Bach – Concerto No. 1 in D minor (for piano), BMV 1052
by Max Derrickson
Johann Sebastian Bach (b Eisenach, 21 March 1685; d Leipzig, 28 July 1750)
Concerto No. 1 in D minor (for piano), BMV 1052
I Allegro
II Adagio
III Allegro
This concerto is another extraordinary work by Bach reworked in 1738 for the Collegium musicum ofLeipzig, its origins unknown but presumed to have originally been intended for violin. The “concerto” form as used by Bach grew out of the Baroque Italian “concerto grosso” which was perfected by Vivaldi (the Four Seasons). As in most of these concerti, the outer movements are in ritornello form, where the opening statement (the ritornello) returns in various keys and guises throughout the movement. Within both the first and last movements, [ . . .]