Italian Concerto (Bach)
The Italian Concerto, BWV 971, originally titled Concerto nach Italiænischen Gusto (Concerto in the Italian taste), is a three-movement concerto for two-manual harpsichord solo composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and published in 1735 as the first half of Clavier-Übung II (the second half being the French Overture). The Italian Concerto has become popular among Bach's keyboard works, and has been widely recorded both on the harpsichord and piano.
Context
An Italian concerto relies upon the contrasting roles of different groups of instruments in an ensemble; Bach imitates this effect by creating contrasts using the forte and piano manuals of a two-manual harpsichord throughout the piece.
Related works
Along with the French Overture and some of the Goldberg Variations, this is one of the few works by Bach which specifically require a 2-manual harpsichord. However, it is not unusual in being a solo keyboard work based on Italian concertos. Long before the publication of the Italian Concerto, Bach produced a number of concerto transcriptions while working at Weimar. These are of music by Vivaldi and others, reflecting the court's interest in Italian music. They are for harpsichord (BWV 972–987), and for organ or pedal harpsichord (BWV 592–596).
Movements
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The Italian Concerto consists of three movements:
- Allegro
- Andante
- Presto
The two lively F major outer movements, in ritornello style, frame a florid arioso-style movement in D minor, the relative minor.
Discography
Harpsichord
- Wanda Landowska recorded the first movement in 1908.
- George Malcolm recorded the work twice in the 1950s.[1]
Piano
- Alfred Brendel included the work in a Bach album he recorded for Decca.[2]
- Andras Schiff has also recorded the work for Decca.[3]
References
External links
- Italian Concerto, BWV 971: performance by the Netherlands Bach Society (video and background information)
- Italian Concerto, BWV 971: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- v
- t
- e
- 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
- Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772–801
- English Suites, BWV 806–811
- French Suites, BWV 812–817
- Partitas, BWV 825–830
- Overture in the French style, BWV 831
- Well-Tempered Clavier, BWV 846–893
- Book 1
- No. 1 in C major
- No. 2 in C minor
- No. 3 in C♯ major
- No. 4 in C♯ minor
- No. 7 in E♭ major
- No. 10 in E minor
- No. 16 in G minor
- No. 21 in B♭ major
- No. 22 in B♭ minor
- Book 2
- No. 1 in C major
- No. 2 in C minor
- No. 3 in C♯ major
- No. 4 in C♯ minor
- No. 5 in D major
- No. 6 in D minor
- No. 12 in F minor
- No. 13 in F♯ major
- No. 18 in G♯ minor
- No. 22 in B♭ minor
- No. 24 in B minor
- Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue
- Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 906
- Toccatas, BWV 910–916
- Six Little Preludes, BWV 933–938
- Italian Concerto
- Harpsichord solo concertos
- Goldberg Variations
- discography
- Gould recording
- Aria variata alla maniera italiana
- Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother
- Suite in G minor, BWV 995
- Suite in E minor, BWV 996
- 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
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