Review

Johann Sebastian Bach
Largo: from Concerto for Two Violins, BWV 1043

Arranged by Ralph Sauer

Two tenor trombones and piano

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2019
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Chamber Music
Secondary Genre: Trombone Ensembles - 2 trombones

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, BWV 1043 is one of his most endearing and enduring instrumental compositions. Long considered to have been written during the six years Bach served the prince in Anhalt-Cöthen (1711-1723), some scholars now believe the concerto may have been written in Leipzig during the 1730s. Bach would often meet with musical friends at a coffee house across the street from his office at the Thomaskirche. We know that he wrote his orchestral suites for this assemblage and perhaps this concerto also.

The concerto itself follows the Italian model of three movements, fast-slow-fast. Ralph Sauer has transcribed the famous middle movement. This movement, Largo, ma non tanto, broadly but not too much, is a flowing, lyrical movement in 12/8 meter. The trombone lines interweave with expansive Baroque melodies, answering and echoing one another and slowly building in intensity.

In this edition, Sauer retains the original key and with a few exceptions transposes the trombone parts down an octave from the original. The trombone parts also have minor edits to allow for breaths. Sauer includes a few articulation suggestions and helpful recommendations for note groupings and phrasing. These markings reflect the practices of violinists performing the work. The parts use a mixture of bass and tenor clefs. Trombone one has an especially high tessitura, rising to d2 with relative frequency.

This edition is suitable for advanced trombone players. Both players will need strong upper registers and the endurance necessary to play sustained melodies for over seven minutes with little opportunity to rest. Those accepting the challenge will have the privilege of sharing with their audience a transcendent, deeply moving masterpiece.