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Bach for Two

Harpsichord detail, Christian Zell, Museu de la Música de Barcelona

Bach's Trio Sonatas for Two Harpsichords: Buckley and Schwarz



Bach composed his six organ trio sonatas around the year 1730, possibly as instructional or audition pieces for his oldest son Wilhelm Friedemann. Normally, a trio sonata is performed by four players total: two melodic instruments-say a violin and a flute-with a basso continuo team such as a harpsichord and a bowed bass. The organ trio sonatas, however can be performed by just one player, the designation trio suggesting the number of independent voices or parts of the actual composition. The bass part is played on the pedals, and the two upper parts one in each the left and right hand.

Nevertheless, these pieces are easily adaptable for various instrumental combinations. In the 18th century, Mozart arranged some of them for string trio, and many others since have orchestrated the sonatas to their own liking.

Irish harpsichordist Emer Buckley  and Israeli harpsichordist Jochewed Schwarz met in Paris, and despite living in different countries, have made two recordings together: the 2012 bach cd we're hearing today, and a more recent 2014 release of music by Francois Couperin. But today...Bach, arranged by the duo  for two harpsichords.

Bach's Concertos and Orchestral Suite for Two Harpsichords: Â Suzuki and Suzuki



A different recording-this one a 2014 release from BIS records-also features Bach for two harpsichords. Performing are Bach Collegium Japan's conductor Masaaki Suzuki, and his son Masato Suzuki.

Bach's three surviving double harpsichord concertos are all arrangements in some form or fashion of other compositions. You may have heard BWV 1060 as a version for violin and oboe, and certainly, 1062 in its d minor version for two violins. On this recording, two keyboards take up the soloists role in place of the violins in that well-known and well-loved piece when.

Unlike the d minor concerto, the C major concerto, BWV 1061, seems likely to have been conceived at the outset for two harpsichords alone, meaning, the piece probably started out as a duet without any orchestral accompaniment at all. In comparison to BWV 1062, Bach's later addition of strings parts are in this case much more sparse. The way they outline form and cadences is much more structural than thematically intertwined.

At the center of this disc is Masato Suzuki's own arrangement of Bach's first Orchestral Suite. There seems to be a precedent for this, or at least a justification as Bach arranged many of his own works at various times for various instruments. So, while there's no evidence that Bach himself ever made a two harpsichord arrangement of this orchestral suite in particular, the concept doesn't seem too far-fetched. Masato isn't the first to try his hand at this, and in a middle of a program of Italinate concertos, a French inspired dance suite is refreshing for the ears.

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