The Six Brandenburg Concertos of Johann Sebastian Bach represent one of the more interesting cover letters in the history of job searches. Bach wanted to change gigs. His patron, Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen, was a Calvinist, and music was not an integral part of his worship. Bach wanted the opportunity to compose sacred music, having focused primarily on instrumental works during his service to Leopold. And so, he drafted an elaborately self-deprecating letter of interest and sent it along with the manuscript of his set of concertos for a variety of instruments to the Margrave of Brandenburg.

The Margrave employed a modest house band, likely incapable of playing these demanding works or even fielding a team, which included flutes, recorders, trumpet, horns, harpsichord, and all manner of strings. It doesn’t appear that Bach received any reply for his efforts, and the manuscript remained unplayed in the Margrave’s library until his death. It was sold shortly after for a sum of about $22 in equivalent value for the time. Even with the manuscript’s sale, the concertos would remain unplayed until 1850 upon their discovery in the Brandenburg archives. The Sixth Concerto, heard tonight, is scored for the enlightened, ingenious, heroic combination of two solo violas, keyboard, and a consort of viols. Like the Margrave, we don’t have the exact instruments required, but we do have a very capable consort of cellos to fill in for the viols… Don’t worry. We’ll explain it all.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

BRANDENBURG CONCERTO NO. 6 IN B FLAT, BWV 1051

I. [Allegro]

II. Adagio, ma non tanto

III. Allegro

Artists: Timothy Christie, viola; Norbert Lewandowski, cello; Philip Payton, violin; David Requiro, cello; Joshua Skinner, bass; Meta Weiss, cello; Xiaohui Yang, keyboard