The Bach Album Fahmi Alqhai

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 1003 (Arr. for Viola da gamba):
• 1 I. Grave 03:47
• 2 II. Fuga 07:40
• 3 III. Andante 05:43
• 4 IV. Allegro 04:31
• Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010 (Arr. for Viola da gamba):
• 5 I. Prelude 03:46
• 6 II. Allemande 04:43
• 7 III. Courante 03:03
• 8 IV. Sarabande 04:17
• 9 V. Bourrée I-II 05:29
• 10 VI. Gigue 02:38
• Flute Partita in A Minor, BWV 1013 (Arr. for Viola da gamba):
• 11 I. Allemande 05:08
• 12 II. Corrente 02:28
• 13 III. Sarabande 05:24
• 14 IV. Bourrée anglaise 02:46
• 15 V. Ciaccona (arr. F. Alqhai for viola da gamba) 13:43
• Total Runtime 01:15:06

Info for The Bach Album

One of the challenges for a modern-day viola da gamba virtuoso is the need to be constantly searching for (and finding) new and demanding solo repertory with which to demonstrate his or her technical and interpretative prowess - especially given that the supply of this dried up during the course of the Baroque era. One of Fahmi Alqhai’s solutions to this challenge is the more-than- legitimate recourse to transcriptions, and in a tour de force on The Bach Album he presents four such reworkings – all made by himself – of solo instrumental masterpieces by the great composer.

With the viola da gamba being a “mixed” instrument – both choral and capable of playing melodic lines – Alqhai has adapted the Second Violin Sonata and the Fourth Cello Suite, and also the Flute Partita. He has also added the astonishing – and inexhaustible – Chaconne from the Second Violin Partita. Alqhai has made this Chaconne the final flourish of one of his concert programmes and his recording for this new Glossa release, made in the Estudios Sputnik in Seville, clearly shows how his interpretation has been honed by all his live performances.

That these transcriptions sound as though they could have been written for the viola da gamba is, of course, testament to Bach’s genius. It is, however, also, a reflection of the naturalness and vivid communication that is the hallmark of Fahmi Alqhai’s playing and musical thinking.

Fahmi Alqhai, viola da gamba

Fahmi Alqhai
Born in Seville in 1976. From a Syrian father and Palestinian mother spends her first 11 years of life in Syria where he began his musical training at an early age. Later in Spain studied by himself to join in 1994 at the Conservatorio Superior de Sevilla Manuel Castillo to study the viola da gamba with Ventura Rico. He continues his training at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis prestigious schools (Basel) and Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana (Lugano) guided by teachers and Vittorio Paolo Pandolfo Ghielmi respectively. Alongside his musical studies obtained the Bachelor of Dentistry from the University of Seville.

Already in 1998 he began his solo career specializing in the German repertoire for the viola da gamba, their versions of the sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach must have had in all their actions an excellent critical both for the public and by the press. In 2004 he, along with Alberto Martínez Molina, the recording of these sonatas for the Arsis label.

He is cofounder, with soprano Mariví Blasco, and director of the Accademia del Piacere group, specializing in the interpretation of the musical repertoire of the Italian Seicento. He is the founder with his brother Rami Alqhai of ALQHAI & ALQHAI label that has produced the album Le Lacrime di Eros-Accademia first CD, Les du ciel et Violes de l’enfer dedicated to the music of Marin Marais and Antoine Forqueray, and has just released the third CD of the group, Amori di Marte.

Despite his youth is required by the most important chamber groups from the national and international early music. His dizzying career as a concert work has taken him to numerous and famous formations, nowadays usually works with Hesperion XXI (Jordi Savall) and Il Suona Speaker (Vittorio Ghielmi). Founding member of More Hispano (Vicente Parrilla). It offers regular concerts throughout Europe, Japan, USA and Latin America.

As a soloist he has performed with orchestras in the likes of Spain’s National Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra of Galicia, Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne (Michael Corboz), Sevilla Baroque Orchestra and Al Ayre Spanish, among others.

He has made numerous recordings for labels (Alia Vox, Glossa, Winter & Winter, Tactus, Arsis, Enchiriadis, etc..) Televisions and radios around the world.

In addition to early music, has worked as a soloist in performances of flamenco at the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla and also makes forays into the field of contemporary music and Jazz.

Since 2009 he is artistic director of FEMAS, Early Music Festival Sevilla.

Booklet for The Bach Album