THE MELANCHOLIC BACH
Music for viola da braccio & harpsichord

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

1 Trio super: Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend’ BWV 665a

2 Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier BWV 731

3 Trio BWV 583 (Adagio)

Arrangements of chorales from the Orgel-Büchlein
4 O Mensch, bewein’ dein Sünde groß BWV 622 (Adagio assai)
5 Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist BWV 631a

Sonata in C minor (after BWV 76, 582/2 & 586)
6 Adagio-Vivace (from: Cantata BWV 76, second part, Sinfonia nach der Predigt)
7 Andante (from: Sonata 4 a 2 Clav et Pedal BWV 528/2)
8 Allegro (from: Trio a 2 Clav. et Pedal... nach Telemann BWV 586)

9 Allmanda 2ª for solo harpsichord (from: Sonata in A minor BWV 965, after Johann Adam Reincken (1643-1722), Hortus Musicus (1688))

Sonata in F major (after BWV 664, 614 & 676)
10 Allegro (from: Trio super: Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr’ BWV 664)
11 Adagio (from: Das alte Jahr vergangen ist BWV 614, Orgel-Büchlein
12 Allegro (from: Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr’ a 2 Clav. e Pedale BWV 676)

13 Très vivement for solo viola (from: Fantasie BWV 572)
14 Exercitium for solo viola (from: Pedalexercitium BWV 598; attributed to C.P.E. Bach)

Arrangements of chorales from the Orgel-Büchlein
15 Helft mir Gott’s Güte preisen BWV 613
16 Ich ruf ’ zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ BWV 639
17 Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein BWV 641

18 Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten BWV 691

—

About this album

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.