List of concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach's Violin Concertos, BWV 1041–1043, and his six Brandenburg Concertos survive in their original instrumentation. His harpsichord concertos are mostly adaptations of concertos originally written for other solo instruments.^[1]

In his early career Bach transcribed concertos by other composers for solo organ (BWV 592–596) and for solo harpsichord (BWV 972–987). Bach's Italian Concerto, composed in 1735, was one of his few works that he published during his life-time: it is an example of an unaccompanied concerto for two-manual harpsichord.

Early encounters with the concerto genre[edit]

The earliest documentary traces of Bach's involvement with the concerto genre include:

In 1709 Bach helped copy out the performance parts of a concerto by Georg Philipp Telemann^[2]
Around 1710 or earlier Bach copied the continuo part, BWV Anh. 23, of a concerto included in Tomaso Albinoni's Op. 2, which had been published in 1700.^[3]^[4]

Weimar concerto transcriptions[edit]

Bach wrote most, if not all, of his concerto transcriptions for organ (BWV 592–596) and for harpsichord (BWV 972–987) from July 1713 to July 1714. Most of these transcriptions were based on concertos by Antonio Vivaldi. Other models for the transcriptions included concertos by Alessandro Marcello, Benedetto Marcello, Georg Philipp Telemann and Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]

Weimar concerto transcriptions
BWV	Key	Instr.	Model
592	G major	organ	Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar: Violin Concerto in G major [scores]
592a	G major	harpsichord	Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar: Violin Concerto in G major [scores]; BWV 592
593	A minor	organ	Vivaldi, Op. 3 No. 8: Concerto in A minor for two violins and strings, RV 522
594	C major	organ	Vivaldi, RV 208: Violin Concerto in D major "Grosso Mogul" (variant RV 208a published as Op. 7 No. 11)
595	C major	organ	Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar: Violin Concerto in C major [scores], first movement, and/or BWV 984/1
596	D minor	organ	Vivaldi, Op. 3 No. 11: Concerto in D minor for two violins, cello and strings, RV 565
972	D major	harpsichord	Vivaldi, Op. 3 No. 9: Violin Concerto in D major, RV 230; BWV 972a
972a	D major	harpsichord	Vivaldi, Op. 3 No. 9: Violin Concerto in D major, RV 230
973	G major	harpsichord	Vivaldi, RV 299: Violin Concerto in G major (published as Op. 7 No. 8)
974	D minor	harpsichord	Marcello, A.: Oboe Concerto in D minor^[10]
975	G minor	harpsichord	Vivaldi, RV 316 (variant RV 316a, Violin Concerto in G minor, published as Op. 4 No. 6)
976	C major	harpsichord	Vivaldi, Op. 3 No. 12: Violin Concerto in E major, RV 265
977	C major	harpsichord
978	F major	harpsichord	Vivaldi, Op. 3 No. 3: Violin Concerto in G major, RV 310
979	B minor	harpsichord	Vivaldi, RV 813: Violin Concerto in D minor (formerly RV Anh. 10 attributed to Torelli)^[11]^[12]
980	G major	harpsichord	Vivaldi, RV 383: Violin Concerto in B-flat major, (variant RV 383a published as Op. 4 No. 1)
981	C minor	harpsichord	Marcello, B.: Concerto Op. 1 No. 2
982	B♭ major	harpsichord	Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar: Concerto Op. 1 No. 1
983	G minor	harpsichord
984	C major	harpsichord	Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar: Violin Concerto in C major [scores], and/or BWV 595
985	G minor	harpsichord	Telemann: Violin Concerto in G minor, TWV 51:g1 [scores]
986	G major	harpsichord
987	D minor	harpsichord	Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar: Concerto Op. 1 No. 4

Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046–1051[edit]

Violin concertos, BWV 1041–1043[edit]

Concerto form in other compositions[edit]

Sonate auf Concertenart[edit]

The Sonate auf Concertenart (transl. sonata in the style of a concerto) format appears for example in Bach's organ sonatas.

In vocal compositions[edit]

Apart from adaptations of movements of his earlier concertos into his cantatas, Bach also directly composed movements of his vocal works in the concerto form: for example the opening chorus of his cantata BWV 7 has been described as having the format of an Italian violin concerto movement. Another example is the opening choral movement of Bach's Magnificat, the form of which only becomes, in Spitta's words, "thoroughly intelligible" when analysed as a concerto form.^[13]

Harpsichord concertos[edit]

Concertos for three to four harpsichords and orchestra, BWV 1063–1065[edit]

Concerto for two harpsichords, BWV 1061a[edit]

BWV 1061a, a concerto for two harpsichords without accompaniment, is Bach's original version of the Concerto for two harpsichords and strings, BWV 1061.^[1]

Italian Concerto, BWV 971[edit]

Bach's Italian Concerto, BWV 971, was published in 1735, as first of two compositions included in Clavier-Übung II.

Concertos for two harpsichords and orchestra, BWV 1060–1062[edit]

Harpsichord concertos, BWV 1052–1059[edit]

Triple Concerto, BWV 1044[edit]

Concerto as a vocal composition[edit]

Bach rarely used the name "Cantata" to indicate a vocal composition. Instead, "Concerto", closer to names of cantata precursors such as geistliches Konzert (spiritual concerto) and Choralkonzert (chorale concerto), is the name he used most often to indicate those compositions which later became known as his cantatas.

Sinfonia in D major, BWV 1045[edit]

BWV 1045, a movement in concerto form for violin and orchestra, is the opening of a cantata titled "Concerto" in Bach's autograph ("J J Concerto. à 4 Voci. 3 Trombe, Tamburi, 2 Hautb: Violino ConC. 2 Violini, Viola e Cont.").^[15] The music breaks off before the vocalists enter. In the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis it appears as "Konzertsatz in D" (Concerto movement in D major), in the range of the orchestral concertos (BWV 1041–65).^[1]

Doubtful and spurious[edit]

For organ:

BWV 571 – Fantasia (Concerto) in G major
BWV 597 – Concerto in E-flat major

For harpsichord:

BWV 909 – Concerto and Fugue in C minor
BWV Anh. 151 – Concerto in C major
BWV Anh. 152 – Concerto in G major
BWV Anh. 188 – Sonata (Concerto) in F major for two harpsichords by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (BR A12; F 10)

For chamber ensemble:

BWV 525a (or: BWV deest) – Concerto (or: Trio Sonata) in C major for violin, cello and continuo (variant of BWV 525/1, 1032/2 and 525/3)

Orchestral concertos:

BWV Anh. 22 – Concerto for Oboe and Violin in B-flat major [scores]
BWV Anh. 155 – Concerto in A major for keyboard, strings and continuo by Wenzel Raimund Birck^[16]
BWV Anh. 189 – Concerto in A minor for keyboard, strings and continuo by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

Reconstructions[edit]

BWV 156/1, used for reconstructing the middle movement of concertos after BWV 1056 and 1059

BWV 156/1 arranged for violin and piano

Carrie Rehkopf (violin), 1729

Problems playing this file? See media help.

Detailed accounts of possible or conjectural reconstructions of Bach's harpsichord concertos for other solo instruments have been described systematically in the hand-book of Siegbert Rampe.^[17] No discussion for reconstructions is needed concerning the well-known two violin concertos BWV 1041, BWV 1042 and the double violin concerto BWV 1043, since these predate the harpsichord versions, BWV 1058, BWV 1054 and BWV 1062 respectively. The concerto BWV 1057 for harpsichord and two flutes or recorders also has an extant original: the 4th Brandenburg Concerto, BWV 1049. The concerto for two unaccompanied harpsichords BWV 1061a was modified slightly by adding strings in the first and last movements to produce BWV 1061. Vivaldi's concerto for four violins Op. 3 No. 10 was reworked by Bach as his concerto for four harpsichords BWV 1065.

The 5th Brandenburg Concerto, BWV 1050, always was a concerto for flute, violin and harpsichord, also in its earlier version BWV 1050a. Earlier versions for unaccompanied keyboard instruments of all three movements of the Triple Concerto, BWV 1044, are extant. Other harpsichord concertos, and related cantata movements if available, have been the basis for several reconstructions. The letter "R", abbreviation of "Reconstruction", can be added to the BWV number of an extant Bach concerto to indicate a conjectured original of such concerto.^[18]

BWV 1052R[edit]

Based on BWV 1052, 1052a and/or on cantata movements BWV 146/1 (Sinfonia) and /2 (Chorus), and/or on what is known regarding the lost opening Sinfonia of BWV 188 (a variant of the third movement of BWV 1052 scored for oboe, strings and obligato organ):

Violin Concerto in D minor^[19]
Organ Concerto in D minor^[20]^[21]

BWV 1053R[edit]

Based on BWV 1053 and/or cantata movements BWV 169/1 (Sinfonia), /5 (Aria) and 49/1 (Sinfonia):

Oboe d'amore Concerto in D major
Oboe Concerto in F major
Organ Concerto in D major

BWV 1055R[edit]

Based on BWV 1055:

Oboe d'amore Concerto in A major

BWV 1056R[edit]

Based on BWV 1056 and/or (for the middle movement) BWV 156/1 (Sinfonia):

Violin Concerto in G minor
Oboe Concerto in G minor

BWV 1059R[edit]

Based on the BWV 1059 fragment and on cantata movements BWV 35/1 (Sinfonia of Part I), 156/1 (Sinfonia) or 35/2 (Aria), and 35/5 (Sinfonia of Part II):

Harpsichord Concerto in D minor
Oboe Concerto in D minor
Organ Concerto in D minor

BWV 1060R[edit]

Based on BWV 1060:

Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor
Concerto for Violin and Oboe in D minor
Concerto for Two Violins in C minor

BWV 1063R[edit]

Based on BWV 1063:

Concerto for Violin, Oboe and Flute in D minor
Concerto for Three Violins in D minor

BWV 1064R[edit]

Based on BWV 1064:

Concerto for Three Violins in D major

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c Breig 1997, p. 131
^ Wolff 2001, p. 134
^ Wolff 2001, p. 126
^ Boyd 2006, p. 81
^ Jones 2007, pp. 140–153
^ Boyd 2006, pp. 80–83
^ Williams 2003, pp. 201–224
^ Schulenberg 2013, pp. 117–139
^ Butler 2011
^ D935 in Selfridge-Field 1990
^ Talbot 2011, pp. 28–29 and p. 54
^ Schulenberg 2016
^ Spitta 1899, Vol. II pp. 374–376
^ RISM 467006000
^ D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 614: facsimile and description of Bach's autograph of BWV 1045 at Bach Digital website (facsimile at Berlin State Library website; RISM 467061400)
^ "Bach digital -".
^ Rampe 2013
^ Wolfgang Schmieder. "Preface to the Second Edition" in BWV² 1990, p. xxxv
^ Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052R: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
^ Harpsichord Concerto No.1 in D minor, BWV 1052 – For Organ and Orchestra: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
^ André Isoir, Le Parlement de Musique, Martin Gester. Johann Sebastian Bach: L'oeuvre pour orgue et orchestre. Calliope 1993

Sources[edit]

Malcolm Boyd. Bach. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 9780195307719
Werner Breig, translated by Steward Spencer. "The instrumental music", pp. 123–135, and "Composition as arrangement and adaptation", pp. 154–170, in The Cambridge Companion to Bach, edited by John Butt. Cambridge University Press, 1997. ISBN 9780521587808
H. Joseph Butler. "Emulation and Inspiration: J. S. Bach’s Transcriptions from Vivaldi’s L’estro armonico" in The Diapason, August 2011.
Richard D. P. Jones. The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach: Music to Delight the Spirit, Volume I: 1695-1717. Oxford University Press, 2007. ISBN 9780198164401
Richard D. P. Jones. The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach: Music to Delight the Spirit, Volume II: 1717-1750. Oxford University Press, 2013 ISBN 9780191503849
Rampe, Siegbert (2013), Bachs Orchester- und Kammermusik, Bach-Handbuch (in German), vol. 5/1, Laaber-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-89007-455-9
David Schulenberg. The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach. Routledge, 2013. ISBN 9781136091469
David Schulenberg. "Updates for The Keyboard Music of J. S. Bach" at faculty.wagner.edu/david-schulenberg/, 10 August 2016 (retrieved 9 December 2016)
Eleanor Selfridge-Field. The Music of Benedetto and Alessandro Marcello: A Thematic Catalogue with Commentary on the Composers, Repertory, and Sources. Oxford University Press/Clarendon Press, 1990. ISBN 9780193161269
Michael Talbot. The Vivaldi Compendium. Boydell Press, 2011. ISBN 9781843836704.
Piotr Wilk, translated by Paweł Wróbel. "On the question of the Baroque instrumental concerto typology", pp. 83–102 in Musica Iagellonica, 2012.
Peter Williams. The Organ Music of J. S. Bach. Cambridge University Press, 2003. ISBN 9780521891158
Peter Williams. A Musical Biography. Cambridge University Press, 2016. ISBN 9781107139251
Christoph Wolff. Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. W. W. Norton, 2001. ISBN 9780393322569

External links[edit]

At IMSLP website:

[Breig1997p131-1] Breig 1997, p. 131

[Wolff2001p134-2] Wolff 2001, p. 134

[Wolff2001p126-3] Wolff 2001, p. 126

[Boyd2006p81-4] Boyd 2006, p. 81

[Jones2007pp140-153-5] Jones 2007, pp. 140–153

[Boyd2006pp80-83-6] Boyd 2006, pp. 80–83

[Williams2003pp201-224-7] Williams 2003, pp. 201–224

[Schulenberg2013pp117-139-8] Schulenberg 2013, pp. 117–139

[Butler2011-9] Butler 2011

[10] D935 in Selfridge-Field 1990

[Talbot2011RV813-11] Talbot 2011, pp. 28–29 and p. 54

[Schulenberg2016-12] Schulenberg 2016

[13] Spitta 1899, Vol. II pp. 374–376

[14] RISM 467006000

[15] D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 614: facsimile and description of Bach's autograph of BWV 1045 at Bach Digital website (facsimile at Berlin State Library website; RISM 467061400)

[16] "Bach digital -".

[17] Rampe 2013

[18] Wolfgang Schmieder. "Preface to the Second Edition" in BWV² 1990, p. xxxv

[19] Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052R: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

[20] Harpsichord Concerto No.1 in D minor, BWV 1052 – For Organ and Orchestra: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

[Isoir1993-21] André Isoir, Le Parlement de Musique, Martin Gester. Johann Sebastian Bach: L'oeuvre pour orgue et orchestre. Calliope 1993

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

v t e Concertos
Types	Concertino Concerto for orchestra Concerto grosso Concert piece Double concerto Ripieno concerto Sinfonia concertante Solo concerto Triple concerto
By instrument	Accordion concerto Bassoon concerto Cello concerto Clarinet concerto Concerto for solo piano Double bass concerto Double concerto for violin and cello English horn concerto Flute concerto Harmonica concerto Harp concerto Harpsichord concerto Marimba concerto Oboe concerto Organ concerto Percussion concerto Piano concerto Saxophone concerto Timpani concerto Trombone concerto Triple concertos for violin, cello, and piano Trumpet concerto Viola concerto Violin concerto
By composer	Bach Corelli Graupner Haydn Mozart
Miscellaneous	Chorale concerto Concertato
Category

v t e Chamber music and orchestral works by, and transcriptions after, Johann Sebastian Bach
Solo	Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001–1006 Partita No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 Cello Suites, BWV 1007–1012 Partita for Solo Flute, BWV 1013
Ensemble	Six Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord, BWV 1014–1019 Sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord, BWV 1027–1029 Flute Sonatas in B minor, BWV 1030 in E♭ major, BWV 1031 (doubtful) in A major, BWV 1032 in C major, BWV 1033 (doubtful) in E minor, BWV 1034 in E major, BWV 1035 Trio Sonatas Sonata for two flutes and continuo, BWV 1039 Canonic Sonata for oboe, violin and continuo, BWV 1040
Concertos	Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 Violin Concerto in E major, BWV 1042 Concerto for Two Violins, BWV 1043 Triple Concerto, BWV 1044 Sinfonia for violin and orchestra, BWV 1045 Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046–1051 No. 5 Keyboard concertos, BWV 1052–1065 No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052 No. 2 in E major, BWV 1053 No. 4 in A major, BWV 1055 For two harpsichords in C minor, BWV 1060
Suites	Orchestral Suites, BWV 1066–1069 Orchestral Suite in G minor, BWV 1070 (doubtful)
Fugal	The Musical Offering, BWV 1079 The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 discography
Adaptations	"Air on the G String" "Alphabet" "Ave Maria" Bach-Busoni Editions "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" "Feel My Rhythm" "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" "Joy" "Lady Lynda" "Sheep may safely graze" "They" Trio Sonata, BWV 525a "A Whiter Shade of Pale"
Albums	Bach's Greatest Hits Back to Bach Jazz Sebastian Bach Switched-On Bach Switched-On Bach II
List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach

v t e Compositions for organ, keyboard and lute by Johann Sebastian Bach
Organ	Fugue in G minor, BWV 131a (doubtful) Sonatas, BWV 525–530 Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 531 Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532 Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537 Toccata and Fugue in D minor ("Dorian"), BWV 538 Toccata and Fugue in F major, BWV 540 Fantasia and Fugue in G minor ("Great"), BWV 542 Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543 Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 544 Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 546 Prelude and Fugue in E minor ("Wedge"), BWV 548 Eight Short Preludes and Fugues, BWV 553–560 (doubtful) Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 562 Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564 Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (doubtful) Prelude (Toccata) and Fugue in E major, BWV 566 Fantasia ("Pièce d'Orgue") in G major, BWV 572 Fugue in G minor ("Little"), BWV 578 Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 Concertos, BWV 592–597 Orgelbüchlein, BWV 599–644 Schübler Chorales, BWV 645–650 Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, BWV 651–668 Chorale partita Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig, BWV 768 Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her", BWV 769 Neumeister chorales, BWV 1090–1120 Chorale fantasia Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält, BWV 1128
Keyboard	Aria variata alla maniera italiana Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue Harpsichord solo concertos English Suites Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 906 French Suites Goldberg Variations discography Gould recording Inventions and Sinfonias Italian Concerto Overture in the French style Partitas, BWV 825–830 No. 2 No. 4 No. 6 Six Little Preludes, BWV 933–938 The Well-Tempered Clavier, BWV 846–893 I: C, BWV 846 c, BWV 847 C♯, BWV 848 c♯, BWV 849 e, BWV 855 g, BWV 861 B♭, BWV 866 b♭, BWV 867 II: C, BWV 870 c, BWV 871 c♯, BWV 873 D, BWV 874 d, BWV 875 f, BWV 881 g♯, BWV 887 b♭, BWV 891 b, BWV 893 Toccatas, BWV 910–916
Lute	Suite in G minor, BWV 995 Suite in E minor, BWV 996 Bourrée Suite in C minor, BWV 997 Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E♭ major, BWV 998 Prelude in C minor, BWV 999 Fugue in G minor, BWV 1000
Mixed collections	Clavier-Übung III: Prelude and Fugue in E♭ major ("St. Anne"), BWV 552, Chorale preludes, BWV 669–689, Duets, BWV 802–805 Concerto transcriptions, BWV 592–596 and 972–987 Klavierbüchlein W. F. Bach Notebook A. M. Bach Twelve Little Preludes
List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach List of fugal works by Johann Sebastian Bach List of concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach