BACH Sonata in G major for Viola da Gamba, BWV 1027

Johann Sebastian Bach
Sonata in G major for Viola da Gamba, BWV 1027
I. Adagio | 00:00
II. Allegro ma non tanto | 04:00
III. Andante | 07:25
IV. Allegro moderato | 10:15

Oliver Herbert, cello
Clara Gerdes, harpsichord

Even for a composer as famous and studied as Johann Sebastian Bach, there are some things simply lost to history and left for speculation. Some scholars argue that his charming sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord were composed as early as 1720, which would place them around the time of his much-celebrated six suites for solo cello. Others posit that the gamba sonatas did not appear until as late as 1740, in the company of many of his violin and keyboard concertos as well as parts of his Clavier-Übung.

This Sonata in G major is actually a reworking of one of Bach’s earlier trio sonatas (BWV 1039), and is one of the more popular and lasting works for the near-extinct viola da gamba. Viols – antecedents to the violin family, which includes the viola and the cello – were common in Renaissance and Baroque music. The viola da gamba for which Bach composed these sonatas is similar in pitch range to the cello and is played by placing it between the legs, but without an endpin to support the weight. The Italian name viola da gamba translates literally to "viol for the leg.”

That said, performances heard on the viola da gamba are not easy to come by and today these sonatas are repertoire staples of violists, cellists, and double bassists, the latter being the only instrument of the three that is an actual descendant of the viol family.

Performed Wednesday December 9, 2015 in Field Concert Hall, Philadelphia, PA

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