The concerto transcriptions of Johann Sebastian Bach
date from his second period at the court in Weimar
(1708–1717). Bach transcribed for organ and
harpsichord a number of Italian and Italianate
concertos, mainly by Antonio Vivaldi, but with others
by Alessandro Marcello, Benedetto Marcello, Georg
Philipp Telemann and the musically talented Prince
Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar. It is thought that most of
the transcriptions were probably made in 1713–1714.
Their publication by C.F. Peters in th...(+)
The concerto transcriptions of Johann Sebastian Bach
date from his second period at the court in Weimar
(1708–1717). Bach transcribed for organ and
harpsichord a number of Italian and Italianate
concertos, mainly by Antonio Vivaldi, but with others
by Alessandro Marcello, Benedetto Marcello, Georg
Philipp Telemann and the musically talented Prince
Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar. It is thought that most of
the transcriptions were probably made in 1713–1714.
Their publication by C.F. Peters in the 1850s and by
Breitkopf & Härtel in the 1890s played a decisive role
in the Vivaldi revival of the twentieth century.
Bach created the Concerto for solo keyboard No. 10 in C
minor (BWV 981) after Benedetto Marcello who was the
better known and, more prolific of two Venetian nobles
(Alessandro Marcello and Giuseppe Torelli). Bach is
thought to have transcribed one work by each. But
although Benedetto was thirteen years younger than
Alessandro (and evidently not always on good terms with
him), the two concertos transcribed by Bach are similar
in many respects. Both are serious, well-crafted
pieces; in addition to similarities in their motivic
material, the quick movements of the two concertos
reveal symmetrical architectures involving extensive
use of recapitulation. The usefulness of this procedure
for composing lengthy, rationally organized movements
would have impressed Bach. Particularly notable are the
final movements, sonata-allegros resembling the last
movements of BWV 975, 977, and 980, but longer and more
serious than those dance-like pieces. Bach and Walther
probably did not consider the two concertos to be by
different composers (if indeed they are); the
manuscripts omit the first name, and Alessandro is not
mentioned in the brief entry in Walther (1732; the
omission was noted by Hanks 1972, 214).
This, the Concerto no. 10 in C Minor (BWV 981) is the
concerto by Benedetto Marcello and was the second of a
set of twelve concerti a cinque published at Venice in
1708.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto_transcriptions_
for_organ_and_harpsichord_(Bach))
Although originally written for Harpsichord. I created
this Arrangement of the Concerto in C Minor (BWV 981)
for String Quartet (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
SHEET MUSIC