# A Playlist of JS Bach Firsts



## itywltmt

Since most of you aren't aware, today is my *fiftieth *birthday, and in a few days, I will be off for a week of field work at _White Sands Missile Range_ in New Mexico. But enough about me - it's about the music, and my obsession with the number one.

En français: http://itywltmt.blogspot.com/2011/10/un-programme-de-premieres-signees-js.html

This week's playlist features a set of works by *Johann Sebastian Bach* that have in common the number one. I guess it is true of most composers that the number one has to do with "order of publication" - but for Bach, we rely on the order in which they are listed in the _Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis_ (BWV) catalogue, and is thus based on *Wolfgang Schmieder*'s order and not necessarily order of publication.

I have chosen a keyboard concerto as performed by *Glenn Gould* for French CBC television on October 22nd, 1957. According to the CBC archives, he is accompanied by _l'Orchestre de Radio-Canada_, though the SONY caption claims it is the _Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra_. The number one here is arbitrary - it is simply the first keyboard concerto in the BWV catalog.

*Yo-Yo Ma* plays the _first _Bach Cello Suite, the *Freiburger Barockorchester* plays the _First _Brandenburg Concerto, and *Jörg Demus* plays the _first _prelude and fugue from the _first_ book of the _Well-Tempered Clavier_. The prelude was later set by *Charles Gounod* for the _Ave Maria_ that is attributed to both composers.

(There are several versions of the complete WTC Book I on the internet, some can be found at the _Piano Society_ webpage.)

Happy listening!

*PLAYLIST DETAILS​*
Works by *Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)*

Keyboard Concerto *No. 1* in D minor BWV 1952
Glenn Gould, piano
Orchestre de Radio-Canada conducted by Thomas Meyer

Suite *No. 1* in G Major for solo cello, BWV 1007
Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Brandenburg Concerto *No. 1* in F Major , BWV 1046
Freiburger Barockorchester, led by Gottfried von der Goltz

Prelude and Fugue *No. 1* in C Major, BWV 846
(from Das Wohltemperierte Clavier *Book I*)
Jörg Demus, piano

_Ave Maria_
(After the Prelude from BWV 846, adapted by Charles Gounod)
Eula Beal, Contralto and Marguerite Campbell, piano

Your YouTube playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFE55BA7F37D3F06D

*October 14 2011, "I Think You Will Love This Music Too" will be adding a new montage "Mozart 'Number One' Montage" to its Pod-O-Matic Podcast. Read our English and French commentary October 14th on the ITYWLTMT Blogspot blog.*


----------



## ooopera

Happy birthday!


----------

