Bach: Harpsichord Concerto No. 4, A Major, BWV 1055

Bach's harpsichord concertos have proven extremely popular, though several were originally written as concertos for another solo instrument – either violin or a woodwind instrument. But we know nothing about any such preliminary versions in the case of the A-major Concerto BWV 1055. Its enchantingly songlike middle movement inevitably makes one think of the oboe d�amore, though there is in fact no reason to suppose that its idiomatic, spirited harpsichord writing was conceived from the outset for anything but a keyboard instrument. Ultimately, this music is so fresh and irresistible that all such speculation is irrelevant. For this Henle Urtext edition of the A-major Concerto, we consulted the autograph score and especially the original orchestral parts that presumably contain the musical text of the concerto as Bach himself performed it. You can�t get more authentic than this! The piano reduction contains the solo part with carefully chosen fingerings by Michael Schneidt, plus a piano accompaniment that Johannes Umbreit has arranged so as to be practical and easily playable.