CDL. BACH, J.S.: Concerto for Harpsichord in F Minor, BWV 1056

CDL. BACH, J.S. (1685-1750)

Concerto for Harpsichord in F Minor, BWV 1056 (1738-39)
1. Allegro moderato
2. Largo
3. Presto
Siebe Henstra, harpsichord
Netherlands Bach Society
(9:38)

F Minor is a serious key. The theme is played tutti and the harpsichord can't be heard until those blue bars where the triplet figure is answered sans accompaniment ...

The red star shows where the soloist starts the nearly continuous run of 16th-note triplets which feature prominently through the rest of the movement:

Second movement

Bach "borrowed" the theme from Telemann's Flute Concerto in G Major, and then reused it himself for Cantata #156.

In Woody Allen's Hannah and her Sisters (1986), this movement is featured prominently as Elliot (Michael Caine) tries to educate his lover, Hannah's sister, Lee (Barbara Hershey).

If beauty and despair and exist simultaneously, this is expressed here:

Third movement

This delightful Presto features an F Minor theme that insists on some happy hope ... note the syncopated leading tone (E-Natural) (red arrow). As before, the harpsichord part plays along -- unheard -- with the tutti orchestra until the bottom of the page (blue arrow).