Bach Stories explores a new way of thinking about classical music and improvisation; it presents historical music practice in a contemporary form. This double album from Warner Classics bears the fruits of a friendship and collaboration between two young but already much-awarded musicians. Aleksander Dębicz (piano) and Marcin Zdunik (cello) combine virtuosity and musical drama with the sheer joy and freshness of music-making in a unique programme of chamber works by Bach and improvisations inspired by those works.

These improvisations – in a classical style rather than jazz – create a bridge between two periods, bringing Bach’s music closer to the modern ear by using new means of expression. The ‘Stories’ evoked in the title could be a simple idea, a fleeting memory or a labyrinthine drama. “Bach’s music stirred and inspired our imagination, evoking both simple associations and complex narrative schemes”, explain the musicians.

Pianist Aleksander Dębicz, winner of the 2013 Transatlantyk Instant Composition Contest for improvising composer-musicians, made his Warner Classics debut with Cinematic Piano, an album of 12 of his own solo piano works inspired by film music. With Bach Stories, his first album in duo with Marcin Zdunik, this winner of numerous Bach competitions makes a powerful statement about the music of Johann Sebastian and its place in the modern world.

Marcin Zdunik is one of today’s leading young cellists and Warsaw Philharmonic artist-in-residence for the 2016/2017 season. It is also at the Warsaw Philharmonic that the Bach Stories recording sessions took place, and the acoustics of this magnificent concert hall served as additional inspiration for the musicians.