Bach dared to challenge the traditional role of the keyboard instrument in Baroque ensemble music, elevating it to a solo position despite its comparative lack of power.
Performer Biography
Tatiana Nikolayeva, the pianist on this recording, was dubbed 'The Queen of Fugues' after winning the First International Bach Competition in Leipzig at age 26, where she performed all 48 preludes and fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier.
Recording & Production
This recording captures a live performance from the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory on December 11, 13, and 14, 1975.
Interpretation
Tatiana Nikolayeva did not adhere to the 'authenticity' movement in performance, instead embracing the inherent nature of the piano sound across various composers, including Bach.
Compositional Technique
Bach's instrumental concertos typically follow a three-movement fast-slow-fast structure, with the first movements being the most substantial and the finales often featuring dance-like characteristics.
Composition History
Many of Bach's keyboard concertos, including the Concerto for Four Keyboards in A minor (BWV 1065), are adaptations of his own or other composers' works, such as Vivaldi's concerto for four violins.
