Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concertos are amongst the most well known pieces of music from the Baroque period, and were written for evening entertainments at the court of Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen - where Bach was Kapellmeister. Leopold was a keen musician himself and almost certainly took part in the performances of these works.
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| J.S.Bach |
In 1721 however, Bach revised the music, copied out the new parts himself, and with a typically humble dedication presented the concertos as a set to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt with a view to either getting paid for them, or maybe gaining a position in the Margrave's household - neither of which happened. But this dedication gave the six concertos an identity which has helped cement them into the mind of music lovers down the centuries.
The Third Concerto - for strings and harpsichord continuo - written in 1718 or 1719 when Bach was 33 follows a typical three movement form but with a problematic, and puzzling second movement. For this, Bach only provides a closing cadence on the harpsichord. Some performances play only this. Others insert movements from different works. Some have a harpsichord cadenza that finishes on the written cadence. For the performance on this record, Richard Townsend - who prepared the score from the facsimile in the Berlin State Library - has provided a viola cadenza as a solution as there is evidence that Bach himself played the first viola part. The outer two movements are both Allegros - though the first doesn't have a written tempo indication in the score.
In this 1972 performance Arthur Davison conducts The Virtuosi Of England, a group formed from the leading instrumentalists of the day.
Cartridge: Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC Star
Phono amp: Graham Slee Accession + Elevator EXP
Turntable: Yamaha PX-3 direct drive turntable
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