Organon

In his second piece for New York City Ballet, Eliot Feld uses an expanded stage, dramatic scenic and lighting elements, and two large groups of corps members (one from the Company, one from the School of American Ballet), to highlight an angular pas de deux and whirling solos. Feld reflects Bach’s use of canon and fugue forms by having the corps dance the same steps but start on different counts.
 
Most of these pieces were composed from 1708 to 1717 when Bach, then considered one of Germany’s greatest virtuosos on the organ, was employed in the Court of Weimar. Many of his most important works for organ, including the well known Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, were written during this period when he also absorbed and integrated Italian thematic and harmonic techniques into his strong contrapuntal style.