Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concertos BWV 1041-1043, BWV 1060R
9/20/2024, 12 Tracks, 54:25
Featuring
Florian Deuter
Mónica Waisman
Harmonie Universelle
Johann Sebastian Bach
Did you know?
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Composition History
From 1729, Bach, as Thomaskantor, led a highly skilled student ensemble called the Collegium Musicum, which held weekly public concerts in Gottfried Zimmermann's coffeehouse.
Composer Biography
Bach's father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was a renowned violin virtuoso in the Saxon-Thuringian region at the end of the 17th century.
Historical Context
A quarter-century after his death, Johann Sebastian Bach was primarily known as a keyboard virtuoso and master of counterpoint, with his sacred vocal works considered out of fashion.
Compositional Technique
Bach learned the ritornello form in Weimar by studying and creatively arranging concertos by Antonio Vivaldi and other Italian composers for solo organ or harpsichord.
Cultural Impact
The rediscovery of Bach's instrumental ensemble music was largely due to the generation of musicians in the mid-19th century, notably Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, who sparked a Bach renaissance.
Composer Biography
Johann Sebastian Bach's second son, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, described his father as a violinist who played "purely and penetratingly" and kept the orchestra in order.
Compositional Technique
Bach's concertos distinguish themselves from their Italian models through their heightened harmonic complexity and consistent use of counterpoint to develop themes and motifs.
