, his spiritual core, or the clockwork precision of the intricate package it’s wrapped in, something in his music reaches to embrace the listener, regardless of their musical background. I have friends who only listen to death metal, to Broadway show tunes, to classic rock, to C & W or jazz—but play Bach for them and immediately they’re into it, swept away, grooving.
BitS LA Impact: This year will be the third I’ve joined the throngs for Bach in the Subways. I love sharing the music that has remained so special to me. There is also something that really appeals to me about the hundreds of streams of people traveling through Union Station, many of whom have never seen a cello, much less heard one live, randomly passing by and perhaps stopping for a moment or two to listen. When I’ve played at Union Station in the past, many people take a moment to speak with me afterwards, and I realize then how much we all need what is contained in this music, and how remarkable it is to participate in this experience.