Brandenburg Concertos 1, 3 and 6

The Brandenburg Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) are considered to be amongst the pinnacle of Baroque composition. Each one uses a different combination of instruments and shows off different musical styles popular during Bach’s lifetime, from the French minuet to the counterpoint for which the composer himself is so well known. They are unparalleled to this day.

The Brandenburg Concertos date from 1721, when Bach was employed as music director in the court of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen. In contrast, the Harpsichord Concerto in D minor dates from a later period in his working life; the middle years of his appointment as the Director of Church Music in Leipzig (it is believed to have been composed during the period 1732-1735).

British conductor and harpsichordist Jack Gonzalez-Harding leads a team of world-class period soloists in this performance of three of the father of Western classical music's great secular works. The other three Brandenburg Concertos will be performed by the same musicians on Monday 29 April 2024.