Johann Sebastian Bach‘s Predecessors

Featuring

Annegret Siedel
Thomas Baltzar
Johann Paul von Westhoff
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Interpretation

The music on this album was performed using a 'Steckfroschbogen' (baroque bow) built by Viennese bow maker Thomas M. Gerbeth, modeled after an early baroque snakewood bow from the Salzburg Museum.

Composer Biography

Thomas Baltzar, a violinist from Lübeck, became a celebrated virtuoso in London, known for his polyphonic playing and dexterity, and was buried in Westminster Abbey after his early death.

Compositional Technique

Bach's Chaconne from the Partita No. 2 in D minor is considered one of the most overwhelming artworks ever written for violin, showcasing virtuosic polyphonic playing on only four strings.

Cultural Impact

Johannes Brahms, who intensely studied Bach's Chaconne, created a piano version for the left hand alone and described it as one of the most wonderful and incomprehensible pieces of music.

Composer Biography

Johann Sebastian Bach's father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the director of the Eisenach town musicians and a respected violinist, providing his son's first musical education.

Historical Context

Virtuosic violin playing was prominent in northern Germany, with musicians like William Brade and Johann Schop active in cities such as Hamburg, Lübeck, and Celle.

Instruments

The violin used for this recording was made by Jacob Stainer around 1670, whose instruments embodied the ideal noble, bright, and colorful sound of the High Baroque.