Johann Sebastian Bach - booksnow.scholarsportal.info

150 JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH.into the chief choruses of several chorale cantatas. Butabove all he wished, from the first, to turn it to accountfor solo music for the organ"an3~clavier. We found thatun3^r the name of Toccata he had written, even in thefirst period of his full maturity, pieces for the organ andclavier'~wRrchi exhibit tlie concerto form in perfection;there is a clavier composition of the very earliest period,with the title of Concerto,-^^ and the arrangement of Vivaldi'sconcertos ought to count as free compositions for the clavier.Sübsequenth', when he wrote real concertos, he clung moreor less to the idea that the prominent part in the workmust always be a single instrument. We have already seenhoWjTri the case of the clavier concertos with accompaniment,the clavier gradually gained prominence, while the tuttisank down into a mere accompaniment and the^string bassto a dasso continuo. This method is carried furthest in theconcerto in the " Ciavierübung." While it is a masterlycomposition for the harpsichord, it is, at the same time, avivid reflex of a form which was really invented for the violinand a band of instruments in contrast with \M{ The influenceof the violin is most easily perceived in the Andante. Thisinfluence is what is meant by the words " in the Italiantaste," as also by the phrase " Alia maniera Italiana,'' usedby Bach to describe his earlier clavier variations, in which heapproached the style of treatment most characteristic of theviolin.^^" He. was not the only composer of his time to writea concerto for only one instrument ; others had made variousattempts, for the clavier and for the lute. But they werenothing more than attempts, for only a genius of thefirst rank could succeed, and there was but one Germanmusician capable of uniting two opposing styles with suchharmonious results. This was felt even by Scheibe, whowas by no means an unreserved admirer of Bach. Butevery one was obliged at once to allow this clavier concerto^' See Vol. I., p. 417. A Concerto in G major, for clavier alone, whichbears Sebastian Bachs name in Zelter's handwriting, has lately come to lightin an old MS. in Grasnick's bequest. I cannot, however, accept this dry, stiffcomposition for Bach's.26" See Vol. I., p. 431.