Johann Christian Bach

Johann Christian Bach (1735 -- 1782) was a composer of the Classical era, the eleventh child and youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He is sometimes referred to as "the London Bach" or "the English Bach", due to his time spent living in the British capital, where he came to be known as John Bach. He is noted for influencing the concerto style of Mozart.

Bach composed a set of six symphonies that were assigned the opus number 18 by music publisher and seller William Forster, who began to publish them as Bach was dying in the autumn of 1781. All are finely crafted works, but Nos. 1, 3, and 5, scored for double orchestra, are particularly impressive. Bach's unusual configuration is comprised of two string sections, seated left and right, with horns and oboes on one side and flutes on the other (the bassoon could be in either group). With this arrangement Bach was able to create some splendid effects, such as the antiphonal exchange of musical ideas. No. 1's Spiritoso first movement fairly leaps with coiled energy but also contains many finely graded quieter moments. No. 3's jubilant finale features some beautifully scored woodwind passages, while No. 5 ends with a grand minuet in the manner of Haydn.

Symphonies 2, 4, and 6 actually began life in the opera house. No. 2 is the overture Bach's opera Lucio Silla, its three sections conforming to those of a symphony. Symphony No. 6, compiled from the overture and two ballet movements from the opera Amadis de Gaule, probably was not even arranged by Bach. However, his compositional genius ensures that the impact and enjoyment of these "symphonies" is in no way diminished by their contrived origins.

Although originally written for Flute, Violin, Viola and Violoncello, I created this arrangement for Viola & Piano.