In early 1729 Bach became director of the so-called »Scottish Collegium Musician« a music organization of students and local citizens. The remarkable results of this undertaking are the concertos for harpsichord. Today it is almost certain that practically all of these concertos were transcribed from concertos for melody instruments (mostly violin or oboe).BWV 1053 is the second piece in the autograph score of harpsichord concertos that Bach prepared in or around 1738 (Berlin Staatsbibliothek Mus. ms. Bach P 234). It was probably transcribed from a concerto for a solo woodwind instrument although opinions differ on the original key and instrument. Bach had alreadyreworked the original concerto in two church cantatas in the autumn of 1726 (BWV 49 and BWV 169) at which time he assigned the solo part to the organ. Perhaps the original concerto is not much older than these cantatas for the siciliano slow movement is closely related in expression to many numbers from his great Passion settings.Urtext of the New Bach EditionFull score & parts (BA5225) two-keyboard reduction (BA5225-90) and study score (TP410) format 22.5 x 16.5cm (all 6 concertos) available for sale
SKU: BA.BA05231-74
ISBN 9790006506668. 32.5 x 25.5 cm inches. Key: D minor.
All eight concertos are presented in piano reductions with separate orchestra parts. Not only is the piano reduction suitable for conducting from the harpsichord, it also enables the works to be played on two harpsichords. All of Bach's solo harpsichord concertos are now available with theUrtextof the New Bach Edition.
SKU: HL.51481381
UPC: 196288019442. 9.25x12.25x0.16 inches.
Johannes Umbreit (piano reduction); Michael Schneidt (fingering) Two copies needed for performance It is almost impossible to tell from listening to them that Bach's extremely popular concerti for harpsichord were probably his own transcriptions of solo concerti which had originally been composed for violin or a woodwind instrument. The outer movements of the second concerto, in E major, probably written around 1738, sparkle with joy, while the expressive melodic lines of the middle movement, the Siciliano in C-sharp minor, transport the listener to the realm of his Passion music. G. Henle Publishers presents this repertoire standard in an Urtext edition with an extensive commentary. The study edition (HN 7381) features the complete orchestral score; the piano reduction (HN 1381) contains the solo part as well as a very playable piano reduction of the score prepared by Johannes Umbreit for practical use.
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