In this episode, we will look at:
The genesis of the Brandenburg concerti,
What Bach’s job was like when these compositions came about,
Who his employer was then,
How much music Bach was composing at that time,
Why a Baroque composer writes anything at all,
The difference between a modern composer and one in the Baroque.
Then finally, we will disprove another famous Bach myth:
‘Bach composed the last of the Brandenburg concerti to get fired’
**PS: Any of my listeners want to start correcting some of the Wikipedia pages with Bach BS (Bad Scholarship) and start linking the sources to these episodes? Free merchandise if interested. Write me (email below)
—
We Rely On Listener Support! How to Donate to this Podcast:
The best way to support this podcast, is to become a paid subscriber at wtfbach.substack.com
Enough paid subscribers = exclusive content, monthly merchandise giveaways!
You can also make a one-time donation here:
Thank you for listening! Thank you for your support.
Reach us at Bach (at) WTFBach (dot com)
Concepts Covered:
In this episode, we explore the history of the Brandenburg concertos, their genesis and the context in which Bach composed these famous works. We examine what Bach’s job was during their composition, the role of his employer, his performance permissions, and how this influenced the compositions. We discuss how frequently a Baroque composer might compose such elaborate works in contrast to the practices of modern composers. Finally, we debunk the popular myth that Bach composed the last Brandenburg concerto to get fired, the Concerto in B-flat, BWV 1051.
Share this post