JS Bach: Orchestral Transcriptions by Respighi and Elgar

Respighi had always been committed to the art of transcription, arranging Bach’s Violin Sonata in E minor in 1908-09 with acute perception. This was followed during 1929 and 1930 by even greater and more resplendent Bach settings. The powerful sense of orchestral colour acquired during his training under Rimsky-Korsakov is heard to bold yet subtle effect in the Three Chorale Preludes. The Prelude and Fugue in D major is even more gloriously lavish, drawing on the full resources of the modern symphony orchestra, as does the brilliantly realised Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor. Edward Elgar’s transcription is a work of sustained grandeur and rich musical intensity.

Respighi’s most famous transcriptions are probably still those of the ancient airs and dances, first published in 1917, but his Bach transcriptions are hardly less impressive. These richly coloured works rescore and reclothe Bach for Respighi’s time – 1929-30 – and do so brilliantly. They are exciting creations in their own terms, utilising every facet of a modern symphony orchestra, and so too is Elgar’s sole example.