Bach Transcriptions: Six Concertos for Violoncello Piccolo

Featuring

Riccardo Doni
Mario Brunello
Accademia dell'Annunciata
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Compositional Technique

Bach frequently transformed his compositions, for example, turning a trio sonata for two flutes into a sonata for viola da gamba and harpsichord, and using earlier Prelude and Fugue movements as the basis for his Triple Concerto.

Interpretation

Mario Brunello's aspiration to make a cello sound like a violin led him to explore Bach's violin repertoire, giving voice to incisive phrasing and rhythmic elements not typically found in cello repertoire.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Johann Sebastian Bach viewed the intricate polyphonic texture of his instrumental works as an overriding aesthetic quality, adaptable to changing conditions without artistic compromise.

Recording & Production

This album features arrangements of Bach's concertos for violoncello piccolo, an approach considered legitimate given Bach's own practice of adapting his works for different instruments.

Instruments

The violoncello piccolo, an instrument occasionally used by Bach in his cantatas, enjoyed a brief period of popularity in the Leipzig Collegium Musicum, which Bach directed for a time.

Performer Biography

Mario Brunello, the cellist on this recording, was the first Italian to win the prestigious Tchaikovsky Prize in Moscow in 1986.

Instruments

The violoncello piccolo, a four-string instrument with a luminous and suave sound, was defined by John Eliot Gardiner as the 'Schutzarm' or 'protective arm of Jesus'.