List of concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach
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Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
's Violin Concertos, BWV 1041–1043, and his six ''
Brandenburg Concertos The ''Brandenburg Concertos'' by Johann Sebastian Bach (Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, BWV 1046–1051), are a collection of six instrumental works presented by Bach to Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt, Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg ...
'' survive in their original instrumentation. His harpsichord concertos are mostly adaptations of concertos originally written for other solo instruments.Breig 1997
p. 131
/ref> In his early career Bach transcribed concertos by other composers for solo organ (BWV 592–596) and for solo harpsichord (BWV 972–987). Bach's ''
Italian Concerto The ''Italian Concerto'', BWV 971, originally titled ''Concerto nach Italiænischen Gusto'' (''Concerto in the Italian taste''), is a three-movement concerto for two- manual harpsichord solo composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and published in 17 ...
'', composed in 1735, was one of his few works that he published during his life-time: it is an example of an unaccompanied concerto for two-manual harpsichord.


Early encounters with the concerto genre

The earliest documentary traces of Bach's involvement with the concerto genre include: * In 1709 Bach helped copy out the performance parts of a concerto by
Georg Philipp Telemann Georg Philipp Telemann (; – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hildesh ...
Wolff 2001, p. 134 * Around 1710 or earlier Bach copied the continuo part,
BWV Anh. 23 The (BWV; ; ) is a Catalogues of classical compositions, catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990. An abbreviated version o ...
, of a concerto included in
Tomaso Albinoni Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (8 June 1671 – 17 January 1751) was an Italian composer of the Baroque era. His output includes operas, concertos, sonatas for one to six instruments, sinfonias, and solo cantatas. While famous in his day as an opera comp ...
's Op. 2, which had been published in 1700.Wolff 2001, p. 126Boyd 2006, p. 81


Weimar concerto transcriptions

Bach wrote most, if not all, of his concerto transcriptions for organ (BWV 592–596) and for harpsichord (BWV 972–987) from July 1713 to July 1714. Most of these transcriptions were based on concertos by
Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 â€“ 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...
. Other models for the transcriptions included concertos by
Alessandro Marcello Alessandro Ignazio Marcello (; 1 February 1673 – 19 June 1747) was an Italian nobleman and composer. Biography Born in Venice, Marcello was the son of a senator, and as a nobleman, enjoyed a comfortable life that gave him the freedom to ...
,
Benedetto Marcello Benedetto Giacomo Marcello (; 31 July or 1 August 1686 – 24 July 1739) was an Italian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher. Life Born in Venice, Benedetto Marcello was a member of a noble family and in his compositions he is f ...
,
Georg Philipp Telemann Georg Philipp Telemann (; – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hildesh ...
and
Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar (german: Johann Ernst von Sachsen-Weimar) (25 December 1696 – 1 August 1715) was a German prince, son by his second marriage of Johann Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Weimar. Despite his early death he is remembered as a col ...
.Jones 2007
pp. 140–153
/ref>Boyd 2006
pp. 80–83
/ref>Williams 2003
pp. 201–224
/ref>Schulenberg 2013
pp. 117–139
/ref>Butler 2011


''Brandenburg Concertos'', BWV 1046–1051


Violin concertos, BWV 1041–1043


Concerto form in other compositions


''Sonate auf Concertenart''

The ''Sonate auf Concertenart'' (
sonata Sonata (; Italian: , pl. ''sonate''; from Latin and Italian: ''sonare'' rchaic Italian; replaced in the modern language by ''suonare'' "to sound"), in music, literally means a piece ''played'' as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian ''cant ...
in the style of a
concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...
) format appears for example in Bach's organ sonatas.


In vocal compositions

Apart from adaptations of movements of his earlier concertos into his cantatas, Bach also directly composed movements of his vocal works in the concerto form: for example the opening chorus of his cantata BWV 7 has been described as having the format of an Italian violin concerto movement. Another example is the opening choral movement of
Bach's Magnificat Johann Sebastian Bach's Magnificat, BWV 243, is a musical setting of the biblical canticle Magnificat. It is scored for five vocal parts (two sopranos, alto, tenor and bass), and a Baroque orchestra including trumpets and timpani. It is the ...
, the form of which only becomes, in
Spitta Spitta is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Friedrich Spitta (1852–1924), German Protestant theologian * Heinrich Spitta (1902–1972), German music educator *Philipp Spitta Julius August Philipp Spitta (27 December 1841 â ...
's words, "thoroughly intelligible" when analysed as a concerto form.


Harpsichord concertos


Concertos for three to four harpsichords and orchestra, BWV 1063–1065


Concerto for two harpsichords, BWV 1061a

BWV 1061a, a concerto for two harpsichords without accompaniment, is Bach's original version of the Concerto for two harpsichords and strings,
BWV 1061 The keyboard concertos, BWV 1052–1065, are concertos for harpsichord (or organ), strings and continuo by Johann Sebastian Bach. There are seven complete concertos for a single harpsichord (BWV 1052–1058), three concertos for two harpsichords ...
.


''Italian Concerto'', BWV 971

Bach's ''Italian Concerto'', BWV 971, was published in 1735, as first of two compositions included in ''
Clavier-Übung II Johann Sebastian Bach's ''Clavier-Übung II'' was published in 1735, containing two works written for performance on a two- manual harpsichord. In the publication, Bach contrasted a work in Italian style – a '' Concerto nach Italienischem Gus ...
''.


Concertos for two harpsichords and orchestra, BWV 1060–1062


Harpsichord concertos, BWV 1052–1059


''Triple Concerto'', BWV 1044


Concerto as a vocal composition

Bach rarely used the name "
Cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...
" to indicate a vocal composition. Instead, "Concerto", closer to names of cantata precursors such as
geistliches Konzert Sacred concerto (german: geistliches Konzert, plural , ) is a 17th-century genre of sacred music, characterized as settings of religious texts requiring both vocal soloists and obbligato instrumental forces for performance.chorale concerto In music, a chorale concerto is a short sacred composition for one or more voices and instruments, principally from the very early German Baroque era. Most examples of the genre were composed between 1600 and 1650. Description This use of the ...
), is the name he used most often to indicate those compositions which later became known as his cantatas.


Sinfonia in D major, BWV 1045

BWV 1045, a movement in concerto form for violin and orchestra, is the opening of a cantata titled "Concerto" in Bach's autograph (" J J Concerto. à 4 Voci. 3 Trombe, Tamburi, 2 Hautb: Violino ConC. 2 Violini, Viola e Cont."). The music breaks off before the vocalists enter. In the ''
Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis The (BWV; ; ) is a catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990. An abbreviated version of that second edition, known as BWV2a ...
'' it appears as "Konzertsatz in D" (Concerto movement in D major), in the range of the orchestral concertos ( BWV 1041–65).


Doubtful and spurious

For organ: * BWV 571 – Fantasia (Concerto) in G major * BWV 597 – Concerto in E-flat major For harpsichord: * BWV 909 – Concerto and Fugue in C minor * BWV Anh. 151 – Concerto in C major * BWV Anh. 152 – Concerto in G major * BWV Anh. 188 – Sonata (Concerto) in F major for two harpsichords by
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (22 November 17101 July 1784), the second child and eldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach, was a German composer and performer. Despite his acknowledged genius as an organist, improviser and composer ...
(BR A12; F 10) For chamber ensemble: *
BWV 525a The Concerto, BWV 525a (alternatively: BWV deest), is a trio sonata in C major for violin, cello and basso continuo, based on material otherwise found in Johann Sebastian Bach's first Organ Sonata, BWV 525 (outer movements), and ...
(or: BWV
deest Deest is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Druten, and lies about 9 km south of Wageningen. History It was first mentioned in 814 as T(h)esta (CL I, no. 101) and 997 as Dheste. The etymology ...
) – Concerto (or: Trio Sonata) in C major for violin, cello and continuo (variant of BWV 525/1, 1032/2 and 525/3) Orchestral concertos: * BWV Anh. 22 – * BWV Anh. 155 – Concerto in A major for keyboard, strings and continuo * BWV Anh. 189 – Concerto in A minor for keyboard, strings and continuo by
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788), also formerly spelled Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, and commonly abbreviated C. P. E. Bach, was a German Classical period musician and composer, the fifth child and sec ...


Reconstructions

Detailed accounts of possible or conjectural reconstructions of Bach's harpsichord concertos for other solo instruments have been described systematically in the hand-book of Siegbert Rampe. No discussion for reconstructions is needed concerning the well-known two violin concertos BWV 1041, BWV 1042 and the double violin concerto BWV 1043, since these predate the harpsichord versions, BWV 1058, BWV 1054 and BWV 1062 respectively. The concerto BWV 1057 for harpsichord and two flutes or recorders also has an extant original: the 4th ''Brandenburg Concerto'', BWV 1049. The concerto for two unaccompanied harpsichords BWV 1061a was modified slightly by adding strings in the first and last movements to produce BWV 1061.
Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 â€“ 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...
's concerto for four violins Op. 3 No. 10 was reworked by Bach as his concerto for four harpsichords BWV 1065. The 5th ''Brandenburg Concerto'', BWV 1050, always was a concerto for flute, violin and harpsichord, also in its earlier version BWV 1050a. Earlier versions for unaccompanied keyboard instruments of all three movements of the ''Triple Concerto'', BWV 1044, are extant. Other harpsichord concertos, and related cantata movements if available, have been the basis for several reconstructions. The letter "R", abbreviation of "Reconstruction", can be added to the BWV number of an extant Bach concerto to indicate a conjectured original of such concerto.


BWV 1052R

Based on BWV 1052, 1052a and/or on cantata movements BWV 146/1 (Sinfonia) and /2 (Chorus), and/or on what is known regarding the lost opening Sinfonia of BWV 188 (a variant of the third movement of BWV 1052 scored for oboe, strings and obligato organ): * Violin Concerto in D minor * Organ Concerto in D minor
André Isoir André Jean-Marie Isoir (20 July 1935 – 20 July 2016) was a French organist and pedagogue. Biography André Isoir was born in 1935 in Saint-Dizier in Grand Est, France. Isoir studied with Édouard Souberbielle (organ) and Germaine Mounier (p ...
, Le Parlement de Musique, Martin Gester. ''Johann Sebastian Bach: L'oeuvre pour orgue et orchestre''. Calliope 1993


BWV 1053R

Based on BWV 1053 and/or cantata movements BWV 169/1 (Sinfonia), /5 (Aria) and 49/1 (Sinfonia): *
Oboe d'amore The oboe d'amore (; Italian for "oboe of love"), less commonly , is a double reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family. Slightly larger than the oboe, it has a less assertive and a more tranquil and serene tone, and is considered the me ...
Concerto in D major *
Oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...
Concerto in F major * Organ Concerto in D major


BWV 1055R

Based on BWV 1055: * Oboe d'amore Concerto in A major


BWV 1056R

Based on BWV 1056 and/or (for the middle movement) BWV 156/1 (Sinfonia): * Violin Concerto in G minor * Oboe Concerto in G minor


BWV 1059R

Based on the BWV 1059 fragment and on cantata movements
BWV 35 (Spirit and soul become confused), 35, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the solo cantata for alto voice in Leipzig for the twelfth Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 8 September 1726. Bach composed the can ...
/1 (Sinfonia of Part I), 156/1 (Sinfonia) or 35/2 (Aria), and 35/5 (Sinfonia of Part II): * Harpsichord Concerto in D minor * Oboe Concerto in D minor * Organ Concerto in D minor


BWV 1060R

Based on BWV 1060: * Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor * Concerto for Violin and Oboe in D minor * Concerto for Two Violins in C minor


BWV 1063R

Based on BWV 1063: * Concerto for Violin, Oboe and Flute in D minor * Concerto for Three Violins in D minor


BWV 1064R

Based on BWV 1064: * Concerto for Three Violins in D major


References


Sources

* Malcolm Boyd
''Bach''.
Oxford University Press, 2006. *
Werner Breig Werner Breig (born 29 June 1932) is a German musicologist and music publisher. Life Born in Zwickau, Breig studied Protestant sacred music at the Spandauer Kirchenmusikschule from 1950 and musicology, art history and library science at the unive ...
, translated by Steward Spencer. "The instrumental music", pp. 123–135, and "Composition as arrangement and adaptation", pp. 154–170, in ''The Cambridge Companion to Bach'', edited by John Butt. Cambridge University Press, 1997. * H. Joseph Butler. "Emulation and Inspiration: J. S. Bach’s Transcriptions from Vivaldi’s ''L’estro armonico''" in ''
The Diapason ''The Diapason'' is a magazine serving those who build and play organs. Content includes concert and recital announcements, information on building and maintaining organs and profiles of notable organists. As of July 2013, ''The Diapason'' reac ...
'', August 2011. *
Richard D. P. Jones Richard Douglas P. Jones is a British musicologist and editor, known especially for his work as a Bach scholar. After graduating from the University of Oxford, he has taught at Cardiff University and Sheffield University. Selected publications E ...
. ''The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach: Music to Delight the Spirit'', Volume I: 1695-1717. Oxford University Press, 2007. *
Richard D. P. Jones Richard Douglas P. Jones is a British musicologist and editor, known especially for his work as a Bach scholar. After graduating from the University of Oxford, he has taught at Cardiff University and Sheffield University. Selected publications E ...
. ''The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach: Music to Delight the Spirit'', Volume II: 1717-1750. Oxford University Press, 2013 * * David Schulenberg
''The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach''.
Routledge, 2013. * David Schulenberg
"Updates for ''The Keyboard Music of J. S. Bach''"
at , 10 August 2016 (retrieved 9 December 2016) * Eleanor Selfridge-Field. ''The Music of Benedetto and Alessandro Marcello: A Thematic Catalogue with Commentary on the Composers, Repertory, and Sources''.
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
/
Clarendon Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 1990. * Michael Talbot
''The Vivaldi Compendium''.
Boydell Press, 2011. . * Piotr Wilk, translated by PaweÅ‚ Wróbel. "On the question of the Baroque instrumental concerto typology", pp. 83–102 in ''Musica Iagellonica'', 2012. * Peter Williams
''The Organ Music of J. S. Bach''.
Cambridge University Press, 2003. * Peter Williams. ''A Musical Biography''. Cambridge University Press, 2016. *
Christoph Wolff Christoph Wolff (born 24 May 1940) is a German musicologist. He is best known for his works on the music, life, and period of Johann Sebastian Bach. Christoph Wolff is an emeritus professor of Harvard University, and was part of the faculty sinc ...
. ''Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician''. W. W. Norton, 2001.


External links

* At
IMSLP The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), also known as the Petrucci Music Library after publisher Ottaviano Petrucci, is a subscription-based digital library of public-domain music scores. The project, which uses MediaWiki software ...
website: ** Concertos for organ, BWV 592–597 (Bach, Johann Sebastian) ** Italienisches Konzert, BWV 971 (Bach, Johann Sebastian) ** 16 Konzerte nach verschiedenen Meistern, BWV 972–987 (Bach, Johann Sebastian) ** (BWV 1041–65:) Concertos (Bach, Johann Sebastian) {{Compositions for Organ, Keyboard and Lute by Johann Sebastian Bach