Concerto for 3 harpsichords, strings & continuo in C major, BWV 1064 The great Bach scholar Philipp Spitta called the Concerto for Three Harpsichords in C major one of Bachs most impressive compositions. Despite critics objections that Bachs other concertos for multiple harpsichords are frequently overwritten and over-dense, few have brought this charge against the C major concerto. Part of the reason for this is that the orchestra is frequently treated soloistically, so the solo harpsichordists lines stand out more clearly. Part of the reason is that the soloists left hands often play the same bass line, thereby making the three upper lines seem more melodic. And part of the reason is that, except in the third and final movement, the three soloists are treated as a single musical unit, entering simultaneously and developing the same thematic material. The three movements of the C major concerto are built on a more expansive and inclusive scale than most of Bachs other harpsichord concertos, and they have a corresponding expressivity and depth. The opening Allegro is broadly built on several themes; the central A minor Adagio is a solemn, even melancholy piece with the three soloists lyrical lines floated over an ostinato bass; and the closing Allegro is a fugato with three separate cadenzas for each of the soloists. This concerto is believed to be a transcription by Bach of a concerto for three violins, now lost, but the work is sometimes played in a three-violin reconstruction that was made for the Neue Bach-Ausgabe edition of Bachs works. youtube/watch?v=52PeP7e3CiM
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:50:03 +0000
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