Concerto for Two Violins (Bach)
BWV 1043 by Johann Sebastian Bach
The Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043, also known as the Double Violin Concerto, is a violin concerto of the Late Baroque era, which Johann Sebastian Bach composed around 1730. It is one of the composer's most successful works.
History
Bach composed his Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043, around 1730, as part of a concert series he ran as the Director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig. The concerto was later arranged as a concerto for two harpsichords by Bach himself as BWV 1062.
Structure
The concerto is characterized by a subtle yet expressive relationship between the violins throughout the work. In addition to the two soloists, the concerto is scored for strings (first violin, second violin and viola parts), the solo violin and basso continuo. The musical structure of this piece uses fugal imitation and much counterpoint.
The concerto comprises three movements:
Performance time of the concerto ranges from less than 13 minutes to over 18 minutes.
Reception
Around 1736–1737 Bach arranged the concerto for two harpsichords, transposed into C minor, BWV 1062.
1734–1738 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach performed the concerto in Frankfurt an der Oder.
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