Sophie Yates - Bach: Transcriptions of Concertos by Vivaldi & Marcello (2013)
EAC Rip | Flac (Image + cue + log) | 1 CD | Full Scans | 508 MB
Genre: Classical | Label: Chandos | Catalog Number: 796
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This recording brings together all the arrangements for
harpsichord by Bach of instrumental concertos by his
Italian contemporary Antonio Vivaldi, adding those of one
concerto each by the brothers Alessandro and Benedetto
Marcello. They are performed by Sophie Yates who has made a
series of solo CDs for Chandos, many of which have won
international awards. She has been described by Gramophone
exceptional poise'.
The concertos by Vivaldi are taken from three different
the set of twelve Concerti a cinque, Op. 7. These are all
works which Vivaldi composed early in his career, when he
was still making his reputation. For these concertos,
Vivaldi chose a Dutch publisher, which crucially allowed
the concertos to become available in Northern Europe. This
in turn helped to increase the popularity of the concertos,
of the eighteenth century'.
So why did Bach choose to tackle the difficult problem of
conveying the quintessential Venetian violin sound on a
keyboard instrument? One explanation could be that Bach
transcribed these concertos for his own education, later
adopting the new ideas in works such as the Concerto in the
Italian Style for harpsichord. Or perhaps Bach simply
enjoyed these works so much that he wanted to experiment
with them. Yet another explanation is provided by the
have to seek the purpose of these arrangements in practical
music-making and be able to accept that within a short time
the new concerto of the Italians became such a favourite
that players wanted to be able to play the particularly
popular concertos with their own two hands on clavichord or
refreshment of music-lovers".'
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Performer: Sophie Yates
Reviews: Around 1714 Johann Sebastian Bach suddenly and
apparently without provocation transcribed and adapted a
number of Italian instrumental concertos, mainly by Antonio
Vivaldi, for the keyboard. Why he did so is subject to some
speculation, though it is often suggested that he had
become aware of the publication a couple of years earlier
through the efforts of his patron, Prince Johann Ernst of
Saxe-Weimar. While it is true that his main duties in
Weimar at the time were mainly as an organist, he also
provided a host of other musical services, including
secular concerts, for which these transcriptions were
probably most adaptable. Moreover, they offered him the
opportunity to absorb thoroughly the popular Italian style.
Clearly, a simple transcription would not suffice for the
sort of work that Bach envisioned, and moreover there are
inevitable difficulties in arranging the various orchestral
ritornellos, though of course the unison openings offered
an immediate solution. His arrangements often transpose the
works to fit the keyboard compass better. Nowhere is this
better demonstrated than in the version of Alessandro
D Minor, or in the C-Minor Concerto by his brother
Benedetto, which was originally in E Minor. The result is
to bring the works into a more intimate and manageable
focus, even though they do not lose their often virtuoso
lines. The result is somewhat of a tour de force that has
intrigued keyboardists (mainly harpsichordists) for a long
time. Moreover, the art of the transcription reaches pretty
much its apex here, for one cannot deny that Bach has
essentially turned these concertos into brand-new works, in
essence deconstructing and recomposing already well-known
and acknowledged significant pieces, thus giving them an
alternative life.
The complexities of these transcriptions have induced a
number of extremely fine recordings, such as the 2009
rendition by Olivier Baumont on Apex, the same year as
around the same time as Huguette Dreyfus released hers on
Denon, just to name a few. One might wonder whether the
market would support yet another rendition, but
harpsichordist Sophie Yates certainly provides excellent
competition. Her style tends to be quite robust, but on
occasion, such as the slow movement of the G-Minor
Concerto, the upper line seems to float almost magically
above the steady marching bass, lending the whole a song-
like beauty. In the fast movements, such as the brilliant
opening of the F-Major Concerto, she performs with a power
and precision that reinforces the force of the original
ritornellos, contrasting some of the phrases by changing
registration and keyboards (the works being done on a dual
manual instrument). If I am not entirely prepared to favor
this recording over others, I am certainly willing to place
it on an equal level of performance. I find her
interpretations both interesting and sensitive, and her
playing is, to my ears, faultless. In short, this is a
recording that is excellent and would be a fine addition,
whether one collects all of the myriad renditions of these
transcriptions or whether one is looking for an example of
works of his contemporaries. Highly recommended.
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Tracklisting:
Johann Sebastian Bach
Transcriptions for solo harpsichord of Concerti by Vivaldi and the Marcello brothers
[1]-[3] Concerto in D major, BWV 972
by Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741)
[4]-[6] Concerto in G major, BWV 973
after Concerto a cinque stromenti, Op. 7 No. 8, RV 299 (Amsterdam, 1720)
by Antonio Vivaldi
[7]-[9] Concerto in D minor, BWV 974
after Oboe Concerto, from Concerti a cinque (Amsterdam, c. 1717),
by Alessandro Marcello (1669 - 1747)
[10]-[12] Concerto in G minor, BWV 975
after Concerto, La stravaganza, Op. 4 No. 6, RV 316 (Amsterdam, 1716),
by Antonio Vivaldi
[13]-[15] Concerto in C major, BWV 976
by Antonio Vivaldi
[16]-[18] Concerto in F major, BWV 978
by Antonio Vivaldi
[19]-[21] Concerto in G major, BWV 980
after Concerto, La stravaganza, Op. 4 No. 1, RV 381 (Amsterdam, 1716),
by Antonio Vivaldi
[22]-[25] Concerto in C minor, BWV 981
after Concerto a cinque, Op. 1 No. 2 (Venice, 1708)
by Benedetto Giacomo Marcello (1686 - 1739)
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