C.P.E. Bach - Cello Concerto in A major Urtext (Score and Parts)

1. 1. 1. Bach’s Cello Concerto in A major has long been one of his most popular concertos. Bach himself prepared versions of the work for solo cello, solo flute, and solo keyboard, and the concerto has continued to attract later arrangements, including Ferdinand Pollain’s cello-and-orchestra version, which transposes much of the solo writing up an octave, and Gaspar Cassadó’s F major arrangement, which adds a solo flute in the slow movement.

This edition was prepared from the manuscript in the Alströmer Collection. While the concerto also survives in a manuscript at the Brussels Conservatory, currently available critical editions based on that source present several practical and textual problems, including inadequate page turns and an inaccurate marking for the slow movement. In the Brussels manuscript, the movement is marked Largo mesto, with con sordini applying only to certain instruments. The Alströmer source gives the marking as Largo maesto, which is followed in this edition.

The most significant musical difference in the Alströmer source occurs in the solo cello arpeggios near the end of the concerto, along with a few differences in the accompaniment. This edition aims to provide a faithful, practical performing text, with improved page turns in all parts and added cue notes for rehearsal and performance use.

This set includes the full score, solo cello part, and orchestral parts.

ASTA level: 4.5–5