Sax Octets

Organ Concerto No 2, BWV 593 (1st mvt)

Johann Sebastian Bach, arr. Peter Guthrie

Composed:
c. 1713 Arranged:
1996 Grouping:
SSAATTBb Duration:
04:00

The collection of concertos titled "L'estro armonico" (roughly translated "The Harmonic Innovation") was the first collection that Vivaldi published, and contains an eclectic mix of concertos with both Venetian and Roman influences. The set was immensely popular, and it was probably this that led J.S.Bach to arrange some of them for keyboard a few years later. Vivaldi's 8th concerto is for two solo violins accompanied by strings.

Bach arranged several of Vivaldi's violin concertos for keyboard for the son (Johann) of his employer (Duke Wilhelm Ernst). He arranged at least 16 for harpsichord and 5 for organ, of which this was the second.

This arrangement is based on the Bach organ score, but the sound of the sax octet brings it closer to the original string arrangement than Bach's organ version.

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