# Bach Chamber Music



## flamencosketches

This is something that I think my library is lacking in: recordings of works by J.S. Bach for small ensembles, 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 instruments. Of course, Bach composed during the Baroque era, and perhaps what we now know as "chamber music" was not quite yet codified, so I'll allow some wiggle room in what we consider to fall under that banner. 

Can anyone recommend anything good? I've heard his flute and harpsichord sonatas are supposed to be quite good. Anything else?


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## Littlephrase

The Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord are _fantastic_. Here's a sample: 





His sonatas for Viola da gamba (often replaced with the cello) and Harpsichord are also stellar.


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## elgar's ghost

...and that is pretty much it, isn't it?


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## Mandryka

flamencosketches said:


> This is something that I think my library is lacking in: recordings of works by J.S. Bach for small ensembles, 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 instruments. Of course, Bach composed during the Baroque era, and perhaps what we now know as "chamber music" was not quite yet codified, so I'll allow some wiggle room in what we consider to fall under that banner.
> 
> Can anyone recommend anything good? I've heard his flute and harpsichord sonatas are supposed to be quite good. Anything else?


In my opinion his sonatas for violin and keyboard are a real high point. He wrote a very late and very great work called « A Musical Offering » which is best played as chamber music too, I love it. The sonatas for viola da gamba and keyboard are also a wonderful, very diverse, set.

The six Trio Sonatas are often played as chamber music rather than organ, it's lovely uplifting music.

Some other pieces have been transcribed for chamber ensemble - you'll find that people have explored putting The Goldberg Variations and Art of Fugue in little chamber settings, for example. And there's a setting of the Gamba sonatas for trio with continuo and flute. Mozart in fact set some of Bach's fugues for string quartet.

Warning. You will also see some pieces which are sometimes attributed to Bach, but the attribution is disputed, viz.

1. Sonata for Violin and Basso continuo, BWV Anh. II 153 [probably either by Johann Nicolaus Mey or by Telemann; fairly certainly not by Bach]

2. Sonata for Violin and Basso continuo BWV 1023 [probably by Bach, but its authenticity has never been proved beyond doubt]

3. Sonata for Violin and Basso continuo BWV 1024 [possibly by Pisendel, although some would give this to Bach himself]

4. Suite for Violin and Obligato Harpsichord BWV 1025 [originally for lute by Silvius Leopold Weiss, Bach added a third voice]


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## KenOC

An all-time fave: Bach's sonatas for viola de gamba and harpsichord. Played here on modern instruments by Glenn Gould and Leonard Rose. Wonderful!


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## flamencosketches

Mandryka said:


> In my opinion his sonatas for violin and keyboard are a real high point. He wrote a very late and very great work called « A Musical Offering » which is best played as chamber music too, I love it. The sonatas for viola da gamba and keyboard are also a wonderful, very diverse, set.
> 
> The six Trio Sonatas are often played as chamber music rather than organ, it's lovely uplifting music.
> 
> Some other pieces have been transcribed for chamber ensemble - you'll find that people have explored putting The Goldberg Variations and Art of Fugue in little chamber settings, for example. And there's a setting of the Gamba sonatas for trio with continuo and flute. Mozart in fact set some of Bach's fugues for string quartet.
> 
> Warning. You will also see some pieces which are sometimes attributed to Bach, but the attribution is disputed, viz.
> 
> 1. Sonata for Violin and Basso continuo, BWV Anh. II 153 [probably either by Johann Nicolaus Mey or by Telemann; fairly certainly not by Bach]
> 
> 2. Sonata for Violin and Basso continuo BWV 1023 [probably by Bach, but its authenticity has never been proved beyond doubt]
> 
> 3. Sonata for Violin and Basso continuo BWV 1024 [possibly by Pisendel, although some would give this to Bach himself]
> 
> 4. Suite for Violin and Obligato Harpsichord BWV 1025 [originally for lute by Silvius Leopold Weiss, Bach added a third voice]


Right, I'd forgotten about the Musikalische Opfer. Truly an excellent work.

I was surprised when I found out that the so-called trio sonatas were actually written for solo organ. Isn't a trio sonata by definition a chamber piece for a trio + continuo?

I will certainly be checking out the violin and gamba sonatas. Thanks everyone.


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## jegreenwood

elgars ghost said:


> ...and that is pretty much it, isn't it?


What about the flute sonatas?


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## Mandryka

flamencosketches said:


> .
> 
> I was surprised when I found out that the so-called trio sonatas were actually written for solo organ. Isn't a trio sonata by definition a chamber piece for a trio + continuo?
> 
> .


With Bach you've just to get used to the music being moved from one instrumentation to another, explore for example BWV 1027, 1027a and 1039. Some people think that the organ trio sonatas are transcriptions of now lost chamber music.


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## elgar's ghost

jegreenwood said:


> What about the flute sonatas?


Flamenco Sketches mentioned them in his OP.


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## jegreenwood

Mandryka said:


> With Bach you've just to get used to the music being moved from one instrumentation to another, explore for example BWV 1027, 1027a and 1039. Some people think that the organ trio sonatas are transcriptions of now lost chamber music.


I have a set with Holliger on oboe.


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## Ras

*I like Bach's chamber works with flute - these are my favorite recordings:

Released 2018: The Hantai brothers









A classic recording from Hyperion:*









*Ashley Solomon on Channel Classics is also good.*

*James Galway is good too - although it's a bit akward mixing a modern metal flute with period instruments:*


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## flamencosketches

Thanks, Ras. That Marc et Pierre Hantaï looks excellent. Going to look into that one.


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## Ras

flamencosketches said:


> Thanks, Ras. That Marc et Pierre Hantaï looks excellent. Going to look into that one.


That one is my favorite among favorites for the time being…

*If you want to get a box set with all of Bach's chamber music in one go (plus: Musical Offering, The Art of Fugue and the orchestral suites and Brandenburgs as a bonus) this is unbeatable:*

Front cover of *Musica Antiqua Köln's Archiv/DG recording:*









Rear side:


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## Mandryka

Ras said:


> *I like Bach's chamber works with flute - these are my favorite recordings:
> 
> Released 2018: The Hantai brothers
> 
> View attachment 122124
> 
> 
> A classic recording from Hyperion:*
> 
> View attachment 122125
> 
> 
> *Ashley Solomon on Channel Classics is also good.*
> 
> *James Galway is good too - although it's a bit akward mixing a modern metal flute with period instruments:*
> 
> View attachment 122128
> 
> 
> View attachment 122129


I had a listen this morning to BWV 1035, it almost sounds like it was written by CPE Bach to me!


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## jegreenwood

Strike the 'f.' What about the lute works? (Or lautenwerk, if you prefer.)

Right now, my favorite set on lute (of the several I've heard) is by Hopkinson Smith. In addition to the "official" works, he has performed transcription of all of the other cello suites and violin sonatas and partitas.

As for guitar transcriptions, I like Goran Sollscher and Petrit Ceku who performs transcriptions of the 6 cello suites.


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## Agamenon

Wow, that box set by ARCHIV is a must!


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