The four orchestral suites (called ouvertures by their author), BWV 1066–1069 are four suites by Johann Sebastian Bach. The name ouverture refers only in part to the opening movement in the style of the French overture, in which a majestic opening section in relatively slow dotted-note rhythm in duple meter is followed by a fast fugal section, then rounded off with a short recapitulation of the opening music. More broadly, the term was used in Baroque Germany for a suite of dance-pieces in French Baroque style preceded by such an ouverture. This genre was extremely popular in Germany during Bach’s day, and he showed far less interest in it than was usual: Robin Stowell writes that “Telemann’s 135 surviving examples [represent] only a fraction of those he is known to have written”; Christoph Graupner left 85; and Johann Friedrich Fasch left almost 100. Bach did write several other ouverture (suites) for solo instruments, notably the Cello Suite no. 5, BWV 1011, which also exists in the autograph Lute Suite in G minor, BWV 995, the Keyboard Partita no. 4 in D, BWV 828, and the Overture in the French style, BWV 831 for keyboard. The two keyboard works are among the few Bach published, and he prepared the lute suite for a “Monsieur Schouster,” presumably for a fee, so all three may attest to the form’s popularity.
Scholars believe that Bach did not conceive of the four orchestral suites as a set (in the way he conceived of the Brandenburg Concertos), since the sources are various, as detailed below.
The Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis catalogue includes a fifth suite, BWV 1070 in G minor. However, this work is highly unlikely to have been composed by J. S. Bach (by wikipedia)
And here are two of the four suites, performed by the Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields:
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF) is an English chamber orchestra, based in London.
John Churchill, then Master of Music at the London church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and Neville Marriner (later Sir Neville) founded the orchestra as “The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields”, a small, conductorless string group. The ASMF gave its first concert on 13 November 1959, in the church after which it was named. In 1988, the orchestra dropped the hyphens from its full name.
The initial performances as a string orchestra at St Martin-in-the-Fields played a key role in the revival of baroque performances in England. The orchestra has since expanded to include winds. It remains flexible in size, changing its make-up to suit its repertoire, which ranges from the Baroque to contemporary works.
Neville Marriner continued to perform obbligatos and concertino solos with the orchestra until 1969, and led the orchestra on recordings until the autumn of 1970, when he switched to conducting from the podium from directing the orchestra from the leader’s desk. Marriner held the title of Life President until his death in 2016. On recordings, besides Marriner, Iona Brown and Kenneth Sillito have led the orchestra, among others.
In1993 the Academy of St Martin in the Fields became the first – and to date, only – orchestra to be awarded The Queen’s Award for Export Achievement.
Since 2000, Murray Perahia has held the title of Principal Guest Conductor of the orchestra, and has made commercial recordings with the orchestra as pianist and conductor.
In May 2011, the orchestra announced the appointment of Joshua Bell as its new Music Director, the second person to hold the title in the orchestra’s history, effective September 2011, with an initial contract of 3 years. In July 2017, the ASMF announced the extension of Bell’s contract through 2020, an additional three years from his previous contract extension.
Both suites were conducted by Neville Marriner:
Sir Neville Marriner and The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields (or “Marriner and the Academy” as they became affectionately known) led the way in the stereo recording of lighter, more transparent and, quite simply, better played performances of Baroque and, later, Classical repertoire. This happy combination of circumstances provided a whole generation of music lovers with recordings which to this day have stood the test of time. It is hard to imagine a record collection anywhere in the world unblessed by Marriner and his Academy.
Neville himself was the ideal recording artist, first leading from the violin, and later when the group enlarged, as conductor. He had himself “sprung up though the orchestra as one of the team” but remained always unpretentious and self-deprecating. But this was allied to a drive and passion that ensured standards were maintained at the highest level throughout, particularly in the recording studio. The result was that most professional orchestral musicians aspired to be in his orchestra. (by deccaclassics.com)
Listen … and discover and enjoy the brilliant musif of Johann Sebastian Bach !
Academy Of St Martin-in-the-Fields coducted by Neville Marriner
Barry Davis (oboe)
Edward Hobart (trumpet)
William Houghton (trumpet)
Celia Nicklin (oboe)
Michael Laird (trumpet)
Nicholas Kraemer (harpischord)
Susan Leadbetter (oboe)
Graham Sheen (bassoon)
Suite No. 1 in C major, BWV 1066:
01. Ouverture 6.20
02. II Courante 2.06
03. III Gavotte I & II 2:57
04. IV Forlane 1.59
05. V Menuet I & II 2.35
06. VI Bourrée I & II 2.33
07. VII Passepied I & II 2.21
Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069:
08. Ouvertüre 8.59
09. Bourrée I & II 3.08
20 III Gavotte 2.12
21 IV Menuet I & II 3.06
22. Réjouissance 3.08
Musi composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Sir Neville Marriner (15 April 1924 – 2 October 2016)