Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar (1696–1715) 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 collector and commissioner of music and
as a composer some of whose concertos were arranged for
harpsichord or organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, who was
court organist in Weimar at the time.
Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, was almost
fifteen when he went to study law in Utrecht. As a
music-lover, he could re...(+)
Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar (1696–1715) 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 collector and commissioner of music and
as a composer some of whose concertos were arranged for
harpsichord or organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, who was
court organist in Weimar at the time.
Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, was almost
fifteen when he went to study law in Utrecht. As a
music-lover, he could really indulge himself in the
Netherlands, where he rubbed shoulders, as it were,
with one of the most important music printing presses
of the world. There, he bought things like a copy of
Vivaldi’s brand-new opus 3, L’Estro Armonico
(Amsterdam, 1711), which Bach was later to use for his
organ concertos BWV 594 and 596.
Unfortunately, on his return to Weimar, Duke Johann
Ernst did not have long to enjoy the arts of his
extremely productive organist. Soon after leaving
Utrecht, he developed a swelling on his leg that proved
fatal in 1715, at the age of eighteen. In his own music
– predominantly violin concertos – Johann Ernst was
greatly inspired by Vivaldi. Telemann had heaped praise
upon the noble composer when he was alive, and after
his death he published a selection of his music. To be
honest, though, the result paled a little alongside the
Italian model. Johann Ernst’s rather schematic style
concept is also reflected in Bach’s arrangement (BWV
595) of the Allegro from the Violin concerto in C
major. Although the original concerto has been lost,
Bach also made a complete arrangement for harpsichord,
BWV 984. Despite all the repetition and the shrill
harmonies, the concerto still has a festive effect,
which is due to the fresh, bouncy theme and the hurried
alternation between the great organ and the choir
organ, which takes place far more than in any other
work by Bach.
Bach composed his Organ Concerto in C major, BWV 595,
between 1713 and 1714. It is an adaptation of the
Violin Concerto in C major, Op. 1 no. 4, by Johann
Ernst Prinz von Sachsen-Weimar. It uses only the first
movement of this piece (see also BWV 987).
Although originally written for Organ, I created this
modern interpretation of the Concerto IV in C Major
(BWV 595) for Oboe & Strings (2 Violins, Viola &
Cello).
SHEET MUSIC