Critically-acclaimed Russian-born American pianist Julia Zilberquit presents an album of all seven of Bach’s own solo keyboard concertos, as well as two Bach-Vivaldi “transcription-arrangements.” In these pieces, Zilberquit has taken two works composed by Antonio Vivaldi: the Concerto Grosso in D Minor RV 565 and the Concerto Grosso in A Minor RV 522, which Bach later transcribed for solo organ, and she has arranged them for keyboard and string orchestra. The resulting works carefully balance the original spirit of Vivaldi’s scores with Bach’s brilliant adaptations, while also bringing in Zilberquit’s own unique perspective.
This practice of re-arranging is entirely in the spirit of the Baroque era, where composers freely adapted and quoted their own works and those of others, bringing new life and sound worlds to existing pieces. Zilberquit’s motivation in this case was the fact that while Vivaldi wrote over 450 concertos for a number of instruments, he did not write a single one for keyboard and orchestra.
Bach’s seven keyboard concertos have long remained luminous staples of the genre, from the perennial favorite Concerto in D Minor BWV 1052, the sparkling Concerto in F Major BWV 1057, and the darker-hued Concerto in F Minor BWV 1056, with its hushed, haunting slow movement.
This practice of re-arranging is entirely in the spirit of the Baroque era, where composers freely adapted and quoted their own works and those of others, bringing new life and sound worlds to existing pieces. Zilberquit’s motivation in this case was the fact that while Vivaldi wrote over 450 concertos for a number of instruments, he did not write a single one for keyboard and orchestra.
Bach’s seven keyboard concertos have long remained luminous staples of the genre, from the perennial favorite Concerto in D Minor BWV 1052, the sparkling Concerto in F Major BWV 1057, and the darker-hued Concerto in F Minor BWV 1056, with its hushed, haunting slow movement.
