Bach's Orchestra Music

A List of Bach's Orchestral Compositions


      The (6) Brandenburg Concertos  (pre 1721)

              These six Concertos are called the Brandenburg Concertos because Bach presented them 

              to the Margrave of Brandenburg (brother of Prussian King Frederick I) in 1721.  They were 

              written between 1710 and 1720.

      The 4 Orchestral Suites  (Baroque suite movements are based on aristocratic or folk dances)

            Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068   (by 1721)
                 The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman, cond.


      The Keyboard Concertos

                Bach wrote 16 keyboard concertos.  They are the predecessors of the Classical era piano 
        concerto.  There are seven complete concertos for a single harpsichord (BWV 1052–1058), 

       three concertos for two harpsichords (BWV 1060–1062), two concertos for three harpsichords 

       (BWV 1063 and 1064), and one concerto for four harpsichords (BWV 1065).

             Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052  (1732)  Movements 1 & 2 (14:13)
                    András Schiff, piano, Berlin Philharmonic

                    Concerto in A minor for Four Harpsichords, BMV 1065

                      Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Mikhail Pletnev, James Levine, pianos

                      

     The Violin Concertos

           Concerto for Two Violins in F minor, BWV 1043  (1717 - 1723?)  (16 min)  Tel Aviv, 1997   (7:00)
                 Isaac Stern and Gil Shaham, violins
                 On occasion of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra 60th Anniversary