The BACH.Bow was developed from a fundamental musical question: how can true polyphony be realized on bowed string instruments?
For centuries, violinists, violists, cellists, and bassists have performed music containing multiple voices, yet the conventional bow allows only limited sustain of chords and simultaneous lines. The search for a practical solution to this challenge became the starting point for the development of the curved BACH.Bow.
A decisive turning point came through the collaboration with John Cage. Fascinated by the musical possibilities of the curved bow, Cage composed one of the most extraordinary works for solo cello and curved bow, requiring genuine multi-voice playing and sustained polyphonic textures. This collaboration brought international attention to the project and demonstrated that the curved bow could open entirely new musical territories.
A second milestone was the encounter with Mstislav Rostropovich. Recognizing the artistic potential of the BACH.Bow, Rostropovich maintained a dialogue with Michael Bach over a period of four years despite his demanding international career. His support culminated in the public presentation of the BACH.Bow at the Concours de violoncelle Rostropovitch in Paris in 2001, introducing the instrument to an international audience of string players and music professionals.
Following Paris, a further challenge emerged through the study of Johann Sebastian Bach‘s solo works for violin and cello. Their complex polyphonic structures revealed new demands and led to a decisive refinement of the BACH.Bow. These investigations resulted not only in important improvements to the bow itself, but also in new insights into Bach’s notation, compositional thinking, and the realization of polyphony on string instruments.
Today, the BACH.Bow continues to evolve through artistic practice, research, and dialogue, serving both contemporary music and the interpretation of earlier repertoire while expanding the possibilities of polyphonic string playing.
