For the unusual trumpet part in Concerto No. 2, trumpeter Toshio Shimada experimented for years and developed a coiled trumpet played without tone-holes, slides, or bells.
Composition History
J.S. Bach dedicated these Six Brandenburg Concertos to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg, on March 24, 1721.
Performer Biography
Masaaki Suzuki, the director of Bach Collegium Japan, began playing the organ for church services at age 12 and later studied harpsichord and organ at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam.
Composition History
Bach's dedication of the Brandenburg Concertos to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg, may have been a job application rather than the fulfillment of a commission.
Compositional Technique
Bach's concertos often assign conventional ritornello attributes to episodes and vice versa, making their structure challenging and rewarding to follow.
Recording & Production
This recording uses a pitch standard of a'=392 Hz, reflecting 18th-century German wind instrument performance influenced by France.
Compositional Technique
The formal designs of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos are heavily influenced by Italian predecessors like Torelli, Albinoni, and especially Vivaldi.
