“Threshold” is a new cinematic piano piece I created that is based on a chorale by Johann Sebastian Bach. An immersive soundscape over 8 minutes long. I created this after attending a concert at the Seattle Bach Festival in May 2026. A friend of mine commented that they focus on the lyrics of JS Bach’s music (they are a native German speaker) and here I thought everyone focused on the music itself of JS Bach. That made me realize how many different ways we engage and enjoy Bach’s music.
The next day I started working on this piece, using the chord progressions of JS Bach’s chorale BWV 2.6 “Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein” which was originally by Martin Luther (after Psalm 12) in 1524. The first performance of JS Bach’s music to this chorale was on June 18, 1724 on the 2nd Sunday after Trinity.
The video I created with a loose story line of a young boy discovering the magic of the Aurora Borealis in Norway, helped along by some Norwegian trolls. The video is just a way of creating something visual to go with the music, but I hope that that the real magical video is the one that plays in your mind along with the music.