Vivaldi influence

Prince Johann Ernst was probably the one who introduced Bach to a set of works that would greatly influence him, and in consequence, influenced the course of Western music.

Prince Johann was the nephew of Bach´s employer back in Weimar. He was a talented musician and pupil of Bach, and during 1711 and 1713, he studied in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Upon his return to Weimar, Prince Johann took a great deal of music with him, including a work that had just been published in Amsterdam: L´estro Armonico, by Antonio Vivaldi.

These were a set of revolutionary concertos in which according to Bach, a new way of musical thinking was established.

Bach transcribed several of these concertos for different instruments, a practice that was not at all seen as plagiarism but as a way to honor another composer, in this case Vivaldi.

One of my favorite among these concertos is the Concerto in A minor for organ, which in Vivaldi´s original is for two violins and orchestra.

I´ve made an adaptation of this concerto for bandoneon, and you can see the performance by clicking here.

Enjoy, and have a great day,

Claudio.