The Melancholic Bach: Music for Viola da braccio and Harpsichord Emilio Moreno & Aarón Zapico

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750):
• 1Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend (After BWV 665a)03:17
• 2Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier (After BWV 731)02:27
• 3Trio (After BWV 583)04:47
• 4O Mensch, bewein' dein Sünde groß (After BWV 622)03:33
• 5Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist (After BWV 631a)00:44
• Sonata in C Minor:
• 6Sonata in C Minor: I. Adagio-Vivace (After BWV 76)02:49
• 7Sonata in C Minor: II. Andante (After BWV 582/2)04:12
• 8Sonata in C Minor: III. Allegro (After 586)03:27
• Johann Sebastian Bach:
• 9Allmanda No. 2 for Solo Harpsichord (After BWV 965)04:12
• Sonata in F Major:
• 10Sonata in F Major: I. Allegro (After BWV 664)04:31
• 11Sonata in F Major: II. Adagio-Vivace (After BWV 614)01:49
• 12Sonata in F Major: III. Allegro (After BWV 676)04:14
• Johann Sebastian Bach:
• 13Très vivement for Solo Viola (After BWV 572)02:11
• 14Exercitium for Solo Viola (After BWV 598)03:01
• 15Helft mir Gott’s Güte preisen (After BWV 613)01:56
• 16Ich ruf zu dir (After BWV 639)01:20
• 17Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein (After BWV 641)01:33
• 18Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten (After BWV 691)02:24
• Total Runtime52:27

Info for The Melancholic Bach: Music for Viola da braccio and Harpsichord

With The Melancholic Bach, Emilio Moreno delves pensively and wistfully into the realms of the music that Bach might have written for the viola. This new Glossa album is in fact, by turns, a reflective but also an uplifting treat from beginning to end. Moreno, of course, is a violinist as well as a violist: with the former he has been directing his ensembles La Real Cámara and El Concierto Español, whilst with the latter instrument for many years he has been leading the violas of Orchestra of the 18th Century.

Knowing the Johann Sebastian Bach of concertos, sonatas, partitas and of many other pieces Moreno has yearned for there to be parallel repertory from the great master playable on the viola – and it is recorded that Bach himself excelled on the viola and was fully aware of its soloistic potential as well as its gently melancholic timbre (so suitable for those crucial Bachian inner harmonies).

Aside from established obbligato viola pieces Bach’s copious oeuvre did not bear much fruit, so with harpsichordist Aarón Zapico (who has previously accompanied Moreno on Boccherini and Castro albums), Moreno set about creating a representative demonstration of pieces which he could play on a 1751 Sympertus Niggel viola da braccio. For The Melancholic Bach Moreno adapted movements from a range of Bach’s trio sonatas, cantatas and organ chorales, with the viola taking the melody line and the harpsichord the other two parts.

Emilio Moreno, viola da braccio
Aarón Zapico, harpsichord

No biography found.

Booklet for The Melancholic Bach: Music for Viola da braccio and Harpsichord