The Triple Concerto,

BWV 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 and the third edition in ...

1044, is 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 ...

A minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: Changes needed for the melodic and ...

for

traverso The Western concert flute can refer to the common C concert flute or to the family of transverse (side-blown) flutes to which the C flute belongs. Almost all are made of metal or wood, or a combination of the two. A musician who plays the flute ...

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

, and

string orchestra A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first a ...

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

. He based the composition on his

Prelude and Fugue {{Unreferenced, date=June 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A prelude and fugue is a musical form generally consisting of two Movement (music), movements in the same key for solo keyboard music, keyboard. In classical music, the combination of Prelude ( ...

BWV 894 for harpsichord and on the middle movement of his Organ Sonata BWV 527, or on earlier lost models for these compositions.

History

Bach based the Triple Concerto on two earlier compositions. The outer movements of BWV 1044 are based on a lost model which was also a model for the ''

in A minor'' for solo harpsichord, BWV 894.Schulenberg 2006
pp. 145–146
/ref> However, BWV 894 is listed as the model for the outer movements of BWV 1044.Spitta 1899 Vol. 1
p. 420
/ref> BDW The middle movement of BWV 1044 is based on the middle movement of the '' Trio Sonata for Organ in

D minor D minor is a minor scale based on D (musical note), D, consisting of the pitches D, E (musical note), E, F (musical note), F, G (musical note), G, A (musical note), A, B♭ (musical note), B, and C (musical note), C. Its key signature has one Fla ...

'', BWV 527,Spitta 1899 Vol. 3
pp. 142–146
/ref>Rust 1869
p. XXI (Preface)
/ref> or on an earlier model for the middle movements of the concerto and the organ sonata.Dirksen 2010
p. 22 (Introduction)
/ref> Regarding the origin of the models for BWV 1044, BWV 894 was copied by

Johann Bernhard Bach the Younger Johann Bernhard Bach (the younger; to distinguish him from an older family member with the same name) (24 November 1700 – 12 June 1743) was a nephew of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was a German composer and organist. Johann Bernhard was born i ...

between 1707 and 1715 and by

Johann Tobias Krebs Johann Tobias Krebs (7 July 1690 – 11 February 1762) was a German organist and composer, today best remembered as the father of Johann Ludwig Krebs, one of Bach's most accomplished pupils. Krebs was born in Heichelheim and went to school ...

from 1710 to 1717. Although their copies of the composition survive, neither is its earliest known version; an earlier reading of BWV 894 is found in copies by

Johann Peter Kellner Johann Peter Kellner (variants: Keller, Kelner; 28 September 1705 – 19 April 1772) was a German pipe organ, organist and composer. He was the father of Johann Christoph Kellner. Biography He was born in Gräfenroda, Thuringia, and was intended ...

(1725) and Johann Nikolaus Mempell (mid-18th century). In 1970 Hans Eppstein argued that the lost model for BWV 894 may have been a keyboard concerto, but this cannot be demonstrated conclusively. The middle movement of the ''Third Sonata'' (BWV 527/2) was based on an earlier model which predated the earliest version of the sonata's first movement, probably composed during the 1720s. Dietrich Kilian, editor of the

New Bach Edition The New Bach Edition (NBE) (; NBA), is the second complete edition of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, published by Bärenreiter. The name is short for Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): New Edition of the Complete Works (''Johann Sebastian ...

volume which contains the Triple Concerto, assumes that Bach composed the concerto after 1726 (most likely in his later years).Kilian 1986, p. 105ff.; Kilian 1989, p. 43ff. BWV^2a (1998)br>p. 425
/ref>

Movements and scoring

Bach scored the concerto for the same instruments as his fifth '' Brandenburg Concerto'', BWV 1050, with the addition of a second violino di

ripieno The ripieno (, Italian for "stuffing" or "padding") is the bulk of instrumental parts of a musical ensemble who do not play as soloists, especially in Baroque music. These are the players who would play in sections marked ''tutti'', as opposed to s ...

part. The concerto has three concertato parts (harpsichord obligato, flute and violin) and four ripieno parts (first and second violins,

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

and continuo).(score edition) Rust 1869 Throughout the concerto the harpsichord has the predominant solo part. The middle movement is performed by the concertino without the ripieno instruments.Douglas 1997, pp. 2–10 The concerto has three movements: # (No tempo indication, usually interpreted as

Allegro Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking that indicates to playing quickly and brightly (from Italian meaning ''cheerful'') * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem b ...

) – based on BWV 894/1 # Adagio ma non tanto e dolce, in

C major C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel minor ...

– based on BWV 527/2 (there in F major) #

Tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

di Allabreve – based on BWV 894/2 (there in ) The outer movements were developed from the harpsichord piece with added tutti sections. The middle movement was expanded from the organ piece to four voices.

Reception

Schott published the concerto in 1848. The

Bach Gesellschaft The German Bach-Gesellschaft (Bach Society) was a society formed in 1850 for the express purpose of publishing the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach without editorial additions. The collected works are known as the Bach-Gesellschaft-Ausg ...

published the concerto in 1869 as No. 8, "Concert in A moll für Flöte, Violine und Clavier mit Begleitung von Zwei Violinen, Viola und Continuo" (Concerto in A minor for flute, violin and keyboard with an accompaniment of two violins, viola and continuo), pp. 221–272 in the 17th volume of their complete edition (Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe, BGA). The seven other concertos in that volume, which was the BGA's second volume of

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

, were the Harpsichord Concertos BWV 1052–1058. The

incipit The incipit ( ) of a text is the first few words of the text, employed as an identifying label. In a musical composition, an incipit is an initial sequence of Musical note, notes, having the same purpose. The word ''incipit'' comes from Latin an ...

s of the 's movements are rendered on p. 217 of the BGA's

thematic catalogue This article gives an overview of various catalogues of classical compositions that have come into general use. Opus numbers While the opus numbering system has long been the standard manner in which individual compositions are identified and ref ...

(Volume 46, published in 1899):Terry 1920
p 233
/ref>

Philipp Spitta Julius August Philipp Spitta (27 December 1841 – 13 April 1894) was a German music historian and musicologist best known for his 1873 biography of Johann Sebastian Bach. Life He was born in , near Hoya, and his father, also called Phili ...

describes the concerto as an arrangement "of really dazzling artistic quality and splendour", and considers the transformation of the keyboard solo BWV 894 into the Triple Concerto more remarkable than the transformation of the violin solo BWV 1006/1 into the opening sinfonia of the cantata ''Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir'', BWV 29.Spitta 1899 Vol. 2
p. 450
/ref>

References

Sources

Manuscripts * * Score editions * Johann Sebastian Bach. ''Concerto per Cembalo con Violine e Flauto obligati e con ripieno di 2 Violini, Viola, Violoncello e Contrabasso''. Mainz/Antwerp/Brussels: Schott, 1848 * Pieter Dirksen (editor)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Organ Works - Breitkopf Urtext, New Edition in 10 Volumes
Volume 5:
Sonatas / Trios / Concertos - with CD-ROM: Organ Works Based on Compositions by Bach and Others
'.

Breitkopf & Härtel Breitkopf & Härtel () is a German Music publisher, music publishing house. Founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf, it is the world's oldest music publisher. Overview The catalogue contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works ...

, 2010. * Dietrich Kilian (editor)
Vol. 7: ''Six Sonatas and various Single Works'', Score
o
Series IV: Organ Works
of the

. Kassel:

Bärenreiter Bärenreiter (Bärenreiter-Verlag) is a German classical music publishing house based in Kassel. The firm was founded by Karl Vötterle (1903–1975) in Augsburg in 1923, and moved to Kassel in 1927, where it still has its headquarters; it ...

, 1984; ²2013. * Dietrich Kilian (editor)
Vol. 3: ''Concertos for Violin, for two Violins, for Harpsichord, Flute and Violin'', Score
o
Series VII: Orchestral Works
of the

. Kassel:

, 1986. *

Wilhelm Rust Wilhelm Rust (15 August 1822 – 2 May 1892) was a German musicologist and composer. He is most noted today for his substantial contributions to the Bach Gesellschaft edition of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Born in Dessau, Rust studied pia ...

(editor).

Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe Joh. Seb. Bach's Werke () is the Bach Gesellschaft's collected edition of Johann Sebastian Bach's compositions, published in 61 volumes in the second half of the 19th century. The series is also known as Bach-Gesellschaft edition (; BGA), or as ''B ...

, Volume XV: '' Orgelwerke. Band 1''.

, 1867. *

(editor).

, Volume XVII: '' Kammermusik. Band 2''.

, 1869. Other * * David James Douglas
''Inquiry into J.S. Bach’s method of reworking in his composition of the concerto for keyboard, flute and violin, BWV 1044, and its chronology''.
Vancouver:

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

, 1997 (thesis) * Ad. Hofmeister
''Musikalisch-literarischer Monatsbericht neuer Musikalien, musikalischer Schriften und Abbildungen für das Jahr 1848''.
Leipzig: Whistling, 1848. * Dietrich Kilian
Vol. 7: ''Six Sonatas and various Single Works'', Critical Commentary
o
Series IV: Organ Works
of the

. Kassel:

, 1988. * Dietrich Kilian
Vol. 3: ''Concertos for Violin, for two Violins, for Harpsichord, Flute and Violin'', Critical Commentary
o
Series VII: Orchestral Works
of the

. Kassel:

, 1989. *

Hermann Kretzschmar August Ferdinand Hermann Kretzschmar (19 January 1848 – 10 May 1924) was a German musicologist and writer, and is considered a founder of hermeneutics in musical interpretation and study. Life and career Born in Olbernhau, Kingdom of Sa ...

(editor).

, Volume XLVI: '' Schlußband: Bericht und Verzeichnisse''.

, 1899. * Daniel R. Melamed and Michael Marissen
''An Introduction to Bach Studies''.
Oxford University Press, 1998. *

Max Schneider Maxwell George Schneider (born June 21, 1992), also known by his mononym Max (stylized in all caps), is an American singer and actor. He is best known for his 2016 single " Lights Down Low" (featuring gnash), which peaked within the top 20 of ...

"Verzeichnis der bis zum Jahre 1851 gedruckten (und der geschrieben im Handel gewesenen) Werke von Johann Sebastian Bach", pp. 84–113
in

Neue Bachgesellschaft The Neue Bachgesellschaft, or New Bach Society, is an organisation based in Leipzig, Germany, devoted to the music of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach. It was founded in 1900 as the successor to the Bach Gesellschaft, which between 1850 and 19 ...

VII (3) ''

Bach-Jahrbuch The ''Bach-Jahrbuch'' ("Bach yearbook" or according to the publication's website "Bach Annals") is an Periodical literature, annual publication related to the composer Bach. It is published in German by the Neue Bachgesellschaft in Leipzig. It is t ...

'' 1906. 1907. * David Schulenberg
''The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach''.
Taylor & Francis, 2006. *

. ''

''
Erster Band (Book I–IV).
Leipzig:

, 1873 (^{31921

* Philipp Spitta

Julius August Philipp Spitta (27 December 1841 – 13 April 1894) was a German music historian and musicologist best known for his 1873 biography of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Life
He was born in , near Hoya, and his father, also called Phili ...
. ''Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...
'', Zweiter Band (Book V–VI). Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel

Breitkopf & Härtel () is a German Music publisher, music publishing house. Founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf, it is the world's oldest music publisher.
Overview
The catalogue contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works ...
, 1880 (^{31921

* Philipp Spitta

Julius August Philipp Spitta (27 December 1841 – 13 April 1894) was a German music historian and musicologist best known for his 1873 biography of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Life
He was born in , near Hoya, and his father, also called Phili ...
, translated by Clara Bell and J. A. Fuller Maitland. '' Johann Sebastian Bach: His Work and Influence on the Music of Germany, 1685–1750''
Vol. 1 (Book I–III)
�
Vol. 2 (Book IV–V)
�
Vol. 3 (Book VI)
Novello & Co

Wise Music Group is a global music publisher, with headquarters in Berners Street, London. In February 2020, Wise Music Group changed its name from The Music Sales Group.

In 2014 Wise Music Group (as The Music Sales Group) acquired French cla ...
, 1899
* Charles Sanford Terry. '' Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work Translated from the German of Johann Nikolaus Forkel

Johann Nikolaus Forkel (22 February 1749 – 20 March 1818) was a German musicologist and music theorist, generally regarded as among the founders of modern musicology. His publications include the two-volume ''Allgemeine Geschichte der Musik'' ...
with Notes and Appendices''
New York: Harcourt, Brace and Howe, 1920

External links

*

{{Chamber music, Orchestral works and Transcriptions by Johann Sebastian Bach

Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach}}