Lunchtime Recital: Greta Papa, violin

Three voices, one violin: Bach, Biber and Telemann

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber Passacaglia in G minor from the Mystery Sonatas
Georg Philipp Telemann Fantasia for solo violin
Johann Sebastian Bach Partita No. 2 in D minor BWV 1004

This programme invites the listener into a world where a single violin becomes a choir of expressive voices—at once sacred, intimate, and imaginative. Spanning the late 17th to mid 18th century, this recital weaves together the distinct musical languages of Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Georg Philipp Telemann, and Johann Sebastian Bach, three towering figures who transformed the possibilities of unaccompanied music for violin.

At the heart of the programme lies the profound architecture of Bach, whose Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin represent the summit of the Baroque solo tradition. With their combination of structural clarity, emotional depth, and polyphonic complexity, these works reveal Bach’s genius in making the violin sing, speak, and pray all at once. The Second Partita and its Chaconne is one of the greatest works ever written for the solo violin repertoire.

Greta Papa is an award-winning violinist who has vast experience in solo, chamber and orchestral music performances, with an extensive repertoire and expertise in both classical and contemporary styles. She is Associate Concert-master of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. She is a founder member of the prize-winning Waldstein Trio who have given several Monday lunchtime recitals at Blackheath Halls.