Music #331 - Bach - Orch Suites

Johann Sebastian Bach 

(1685 - 1750) 

         

Orchestral Suites (BWV 1066-1069)

Bach has composed 4 Orchestral Suites

Orchestral Suite No. 2 
- Mvt. 7 is this "Badinerie" - a brief and lively dance

The badinerie has become a show-piece for solo flutists, 
due to its quick pace and difficulty.

Orchestral Suite No. 3 
- Mvt. 2 is this beautiful "Air". 

One violinist re-arranged it for violin and piano, and transposed the composition to C major, so that it can be played entirely on G string of the violin.  Later, Russian performer Mischa Elman called it "Air on the G String".
[Reminder: a violin has 4 strings: G, D, A and E.]

Brandenburg Concertos  

Bach composed 6 Brandenburg Concertos for the margrave of Brandenberg-Schwedt. 

* No. 2 in F major   
        Note specially Mvt.3 - Allegro assai

* No. 3 in G major

* No. 4 in G major

* No. 5 in D major

Italian Concerto  

- three-movement concerto for two-manual harpsichord solo

- BWV 971

* Mvt.2   * Mvt.3