Bach's transcription of Alessandro Marcello's Oboe Concerto is the earliest surviving source for this music, predating the Amsterdam Oboe Concerto edition of 1716.
Compositional Technique
The 'Italian Concerto' is a brilliant presentation of a Baroque orchestral concerto for a solo harpsichord with two keyboards, despite there being no original orchestral version.
Performer Biography
Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya, the harpsichordist on this recording, has won top prizes at prestigious competitions including the Prague Spring International Competition in 2012 and the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition Leipzig in 2014.
Composer Biography
J. S. Bach, the composer, once had a public brawl with a bassoon player named Geyersbach and was reprimanded for sneaking an 'unknown maiden' into the organ loft.
Critical Reception
Musicologists have questioned Bach's authorship of the Adagio in G major, BWV 968, and the Sonata in D minor, BWV 964, calling them 'rarely better than a school exercise,' though others defend them as Bach's work.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach, like Handel, was a great recycler of musical material, always transforming old material into new and relevant works, often amplifying or viewing it from a different angle.
Composition History
During his time in Weimar (1707-1717), Bach arranged over 20 works by composers like Vivaldi and Telemann for harpsichord and organ, enriching his own compositional style.
You might also enjoy...
Bach, J.S.: Harpsichord Works - Suites, Bwv 818A, 823 / 4 Duets / Fantasia On A Rondo / Preludes / Sonata
Bach: Clavier-Übung II, Chaconne
Bach: The Complete Keyboard Works
Avec discrétion
Bach & Rameau
Froberger: 23 Suites for Harpsichord, Tombeau & Lamentation
