The Bachs & Vivaldi

The plural in the title "The Bachs & Vivaldi" is immediately striking and essential to the program's concept. Johann Sebastian and Carl Philipp Emanuel represent a father and son separated by an entire era, as the Late Baroque gave way to Early Classicism. Vivaldi appears here as a third voice—not part of the famous family, yet a full participant in this musical conversation.

The connection between these composers is tangible. Johann Sebastian personally transcribed and arranged Vivaldi’s concertos, while Carl Philipp Emanuel grew up in a household where Vivaldi’s music served as foundational study material. The Symphony Wq 182, featured in this program, was commissioned by Baron van Swieten with the explicit instruction to "be given full creative freedom, regardless of the performance difficulties."

The program also includes Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, one of the most unconventional in the cycle. It is the only one of the six written without violins; instead, two violas take the leading roles. According to one theory, Bach performed the viola part himself, while his employer in Köthen, Prince Leopold, played the viola da gamba—placing him in the basso continuo section. A concerto where the "lower" instrument steps into the spotlight is a quintessentially Bachian gesture.