Concerto for Two Violins - Orchestre Métropolitain

Johann Sebastian BACH

1685-1750

In 1717, Johann Sebastian Bach was appointed Kapellmeister (music director) to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen. The six years he spent in the prince’s service proved to be among the most artistically fruitful of his career. Since the court followed the Calvinist tradition, Bach was not required to compose religious music and instead focused on instrumental works. An admirer of Italian music, Prince Leopold was an accomplished violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord player, and he maintained an orchestra in which he regularly played. Many of Bach’s most significant instrumental works date from this Köthen period, including the Brandenburg Concertos, the Orchestral Suites, the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, the Cello Suites, the first volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier, and the Concerto for Two Violins, BWV 1043, featured in this concert.

The influence of Italian composers is evident—not only Corelli but also Vivaldi, whose music Bach greatly admired, as evidenced by his numerous transcriptions of Vivaldi’s violin concertos for organ and harpsichord. The opening Vivace is structured like a concerto grosso movement. In the solo sections, the two violins engage in a balanced contrapuntal dialogue, reminiscent of a fugue but without overt virtuosity. At the heart of the piece, the Largo’s expressive and spiritual quality is reminiscent of certain cantata duets. With quiet restraint, the orchestra simply provides chordal backing to the two violins’ intense, prayer-like exchange. The finale, too, is rooted in counterpoint, with the two violins continuously engaging in canon and contrary motion. Twice, they switch roles, playing chords while the orchestra takes over thematic material.