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Bach's Orchestral Suites

Hannah French explores Bach's Four Orchestral Suites, which although never published or seen as a collection in the composer's lifetime, contain some of his most enduring music.

Hannah French looks in depth at JS Bach's four orchestral suites, which play something of a Cinderella role to the Brandenburg Concertos. Though they are some of Bach's most festive works, they remain an incomplete set, never published, or even considered a collection in his lifetime. Basically, they are suites of dance-pieces in French Baroque style preceded by an ouverture. This genre was extremely popular in Germany during Bach's day, and he showed far less interest in it than was usual. Telemann left us with 135 examples, Graupner 85 and Fasch a neat 100, so why did such a prolific and accomplished composer as Bach shun the genre? Hannah delves into some of the many recordings of the pieces to find out.

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14 minutes

Last on

Sun 18 Aug 2019 14:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No. 2 In B Minor Bwv.1067 - Overture

    Ensemble: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Richard Egarr.
    • AAM Records AAM 003.
    • 8.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No. 2 In B Minor BWV.1067 - Polonaise

    Ensemble: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Richard Egarr.
    • AAM Records AAM 003.
    • AAM Records.
    • 12.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No. 2 In B Minor BWV.1067 - Minuet & Badinerie

    Ensemble: Sonnerie. Director: Monica Huggett.
    • AVIE : AV-2171.
    • AVIE.
    • 13.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No. 1 In C Major BWV.1066 - Overture

    Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI : HMC 902113.14.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 1.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No. 1 In C Major BWV.1066 - Forlane

    Ensemble: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra Consort.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI : HMC 902113.14.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 4.

  • Jascha Heifetz

    Air On a G String (excerpt)

    • CEMBAL D'AMOUR : CD 120.
    • CEMBAL D'AMOUR.
    • 3.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D Major BWV.1068 - Air

    Ensemble: Il Giardino Armonico. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.
    • WARNER CLASSICS : 2564642238.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.
    • 2.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No. 4 In D Major BWV.1069 - Overture (excerpt)

    Orchestra: Adolf Busch Players. Conductor: Adolf Busch.
    • WARNER CLASSICS : 2564601931.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.
    • 13.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Cantata No. 110 BWV.110 Unser Mund Sei Voll Lachens (excerpt)

    Choir: Monteverdi Choir. Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • SOLI DEO GLORIA : SDG-113.
    • SOLI DEO GLORIA.
    • 21.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No. 4 In D Major BWV.1069 - Overture (excerpt)

    Orchestra: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Director: Ton Koopman.
    • DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI : RC-2-7864.
    • DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 8.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D Major BWV.1068 - Gigue

    Orchestra: Academy of Ancient Music. Director: Richard Egarr.
    • AAM Records AAM 003.
    • AAM Records.
    • 5.

  • Kenneth Leighton

    Lift up your heads, O ye gates

    Performer: James Orford. Choir: St Mary's Cathedral Choir, Edinburgh. Conductor: Joseph Beech.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 29 Jan 2017 14:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
  • Sun 18 Aug 2019 14:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3

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