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he Concerto for Two Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D minor, BWV 1043, also known as the Double Violin Concerto, is perhaps one of the most famous works by Johann Sebastian Bach and considered among the best examples of the work of the late Baroque period. Bach may have written it between 1717 and 1723 when he was the Kapellmeister at the court of Anhalt-Köthen, Germany, though the work's performance materials for the Ordinaire Concerten that Bach ran as the Director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig are dated c. 1730–31. Later in 1739, in Leipzig, he created an arrangement for two harpsichords, transposed into C minor, BWV 1062. In addition to the two soloists, the concerto is scored for strings and basso continuo. The concerto is characterized by the subtle yet expressive relationship between the violins throughout the work. The musical structure of this piece uses fugal imitation and much counterpoint... From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

While the Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041, is "generally thought to have been composed at Köthen in 1717–23", Christoph Wolff has argued that the work may have been written in Leipzig during Bach's time as director of the Collegium Musicum; John Butt also believes that Bach wrote it "probably soon after taking over the Leipzig Collegium Musicum in 1729". In any event, the only autograph source to survive are parts Bach copied out (along with other copyists) in Leipzig circa 1730 from a now lost score or draft... From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

The Violin Concerto in E major, BWV 1042, is a concerto for violin, strings, and continuo in three movements: Allegro (with ritornello), Adagio (with a ground bass) and Allegro assai (with an overall structure of a rondo). While there are two 18th-century scores, neither is autographed; however, Bach re-used the concerto as the model for his Harpsichord Concerto in D major, BWV 1054, found in his 1737–39 autographed manuscript of these works. The concerto is thought to have been written early in Bach's time in Weimar, when he was Konzertmeister at the Ducal Court... From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

L'estro armonico (the harmonic inspiration), Antonio Vivaldi's Op. 3, is a set of 12 concertos for stringed instruments, first published in Amsterdam in 1711. Vivaldi's Twelve Trio Sonatas, Op. 1, and Twelve Violin Sonatas, Op. 2, only contained sonatas, thus L'estro armonico was his first collection of concertos appearing in print. It was also the first time he chose a foreign publisher, Estienne Roger, instead of an Italian. Each concerto was printed in eight parts: four violins, two violas, cello and continuo. The continuo part was printed as a figured bass for violone and harpsichord. The concertos belong to the concerto a 7 format, that is: for each concerto there are seven independent parts. In each consecutive group of three concertos, the first is a concerto for four violins, the second for two violins, and the third a solo violin concerto. The cello gets solistic passages in several of the concertos for four and two violins, so that a few of the concertos conform to the traditional Roman concerto grosso format where a concertino of two violins and cello plays in contrast to a string orchestra. L'estro armonico pioneered orchestral unisono in concerto movements. Vivaldi composed a few concertos specifically for L'estro armonico, while other concertos of the set had been composed at an earlier date. Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot described the set as "perhaps the most influential collection of instrumental music to appear during the whole of the eighteenth century". L'estro armonico (the harmonic inspiration) was published as Antonio Vivaldi's Op. 3 in Amsterdam in 1711. Vivaldi's Op. 1 and Op. 2 had only contained sonatas, thus L'estro armonico was his first collection of concertos appearing in print. It was also the first time Vivaldi chose a foreign publisher, Estienne Roger, instead of an Italian. Vivaldi composed a few concertos specifically for L'estro armonico, while other concertos of the set had been composed at an earlier date... From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

This concert took place in the church of the Maulbronn monastery in Germany. Built in the 12th century, the Maulbronn monastery with its Romanesque-Gothic basilica is considered as the most complete preserved medieval monastery north of the Alps. The monastery has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. It's one of 60 historic monuments in the Germany's Southwest. The "State Organisation for Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg" (in German: "Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg") makes accessible, communicate, develops and preserves these state-owned historic monuments with the aim of preserving the authenticity of the cultural heritage, filling them with life and preserving them for future generations. Detailed information about these unique "Soundscapes" can be found at: www.schloesser-und-gaerten.de