The album artwork features Giovanni Antonio Canaletto's painting "Le Campo di Rialto" from 1758-1763, an unusually large canvas commissioned by Berlin collector Sigmund Streit.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach's creative thought aimed to create a universal language by incorporating and assimilating music from various European countries and periods, rather than merely imitating.
Composition History
Bach's Clavier Übung II, containing the Italian Concerto and French Overture, was published in 1735 by Christoph Weigel the Younger in Nuremberg.
Historical Context
During Bach's time, it was standard practice for the publication of new musical scores to be announced publicly through newspaper advertisements.
Compositional Technique
The works in Clavier Übung II require a two-manual harpsichord, as Bach carefully indicated dynamic contrasts (piano or forte) that imply changes between manuals.
Critical Reception
Four and a half years after its publication, the Italian Concerto was highly praised by Johann Adolf Scheibe, who called it a "perfect model of a well-designed solo concerto."
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