Johann Sebastian Bach is said to be the first composer to fully

understand the potential of the viola, so truly explored in his 6th

Brandenburg concerto. Bach was a good violist himself. In his

younger days he had a short career as a professional violist and

violinist in Weimar, before getting his position as organist in

Arnstadt. Johann Sebastian·s son Carl Philip Emanuel claimed that

his father most liked to play the viola on chamber music occasions.

Being the greatest expert of harmony, and finding himself in the

centre, he could fully enjoy what was going on on either side of

him. The arrangement of the Chromatic Fugue was done with this

in mind, giving the viola the middle voice of the 3-part

counterpoint. In the end, though, it takes over the upper line to

increase the intensity in a more brilliant register.

I

The highly virtuosic demands of Chromatic Fantasy make the mo­

dern instrument a natural choice for facility and sonority. Since

this was originally a harpsichord piece, the register must be

extended far above what was normal for period instruments.

Although none of these pieces exists as original viola compositions

by Bach, doing arrangements is merely an extension of his own

path of transcribing his works. The Suite in C minor for lute also

exists as a partita for harpsichord from the composer's hand.

Studying the original score of the E major harpsichord concerto

BWV1053 and the cantatas BWV169 & 49, one comes to the

conclusion that these are transcriptions of an earlier, lost work.

The reconstruction of the E flat major concerto raises the inevitable

question: Did Bach write a viola concerto? Bach's own autograph

Johann Sebastian Bach is said to be the first composer to fully

understand the potential of the viola, so truly explored in his 6th

Brandenburg concerto. Bach was a good violist himself. In his

younger days he had a short career as a professional violist and

violinist in Weimar, before getting his position as organist in

Arnstadt. Johann Sebastian·s son Carl Philip Emanuel claimed that

his father most liked to play the viola on chamber music occasions.

Being the greatest expert of harmony, and finding himself in the

centre, he could fully enjoy what was going on on either side of

him. The arrangement of the Chromatic Fugue was done with this

in mind, giving the viola the middle voice of the 3-part

counterpoint. In the end, though, it takes over the upper line to

increase the intensity in a more brilliant register.

I

The highly virtuosic demands of Chromatic Fantasy make the mo­

dern instrument a natural choice for facility and sonority. Since

this was originally a harpsichord piece, the register must be

extended far above what was normal for period instruments.

Although none of these pieces exists as original viola compositions

by Bach, doing arrangements is merely an extension of his own

path of transcribing his works. The Suite in C minor for lute also

exists as a partita for harpsichord from the composer's hand.

Studying the original score of the E major harpsichord concerto

BWV1053 and the cantatas BWV169 & 49, one comes to the

conclusion that these are transcriptions of an earlier, lost work.

The reconstruction of the E flat major concerto raises the inevitable

question: Did Bach write a viola concerto? Bach's own autograph

manuscripts of the harpsichord concerto and the cantatas at least

give us some clues. The conclusion, in summary, is that the key of

the original work is very likely to have been E flat major. This key,

according to baroque instrument range, gives us no other option

for solo instrument than the viola.

Henrik Frendin

/!\ Henrik Frendin is one of the most versatile and progressive string

players on the Swedish music scene. His artistic output covers a

wide range of genres - not only classical, but also improvised and

electro-acoustical contemporary music. He studied at The Royal

Danish Conservatory and graduated with the soloist diploma in

1989. At that time he already had a principal seat in the Danish

Radio National Symphony Orchestra. In 1991, Henrik Frendin left

the orchestra and began life as a soloist and chamber musician as

well as a teacher at the Malmo Academy of Music. He has toured

extensively in most of the European countries and also in Asia

and South America. He has been a soloist with several Swedish

orchestras as well as with the European Union Chamber Orchestra.

Numerous compositions for the viola have been dedicated to him.

manuscripts of the harpsichord concerto and the cantatas at least

give us some clues. The conclusion, in summary, is that the key of

the original work is very likely to have been E flat major. This key,

according to baroque instrument range, gives us no other option

for solo instrument than the viola.

Henrik Frendin

/!\ Henrik Frendin is one of the most versatile and progressive string

players on the Swedish music scene. His artistic output covers a

wide range of genres - not only classical, but also improvised and

electro-acoustical contemporary music. He studied at The Royal

Danish Conservatory and graduated with the soloist diploma in

1989. At that time he already had a principal seat in the Danish

Radio National Symphony Orchestra. In 1991, Henrik Frendin left

the orchestra and began life as a soloist and chamber musician as

well as a teacher at the Malmo Academy of Music. He has toured

extensively in most of the European countries and also in Asia

and South America. He has been a soloist with several Swedish

orchestras as well as with the European Union Chamber Orchestra.

Numerous compositions for the viola have been dedicated to him.

Love Derwinger is one of the leading pianists in Sweden. He

studied the piano with professor Gunnar Hallhagen at the Royal

College of Music in Stockholm and made his debut at the age of

sixteen with Liszt's second piano concerto. Since then, he has

toured and given recitals throughout Europe, Russia, the USA and

South America. He has also made a number of CD recordings.

The Vasteras Sinfonietta took its present name in 1992. As a

sinfonietta it specialises both in music of the baroque and classical

periods as well as the contemporary era. On the basis of practical

performing experience and historical research, the Vasteras Sin­

fonietta works its way to an appropriate style of playing for each

composer and period.

The Suite in C minor and Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue are both arrangements by Henrik Frendin

Instruments: Viola - Ferdinand August Homolka, Prague 1875;

Bow - Sartory a Paris; Harpsichord - Mats Arvidsson 1984

Recorded in Vasteras on 15-16 November 1999 and in Malmo on 6-7 June 2000

Produced by Dragan Buvac

Editing & mixing: Henrik Frisk

Mastering: StageTech, Malmo

Translation: Erik Nilsson

Review of English text: Greg Batcheller

Cover photos and booklet design: Erik Nilsson

Layout: dB Productions

dB Productions Sweden

P.O. Box 60252

SE - 216 09 Malmo I SWEDEN

www.db-productions.se

ma iI@db-productions.se

Love Derwinger is one of the leading pianists in Sweden. He

studied the piano with professor Gunnar Hallhagen at the Royal

College of Music in Stockholm and made his debut at the age of

sixteen with Liszt's second piano concerto. Since then, he has

toured and given recitals throughout Europe, Russia, the USA and

South America. He has also made a number of CD recordings.

The Vasteras Sinfonietta took its present name in 1992. As a

sinfonietta it specialises both in music of the baroque and classical

periods as well as the contemporary era. On the basis of practical

performing experience and historical research, the Vasteras Sin­

fonietta works its way to an appropriate style of playing for each

composer and period.

The Suite in C minor and Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue are both arrangements by Henrik Frendin

Instruments: Viola - Ferdinand August Homolka, Prague 1875;

Bow - Sartory a Paris; Harpsichord - Mats Arvidsson 1984

Recorded in Vasteras on 15-16 November 1999 and in Malmo on 6-7 June 2000

Produced by Dragan Buvac

Editing & mixing: Henrik Frisk

Mastering: StageTech, Malmo

Translation: Erik Nilsson

Review of English text: Greg Batcheller

Cover photos and booklet design: Erik Nilsson

Layout: dB Productions

dB Productions Sweden

P.O. Box 60252

SE - 216 09 Malmo I SWEDEN

www.db-productions.se

ma iI@db-productions.se