Bach-Centricity: Concertos, Trios & Sonatas Arranged for Two Harpsichords

Featuring

David Hill
David Ponsford
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Composition History

Prince Johann Ernst von Sachsen-Weimar, a young aristocrat-musician, brought back many Italian concertos to Weimar, which inspired J. S. Bach's own arrangements.

Album & Artwork

All the concertos, trios, and sonatas on this recording are associated with J. S. Bach, either composed, arranged, transcribed, or copied by him.

Performer Biography

David Ponsford, one of the performers, is an authority on 17th and 18th-century keyboard music and has studied with renowned musicians like Peter Hurford and Gustav Leonhardt.

Compositional Technique

J. S. Bach frequently re-arranged and adapted his works for different instrumental combinations, a practice similar to a master-craftsman re-working materials.

Composer's Artistic Vision

J. S. Bach's transcription of François Couperin's 'Aria' demonstrates his mission to absorb various national musical styles.

Recording & Production

The arrangements of the music for two harpsichords on this album were created by David Ponsford, one of the performers.

Instruments

The harpsichords used in this recording are historical reproductions: one based on a 1749 instrument by Jean Claude Goujon and the other on a 1720 instrument by Carl-Conrad Fleischer.