The Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV1052, is the longest and most virtuosic work on this album, with its lost violin original possibly dating from Bach's Cöthen years.
Historical Context
The Collegium Musicum concerts, led by Bach, were held on Friday evenings at Gottfried Zimmermann's coffee house in Leipzig, attracting the city's elite and merchants.
Composition History
Scholar Christoph Wolff proposed in 1985 that Bach's A minor Violin Concerto was composed around 1730 for the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig, not for Cöthen.
Composer Biography
Bach took over the Leipzig Collegium Musicum, a student ensemble founded by his friend Telemann, in 1729 to expand his activities beyond his duties as Thomaskantor.
Compositional Technique
The outer movements of Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor show the influence of Vivaldi, with propulsive themes and a ritornello structure alternating orchestral tuttis with solo episodes.
Composition History
Bach arranged his A minor and E major violin concertos for harpsichord around 1738-39, likely for performances at Zimmermann's coffee concerts.
Composition History
Bach's famous violin concertos in A minor and E major were once confidently assumed to date from his time as Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen (1717-1723).
