Four Centuries of Great Music March 23, 2025 Celebration of the 340th Anniversary of the Birth of Johann Sebastian Bach

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music I am celebrating the 340th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach, which was two days ago on March 21st, with a full episode of the music of Bach.  

We are opening with what many consider to be an “inauthentic” flute sonata by Bach.  His Sonata in G minor, BWV 1020 (composed circa 1734). The manuscripts in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin only record the author’s last name (Bach), and Breitkopf’s 1763 catalog as well as an 18th century copy found in Brahms’s papers naming the composer as CPE Bach. Perhaps Bach wasn’t the only composer; perhaps he made corrections and guidance to CPE’s efforts. There are many stylistic nods to the next generation: continuous rhythmic basses, courtly sentimentality, and melodies based on triads and short phrases.  These make it hard to say definitively that this is an authentic Johann Sebastian Bach creation.

All this notwithstanding, this G minor sonata is a gem of the flute repertoire. And a member of the flute repertoire it definitely is, though surviving copies name it as a violin work. It is rather obviously composed for the flute — there are no double-stops.  This work is a “trio sonata” for only two instruments, with the three-part texture split between the flute and the right and left hands of the keyboard.

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Sonata in G minor, BWV 1020 – I. Allegro    
Johann Sebastian Bach:  Sonata in G minor, BWV 1020 – II. Adagio    
Johann Sebastian Bach:  Sonata in G minor, BWV 1020 – III. Allegro
Cleo Leung, flute; Serene Yu, piano
BACHannalia: A Celebration of 340 Years of Music
Navona Records
Released a couple of days ago on Friday, March 21st

Next on today’s BACHannalia celebrating the 340th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach is Violin Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052.  This is not truly a violin concerto as it is arranged from the Harpsichord Concerto, BWV 1052).  It is in three movements with the classic fast slow fast format

Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052: I.  
Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052: II.  
Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052: III.  
Thomas Zehetmair, violin with the Amsterdam Bach Soloists conducted by Henk Rubingh from the album J.S. Bach: Complete Edition, Vol. 1/10 released back in 2008 on Brilliant Classics

Next is in a piano four-hands version of the chorale prelude “Das alte Jahr vergangen ist”, BWV 614, created by Hungarian composer György Kurtág, This is a performance by pianist Víkingur Ólafsson (who was the most streamed Bach pianist in 2023) and his wife pianist Halla Oddný Magnúsdottir, from an EP released last fall entitled “CONTINUUM” on Deutsche Grammophon

Johann Sebastian Bach: Das alte Jahr vergangen ist, BWV 614, (arranged by György Kurtág)
Víkingur Ólafsson and Halla Oddný Magnúsdottir, pianists
CONTINUUM
Deutsche Grammophon

To close out this first hour of Four Centuries of Great Music on which I am celebrating the 340th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach, which was two days ago on March 21st, I am playing the Chaconne from Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor BWV 1004

This is a performance by Alexi Kenney who was on last week’s Evening Eclectic with other members of the ensemble the Owls.  This is a special piece to be on this album and as part of this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music because in the words of Alexi “This album is dedicated to the memory of my childhood teacher Jenny Rudin, whom I think of every time I play the Bach Chaconne, her favorite piece.”

Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor BWV 1004: V.  Chaconne
Alexi Kenney, violin
Shifting Ground
Bright Shiny Things

Lets open this second hour of today’s Four Centuries of Great Music on which I am celebrating the 340th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach, which was two days ago on March 21st, with music from a very interesting album:
Bach to Black: Suites for Piano with pianist Rochelle Sennet.  This album combines keyboard suites by Johann Sebastian Bach with piano suites by composers of African descent including:  Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Nathaniel Dett, Frederick C. Tillis, Leslie Adams, and Jeffrey Mumford.  The Johann Sebastian Bach piece that we will be listening to from this album is his English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810

Johann Sebastian Bach:  English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810 – I.  Prélude [5:11]
Johann Sebastian Bach:  English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810 – II.   Allemande [3:50]
Johann Sebastian Bach:  English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810 – III.  Courante [2:12]
Johann Sebastian Bach:  English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810 – IV.  Sarabande [3:21]
Johann Sebastian Bach:  English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810 – V.  Passepied I en Rondeau and Passepied II [3:30]
Johann Sebastian Bach:  English Suite No. 5 in E Minor, BWV 810 – VI.  Gigue

Rochelle Sennet, piano
Bach to Black: Suites for Piano
Albany Records

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music I am celebrating the 340th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach, which was two days ago on March 21st, with a full episode of the music of Bach.  I will continue with

Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord in G Major, BWV 1027: I. Adagio
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord in G Major, BWV 1027: II. Allegro ma non tanto
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord in G Major, BWV 1027: III. Andante
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord in G Major, BWV 1027: IV. Allegro moderato

Patxi Montero, viola da gamba & Daniele Boccaccio, harpsichord
J.S. Bach: Complete Edition, Vol. 1/10     Brilliant Classics

I will close Today’s Four Centuries of Great Music celebrating the 340th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach, which was two days ago on March 21st, with his Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052

Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052  – I. Allegro 7:25
Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052  – II. Adagio 5:33
Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052  – III. Allegro 7:10
James Ehnes, violin
CANADA’S NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA