Bach composed at least six solo violin concertos, but only BWV 1041, 1042, and the double concerto BWV 1043 have survived in their original form.
Composition History
Bach developed the keyboard concerto, a genre axiomatic to the Classical and Romantic eras, while leading Leipzig's Collegium Musicum in the early 1730s.
Composer Biography
Johann Sebastian Bach played the violin 'cleanly and penetratingly' and often preferred it to the harpsichord for directing ensembles.
Composition History
The dreamy central Largo of the Violin Concerto No. 5 in G minor (BWV 1056R) may have originated from Bach's Cantata No. 156, 'Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe'.
Composition History
Many of Bach's keyboard concertos, including the F minor keyboard concerto BWV 1056, are transcriptions of existing works, some of which are now lost.
Composition History
Bach discovered the solo concerto, an Italian invention, during his early appointment with the Grand Duke of Weimar.
Historical Context
Bach's instrumental works, including the A minor solo concerto and D minor double concerto, were likely premiered at the Zimmermann Coffee House in Leipzig as part of his 'Ordinaire Concerten' series.
