# Bach transcription recordings



## bz3 (Oct 15, 2015)

Not transcriptions by Bach, but rather by others. If you have any particular favorites I'd like to hear them here - I have the Art of Fugue for various ensembles and enjoy them all but I want to enjoy more Bach on various instruments.

However I do have a specific request regarding BWV 1052 transcriptions. Wikipedia tells me BWV 1052 (the first of the harpsichord concertos) is perhaps thought to have originated as a lost violin concerto. The wikipedia entry ends with this: "Wollny qualifies the violin concerto reconstruction attempts as unconvincing." I wanted to decide for myself so I dug around on youtube and heard a couple renditions and I like it. 

So, any suggested recordings for this, other harpsichord concerto transcriptions, or any other works by Bach in general on other instruments?


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Demidenko plays Bach transcriptions by Busoni, two disks of this, both outstanding:

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Busoni-Transcriptions-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B000002ZQO/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1452921934&sr=1-2&keywords=bach+demidenko

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Piano-Transcriptions-No-2/dp/B00005Y0N7/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1452921934&sr=1-1&keywords=bach+demidenko'

And, for good measure, my favorite Art of Fugue by the Canadian Brass:

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fugue-Johann-Sebastian-Bach/dp/B00005NWNZ/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1452922083&sr=1-2&keywords=bach+art+of+fugue++brass


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

bz3 said:


> Not transcriptions by Bach, but rather by others. If you have any particular favorites I'd like to hear them here - I have the Art of Fugue for various ensembles and enjoy them all but I want to enjoy more Bach on various instruments.


I think you may enjoy Musical Offering, especially the orchestral arrangement of the big ricercar made by Webern. The recording of the whole thing made by Ensemble Sonnerie uses instruments colourfully, as does the reworking by Het Collectief.



bz3 said:


> However I do have a specific request regarding BWV 1052 transcriptions. Wikipedia tells me BWV 1052 (the first of the harpsichord concertos) is perhaps thought to have originated as a lost violin concerto. The wikipedia entry ends with this: "Wollny qualifies the violin concerto reconstruction attempts as unconvincing." I wanted to decide for myself so I dug around on youtube and heard a couple renditions and I like it.


I don't know the keyboard concertos very well, but when I saw this I thought you may enjoy the recording of them by by André Isoir, who uses an organ.



bz3 said:


> any other works by Bach in general on other instruments?


The essential one is Joel Spiegelman's transcription of the Goldberg Variations for Moog Synthesiser. Also the Emerson Quartet's recording of music based on Well Tempered Clavier.

Not quite what you intended maybe, but the recording that Anner Bylsma made with Bob van Asperen (organ) of the gamba sonatas is well worth checking out. There are similar things for the accompanied violin sonatas, but I don't feel confident enough to make a recommendation.

Lots of people have explored Bach's music on guitar, but I don't know that I really can recommend any of it. Names to investigate are Kazuhito Yamashita and Kurt Rodarmer.


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## PJaye (May 22, 2015)

I really enjoyed this one yesterday.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Mandryka said:


> I think you may enjoy Musical Offering, especially the orchestral arrangement of the big ricercar made by Webern. The recording of the whole thing made by Ensemble Sonnerie uses instruments colourfully, as does the reworking by Het Collectief.
> 
> I don't know the keyboard concertos very well, but when I saw this I thought you may enjoy the recording of them by by André Isoir, who uses an organ.
> 
> ...


John Williams' Bach on the guitar is marvellous IMO, some of the very best Bach playing on any instrument that I can remember, the counterpoint clear as a bell but making full use of the different colours available across the different strings..


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

Rather impressed by this chap






This chaps also very good


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I recently bought a 3 CD set by Fretwork playing Goldberg variations & Kunst der Fuge among other smaller pieces. I like it


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

KenOC said:


> Demidenko plays Bach transcriptions by Busoni, two disks of this, both outstanding:


seconded wholeheartedly! Santa brought me those because I had been so good in 2015


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