Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig perform Letters from Bachville by Betsy Jolas

World premiere! On September 12th, 2019, the grand dame of contemporary composition debuted a brand new piece. The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig performed Betsy Jolas’ piece ‘Letters from Bachville’ under the baton of conductor Andris Nelsons. ‘Letters from Bachville’ was conceived as a joint commission by the Gewandhausorchester and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Bachville refers to the city of Leipzig, where Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) served as music director (Kapellmeister) at St. Thomas Church. The piece is a collage of the composer’s most unique musical contributions, which Jolas also builds upon. It highlights not only the composer’s own feelings about Bach, but also features some of the most recognizable elements from Bach’s musical legacy. Betsy Jolas’ responded to the piece’s presentation with this: “My music in Leipzig! When the news reached me, it was like a childhood dream suddenly came true. At first, I couldn’t believe it. Then I let the dream unfold. I began