Double_Violin_Concerto_(Bach)
Concerto for Two Violins (Bach)
Concerto by Johann Sebastian Bach
The Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043, also known as the Double Violin Concerto, is a violin concerto of the Late Baroque era, which Johann Sebastian Bach composed around 1730. It is one of the composer's most successful works.[1][2]
Bach composed his Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043, around 1730, as part of a concert series he ran as the Director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig.[3][4][5][6]
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2020) |
The concerto is characterized by a subtle yet expressive relationship between the violins throughout the work. In addition to the two soloists, the concerto is scored for strings (first violin, second violin and viola parts) and basso continuo.[3] The musical structure of this piece uses fugal imitation and much counterpoint.[7]
The concerto comprises three movements:
Performance time of the concerto ranges from less than 13 minutes to over 18 minutes.[8][9]
Around 1736–1737 Bach arranged the concerto for two harpsichords, transposed into C minor, BWV 1062.[11]
1734–1738 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach performed the concerto in Frankfurt an der Oder.[3] After his father's death in 1750, Carl Philipp Emanuel inherited some of the original performance parts, likely doubles, of the concerto (surviving: parts for soloists and continuo), and likely also the composer's autograph score (lost).[12][13] The extant original parts were later owned by Georg Poelchau [de], and were added to the Royal Library at Berlin (later converted to the Berlin State Library) in the 1840s.[13] After the Second World War they were lost for several decades, eventually resurfacing in Poland.[13][14]
Manuscript copies of (parts of) the concerto were produced around 1730–1740,[15] in 1760,[16] around 1760,[17] around 1760–1789,[18] and in the early 19th century.[19] The concerto was first published in 1852, by Edition Peters, edited by Siegfried Dehn.[20] In the first volume of his Bach biography (1873), Philipp Spitta describes the concerto as a product of the composer's Köthen period (1717–1723).[21][22] After describing Bach's other extant violin concertos, those in E major (BWV 1042) and A minor (BWV 1041), he adds:[23][24]
Dem D moll-Concert ist unstreitig der höchste Werth eigen und in dieser Eigenschaft findet es auch unter der heutigen musikalischen Welt schon eine erfreuliche Beachtung. Zwei Soloviolinen sind hier herangezogen, doch kann man nicht wohl von einem Doppelconcerte reden, da die beiden Geigen weniger unter sich, als vereinigt gegen den Instrumentalchor concertiren. Eine jede ist natürlich mit der Selbständigkeit behandelt, die bei dem Bachschen Stile ohne weiteres vorausgesetzt wird. Im Mittelsatze, einer wahren Perle an edlem, innigem Gesange, verhält sich das Orchester fast nur accompagnirend, wie es bei den Concertadagios ja das Gewöhnliche war. |
The D minor concerto is without doubt the finest of the set, and is held in due esteem by the musical world of the present day. Two solo violins are here employed, but it is not, strictly speaking, a double concerto, for the two violins play not so much against one another, as both together against the whole band. Each is treated with the independence that is a matter of course in Bach's style. In the middle movement, a very pearl of noble and expressive melody, the orchestra is used only as an accompaniment, as was usual in the adagios of concertos. |
—Philipp Spitta[23] | —translation (after Bell/Fuller Maitland)[24] |
The Bach Gesellschaft published the concerto in 1874, edited by Wilhelm Rust.[26] The Neue Bachgesellschaft reports around 25 known public performances of the concerto in the period from late 1904 to early 1907: most of these in Germany, but also performances in other European cities, including London, Madrid, Paris, Riga, St. Petersburg and Vienna, are mentioned.[27] Outside of Europe, there was for instance the performance by Eugène Ysaÿe and Fritz Kreisler in New York in 1905.[28] In London, Bach's Double became a repertoire piece, for instance regularly performed at the Proms.[25]
After commenting that the "A minor and E major concertos are beginning to win a place in our concert halls," Albert Schweitzer writes, in the 1911 English-language edition of his book on Bach:[29]
The concerto for two violins, in D minor, is perhaps more widely known still. It can be played at home, as its orchestral part can be easily transcribed for the piano. Every amateur should know the wonderful peace of the largo ma non tanto in F major.
— Albert Schweitzer[29]
Johannes Umbreit's piano reduction of the orchestral score was published by Henle.[30]
Research by Andreas Glöckner, published in 1982, dispelled prior assumptions that Bach would have composed the concerto in Köthen: Bach's extant autograph parts indicate that the concerto was composed in Leipzig, likely in 1730 or the earlier part of 1731.[6] The New Bach Edition published the concerto in 1986, edited by Dietrich Kilian.[31] According to Peter Wollny, writing in 1999, "The Concerto for two violins in D minor BWV 1043 is today one of the best-known and most frequently performed works of the composer, above all by virtue of its soulful, song-like middle movement."[5]
According to Michael Miller, writing for Penguin's Complete Idiot's Guides, the concerto is one of Bach's eleven most notable compositions.[1] In the Rough Guides, the Double Concerto is described as "one of Bach's very greatest works."[2] The BBC website describes the concerto as "one of Bach's best loved instrumental works."[32] According to the British Classic FM website, "the 'Bach Double' is one of the most famous of his works."[33] The uDiscover Music website lists it among ten essential pieces by the composer.[34]
Recordings of the concerto include:
- Wollny 1999, p. 3.
- Glöckner 1982, pp. 49–50, 69.
- Bach: Violin Concerti / Oliveira Archived 2011-09-01 at the Wayback Machine at hbdirect website
- BACH: Radulović at Deutsche Grammophon website.
- Bach: Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra, BWV 1043, D minor (1LP0137972) Archived 2022-01-25 at the Wayback Machine at British Library Sounds website.
- Wollny 1996, p. 8.
- Dürr & Neumann 1968, pp. 101–102.
- Spitta 1873, p. 735.
- Spitta 1899, pp. 127–128.
- Potter 2009, p. 3.
- Übersicht at Bach-Jahrbuch 1906, p. 129.
- Kennaway 2009, pp. 237–238.
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto for two Violins d minor BWV 1043 at G. Henle Verlag website. ISMN 979-0-2018-0672-3. HN 672.
- Classic Music: Instrumental at Record Collectors Corner 78 website, p. 14
- Arthur Catterall - The Manchester Years at Musicweb International website.
- Col. Acoustic 'M' Sets 1-25 at Columbia Masterworks 78rpm Album Discography website.
- Search Results for Alma Rosengren-Witek, Anton Witek, violins at CHARM website.
- Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 3, No. 10 (July 1929), pp. 346–347
- Yehudi Menuhin – George Enescu at Muziekweb website
- Mengelberg: Maestro Appassionato at Muziekweb website
- Elste, Martin (2016). Meilensteine der Bach-Interpretation 1750-2000: Eine Werkgeschichte im Wandel. Springer. ISBN 9783476037923, p. 423
- Discography of searching sources for the Specified Nonprofit Corporation KF-Archive at KF-Archive website, pp. 28–29
- Adolf Busch's Discography at Max-Reger-Institute website, p. 16 (22 June 2016)
- The Menuhin Century at Muziekweb website
- Recordings & Discography - Arthur Grumiaux at TRM Solutions website.
- Jascha Heifetz plays Bach & Mozart Violin Concertos at Presto Music website.
- 1er Festival de Prades 1950 at Muziekweb website
- BACH, JOHANN SEBASTIAN (1645-1695) at Fundació Pau Casals [ca] website.
- Bach, Mozart, etc.: Violin concertos/Kogan at Classics Today website.
- Symphonium 1108
- Bach: Konzert fur 2 Violinen BWV 1043/Vivaldi: Concerto grosso Op. 3 No. 8 at Presto Music website.
- In memoriam: Yehudi Menuhin at Musicweb International website.
- In memoriam: Yehudi Menuhin at Muziekweb website
- Rudolf Barshai - A Tribute to Rudolf Barshai at jpc website.
- BACH: Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor BWV 1043 at goclassic website.
- Violin Collection / Kogan at ArkivMusic website.
- Yehudi Menuhin: The Great Violin Concertos at Musicweb International website.
- Edition David Oistrakh, Vol. 6 at Muziekweb website
- Les concertos pour violon at Muziekweb website
- Bach: Violin Concertos, BWV 1041 & 1043 at Yandex website.
- Double concerto at Muziekweb website
- The Original Jacket Collection: Jascha Heifetz at Opus Klassiek website.
- 4 ouvertüren at Muziekweb website
- Abbado Festival at Club abbadiani itineranti [it] website.
- Concerto in re min. per due violine at Muziekweb website
- CD37 of Nathan Milstein: Great DG & EMI Recordings (at Douban website).
- Erica Morini Discography at Youngrok Lee website.
- Bach Violin Concertos Szeryng 1965 at Trustysound website.
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Violinconcertos at Muziekweb website
- Artone BDE S-1723
- Karajan: The Music, The Legend at Alibris website.
- Das Alte Werk SAWT 9508-A
- Harmonia Mundi HM 113
- Bach, Berg: Violin Concertos at ArkivMusic website.
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Leonard, James. Zino Francescatti / Rudolf Baumgartner / Regis Pasquier; Bach: Concertos pour violon (CD - Deutsche Grammophon #459169) at AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
- Zino Francescatti Discography at Youngrok Lee website.
- Bach: Szymon Goldberg at Muziekweb website
- 3 violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Discography at Ruggiero Ricci website.
- Moss Music Group (Canada) MMG 1122.
- Sony Classical SMK 66 471
- Violinkonzerte BWV 1041-1043 at Muziekweb website
- Double concertos at Muziekweb website
- Search Results for Yehudi Menuhin, violin, Jin Li, violin at CHARM website.
- His Master's Voice ASD 4207
- Concerti for 2 violins at Muziekweb website
- Bach: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 at Presto Music website.
- Forlane UM 6517 at ilovelp website.
- Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 2151–2152
- Bach,Vivaldi - V. Tretyakov,R. Barshai at russiandvd website.
- Contour Red Label CC 7607
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Novalis 150 017-1
- Duarte, John (May 1988). Review: Bach Violin Concertos in Gramophone.
- Start (State of the Art) Records STDL 13
- RCA Victor Red Seal RD87991
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Natasha Korsakova - Andrei Korsakov - J.S. Bach - W.A. Mozart- Violin Concert at Russian Compact Disc website.
- Moscow Virtuosi at Muziekweb website
- Aurophon AU 32186 CD
- Concerti per violino at Muziekweb website
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Bach concertos at Muziekweb website
- Solo & double violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Bach: Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Itzhak Perlman: Anniversary Box at ArkivMusic website.
- In memoriam Yehudi Menuhin at Muziekweb website
- Concertos 1 at Muziekweb website
- Bach Edition: Double Concertos at Muziekweb website
- The concerto album at Muziekweb website
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Bach: Concerts avec plusieurs instruments (Vol. I à VI) - Intégrale (booklet: pp. 38–39) at Chandos Records website.
- Bach: Violin Concertos at Muziekweb website
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
- Fiori Musicali at ArkivMusic website.
- Bach: Daniel Hope at Muziekweb website
- Double Concertos For Strings at bassdiscography website.
- Bach: Suite No. 2; Concertos at Chandos Records website.
- Concertos pour violon at Muziekweb website
- DECCA 4780650 at Musicweb International website.
- Musikalische Perlen at Muziekweb website
- Air: The Bach album at Muziekweb website
- JS Bach: Violin Concertos, BWV 1041-1043 & Oboe Concerto, BWV 1060R at Presto Music website.
- Frank Peter Zimmermann / Alan Gilbert: J.S. Bach, Berg, Brahms at AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
- New York Philharmonic October 5–7, 2011 at instantencore website.
- Live aus dem Casino Baumgarten at Muziekweb website
- Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750): Violin Concertos at musica Dei donum website.
- Double & triple concertos at Muziekweb website
- Two x Four at Cedille Records website.
- JS Bach: Violin Concertos at Presto Music website.
- Due Lune: Annebeth Webb & Joanna Westers at Gutman Records website.
- Videos at Noa Wildschut website.
- Call No. EC BART CO S52 at Waukegan Public Library website.
- Tabula rasa at Muziekweb website
- CD-recensie: maart 2019 at Opus Klassiek website.
- CD-recensie: november 2018 at Opus Klassiek website.
- Violin concertos at Muziekweb website
By title:
- "Bach - Concerto in D minor for Two Violins". Classic FM (UK). Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- "Best Bach Works: 10 Essential Pieces By The Great Composer". uDiscover Music. Universal Music Group. 1 March 2019.
- "Concerto, c BWV 1062". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 16 April 2020.
- "Concerto, d BWV 1043". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 15 April 2020.
- "D-Bhm H 729". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 3 October 2018.
- "D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 254". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 4 March 2020.
- "D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 147". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 4 March 2020.
- "D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 630". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 12 January 2020.
- "PL-Kj Mus.ms. Bach St 148, Fascicle 1". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 7 February 2020.
- "PL-Kj Mus.ms. Bach St 148, Fascicle 2". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 7 February 2020.
- "Übersicht der Aufführungen J. S. Bachscher Werke von Ende 1904 bis Anfang 1907" [Overview of the performances of works by J. S. Bach from the end of 1904 to early 1907]. Bach-Jahrbuch 1906 [Bach Yearbook 1906]. Bach-Jahrbuch (in German). Vol. 3. Breitkopf & Härtel. 1906. pp. 115–129. doi:10.13141/bjb.v1906 – via Qucosa [de].
By author:
- Dehn, Siegfried, ed. (1852). Concerto en Ré mineur pour Deux Violons Principaux Avec Accompagnement De deux Violons, Viola et Basse composé Par Jean Sebastien Bach: publié pour la première fois d'après le manuscrit original des parties principaux et du Continuo (in French). C. F. Peters. No. 231 (Plate 3394).
- Dürr, Alfred; Neumann, Werner, eds. (1968). "Verzeichnis der seit Erscheinen der ersten Bach-Gesamtausgabe verschollenen Originalhandschriften Bachscher Werke" [Catalogue of Bach's original manuscripts which went lost after the first complete edition of Bach's works]. Bach-Jahrbuch 1968 [Bach Yearbook 1968]. Bach-Jahrbuch (in German). Vol. 54. Neue Bachgesellschaft. Berlin: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt (published 1969). pp. 101–103. doi:10.13141/bjb.v1968 – via Qucosa [de].
- Glöckner, Andreas (1982). "Neuerkenntnisse zu Johann Sebastian Bachs Aufführungskalender zwischen 1729 und 1735" [New insights on Johann Sebastian Bach's performance calendar from 1729 to 1735]. In Schulze, Hans-Joachim; Wolff, Christoph (eds.). Bach-Jahrbuch 1981 [Bach Yearbook 1981]. Bach-Jahrbuch (in German). Vol. 67. Neue Bachgesellschaft. Berlin: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt. pp. 43–76. doi:10.13141/bjb.v1981. ISSN 0084-7682 – via Qucosa [de].
- Kennaway, George William (April 2009). Cello Techniques and Performing Practices in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries (PDF) (Thesis). University of Leeds.
- Kilian, Dietrich, ed. (1986). "Konzert für 2 Violinen, Streicher und Basso continuo d-moll, BWV 1043". Konzerte für Violine, für zwei Violinen, für Cembalo, Flöte und Violine [Concertos for Violin, for two Violins, for Cembalo, Flute and Violin]. New Bach Edition (in German). Vol. VII, 3 (Score). Johann Sebastian Bach Institute, Bach Archive. Bärenreiter. pp. V–VI, 71ff. ISMN 9790006463169. BA 5065-01.
- Miller, Michael (2008). "Bach's Musical Legacy". The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music History: From Pre-Historic Africa to Classical Europe to American Popular Music. Complete Idiot's Guides. Penguin. ISBN 9781440636370.
- Potter, Tully; et al. (2009). BACH, J.S. / TARTINI: Violin Concertos (Szigeti) (1937-1954) (liner notes). Naxos. 8.110979 – via Chandos website.
- Rust, Wilhelm, ed. (1874). Joh. Seb. Bach's Kammermusik; Vierter Band: Concerte für Violine mit Orchesterbegleitung [J. S. Bach's chamber music; Fourth volume: concertos for violin with orchestral accompaniment]. Johann Sebastian Bach's Werke (in German). Vol. 21. Bach Gesellschaft. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel. pp. XVII–XVIII, 39–62.
- Schweitzer, Albert (1935) [1911]. J. S. Bach. Vol. I. Translated by Newman, Ernest (Reprint ed.). London: A. & C. Black. p. 416.
- Spitta, Philipp (1873). Johann Sebastian Bach (in German). Vol. I. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel. pp. 733–735.
- Spitta, Philipp (1899). Johann Sebastian Bach: His Work and Influence on the Music of Germany, 1685–1750. Vol. II. Translated by Bell, Clara; Fuller Maitland, John Alexander. Novello & Co. pp. 125–128.
- Staines, Joe, ed. (2010). The Rough Guide to Classical Music (5th ed.). Rough Guides. p. 24. ISBN 9781848366770.
- Wolff, Christoph (2002). Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. Oxford University Press. p. 357. ISBN 9780199248841.
- Wollny, Peter (1996). "Zur Überlieferung der Instrumentalwerke Johann Sebastian Bachs: Der Quellenbesitz Carl Philipp Emanuel Bachs" [On the transmission of instrumental compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach: the sources owned by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach]. In Schulze, Hans-Joachim; Wolff, Christoph (eds.). Bach-Jahrbuch 1996 [Bach Yearbook 1996]. Bach-Jahrbuch (in German). Vol. 82. Neue Bachgesellschaft. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt. pp. 7–21. doi:10.13141/bjb.v1996. ISBN 3-374-01630-8. ISSN 0084-7682 – via Qucosa [de].
- Wollny, Peter; et al. (1999). BACH, J.S.: Violin Concertos, BWV 1041-1043 and BWV 1052 (liner notes). Translated by Loos, Diana. Naxos. 8.554603 – via Chandos website.
- Concerto for Two Violins (Bach) at the Mutopia Project
- Concerto for Two Violins (Bach): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Concert voor violen (2) en strijkorkest BWV.1043 in d kl.t. at Muziekweb website
- Bach: Double Concerto (CD review) podcast at BBC Sounds website.