Johann Sebastian Bach “Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major”, BWV 1042

Conducted by Music Director, Peter Stafford Wilson
Siwoo Kim, Violin

We don’t know exactly when Johannes Sebastian Bach composed his Concerto for Violin in E Major, but it’s thought to have originated when he served as Kapellmeister in the court of Prince Leopold in Anhalt-Köthen from 1717 to 1723.  Because the court was Calvinist and used little music in church services, Bach didn’t need to perform as an organist or compose liturgical compositions, so he had free time to write secular works.  A large portion of his instrumental music stems from this period.  

The E Major violin concerto follows the three-movement Italian model: there are two fast movements with a slow movement in the middle. It features elements from the Italian concerto style, with interplay between soloist and orchestra, but Bach also freely integrated his own approach within this format. For instance, a baroque concerto by Vivaldi might see the soloist go off on musical tangents, whereas Bach’s style can be described as a steady thematic progression where the soloist stays mostly within the orchestra’s texture, weaving the solo line in and out.

We hope you enjoy the Bach, and thank you for your ongoing support of the Westerville Symphony.

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2021 Spring String Series
Conducted by Peter Stafford Wilson