J.S. Bach : les concertos réinventés

For Bach, transcription was far more than a practical exercise: it was a truly creative endeavour. Whether adapting concertos by Vivaldi or Marcello, or reworking his own compositions, he did more than simply change the instrumentation; he reshaped their balance, brought out new colours and deepened their expressive power.

Having recorded a highly acclaimed version of Johann Sebastian Bach’s sonatas, awarded a Diapason d’Or, François Lazarevitch now returns to the work of the Cantor with a programme devoted to concertos. He presents his own transcriptions for transverse flute and recorder of works that Bach himself recast in several versions – originally conceived for violin (BWV 1041), and for oboe or harpsichord (BWV 1053r and BWV 1059r) – alongside concertos by Antonio Vivaldi and Alessandro Marcello that Bach himself adapted for keyboard. Placing Bach alongside the Italian composers who nourished his inspiration, this programme reveals how naturally these works lend themselves to the timbres of the flutes, as though they had been conceived for them from the outset.

Performed by a chamber ensemble with one musician to each part, these concertos regain a sense of transparency and flexibility that encourages attentive listening and a constant dialogue between the performers. This lively exchange, at the heart of Bach’s writing, lends the music a communicative freedom and eloquence.

Through the performances of François Lazarevitch and Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, these emblematic works of the Baroque repertoire recover their freshness and invite us to hear them anew.

2027 creation – Académie Bach, Arques-la-Bataille

François Lazarevitch : transverse flute, recorder and direction
2 violins, viola, cello, double bass and harpsichord