Music history records that the world's first
harpsichord concertos were the product of J.S. Bach's
pen; yet, while Bach did come up with about fourteen
concertos featuring one or more harpsichordists in solo
roles, it is important to note that as far as we can
tell, Bach never once actually composed a concerto for
harpsichord and ensemble -- he only arranged them from
already existing instrumental concertos (usually, but
not exclusively, his own). Why, precisely, this is so
remains a bit unclear...(+)
Music history records that the world's first
harpsichord concertos were the product of J.S. Bach's
pen; yet, while Bach did come up with about fourteen
concertos featuring one or more harpsichordists in solo
roles, it is important to note that as far as we can
tell, Bach never once actually composed a concerto for
harpsichord and ensemble -- he only arranged them from
already existing instrumental concertos (usually, but
not exclusively, his own). Why, precisely, this is so
remains a bit unclear; perhaps the entrenched role of
the harpsichord as a continuo instrument made it
difficult for the composer to conceive of it combined
with an ensemble in any other way. Or, perhaps even the
ingenious Bach was unsure of what an actual harpsichord
concerto would be like and so -- having effectively
plundered his own and other composers' music so many
times in the past -- he simply proceeded to do so again
when, during the late 1730s, the Leipzig Collegium
Musicum put together some ad hoc performances of music
for harpsichord and orchestra.
Although the source work upon which Bach drew when
writing the Concerto No. 4 in A major for harpsichord,
strings, and continuo, BWV 1055, has not survived, it
seems to have been a concerto for oboe d'amore
originally composed by Bach sometime during his years
as Kapellmeister at Cöthen (1717-1723). BWV 1055 is a
rich three-movement piece, the detailed harpsichord
textures and seamless design of which have lead many
musicologists to believe that it is in fact one of the
last of Bach's seven complete concertos for single
harpsichord to have been arranged, showing how quickly
and how well he was able to absorb the promising new
genre into his own personal idiom.
The ritornello design of the opening Allegro is firmly
in the Corelli-Vivaldi tradition that Bach knew so
well. The ritornello theme, given to the tutti and
reinforced at times by harpsichord obbligato (but never
actually played by the harpsichord, as per tradition)
is made to alternate with the more elaborate gestures
of the soloist. An exact reprise of the opening version
of the ritornello draws a conclusion.
There is something of the chaconne or passacaglia to
the descending bass-line idea of the Larghetto in F
sharp minor, though as the movement unfolds it takes an
entirely different course than either of those two
hyper-repetitive forms would allow. An almost obsessive
long-short-long rhythm in the upper voices of the
string background reinforces the luscious harpsichord
obbligato.
The borders of the ritornello theme used in the final
Allegro ma non tanto are perhaps even clearer than
those of the opening Allegro; it appears in alternation
with the less firmly entrenched, even occasionally
pseudo-improvisational extravagances of the soloist.
After a firm move to E major during the central portion
of the movement, the ritornello creeps around in the
key of F sharp minor for a while, temporarily
dispelling the exuberance that has hitherto been the
movement's only tone.
Although originally written for Harpsichord, 2 Violins,
Viola and Continuo, I created this Arrangement of the
Concerto in A Major (BWV 1055) for Flute, Oboe &
Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
PARTITION