Italian Concerto BWV 971

During the years 1713/14, when he held the position of court organist in Weimar, Bach arranged a large number of concertos by contemporary composers for keyboard or organ solo. More than 20 years later, in 1735, he published his Concerto in the Italian Style: a truly original work that can confidently be described as his “summa summarum,” the climax of this genre.

The autograph is no longer extant, which means that for Henle’s Urtext edition, the first print – corrected by Bach – served as the main source. The forte and piano markings found in the work signalize the alternation between imaginary tutti and solo sections.