Bach's best-known orchestral works are the Brandenburg
concertos, so named because he submitted them in the hope of
gaining employment from the Margrave of Brandenburg in 1721. (His
application was unsuccessful.) These works are examples of the
concerto grosso genre. Other surviving works in the concerto form
include two violin concertos; a concerto for two violins, often
referred to as Bachs "double" concerto; and concertos for one,
two, three and even four harpsichords. It is widely accepted that
many of the harpsichord concertos were not original works, but
arrangements of his concertos for other instruments now lost. A
number of violin, oboe and flute concertos have been reconstructed
from these. In addition to concertos, Bach also wrote four
orchestral suites, a series of stylised dances for orchestra. The
work now known as the Air on the G string, for instance, is an
arrangement for the violin made in the nineteenth century from the
second movement of the Orchestral Suite No. 3.
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Vocal and choral works
Bach performed a cantata every Sunday at the Thomaskirche, on a
theme corresponding to the lectionary readings of the week.
Although he performed cantatas by other composers, he also composed
at least three entire sets of cantatas, one for each Sunday and
holiday of the church year, at Leipzig, in addition to those
composed at Mühlhausen and Weimar. In total he wrote more than 300
sacred cantatas, of which only about 195 survive.
His cantatas vary greatly in form and instrumentation. Some of them
are only for a solo singer; some are single choruses; some are for
grand orchestras, some only a few instruments. A very common
format, however, includes a large opening chorus followed by one or
more recitative-aria pairs for soloists (or duets), and a
concluding chorale. The recitative is part of the corresponding
Bible reading for the week and the aria is a contemporary
reflection on it. The concluding chorale often also appears as a
chorale prelude in a central movement, and occasionally as a cantus
firmus in the opening chorus as well. The best known of these
cantatas are Cantata No. 4 ("Christ lag in Todesbanden", Cantata
No. 80 ("Ein' feste Burg", Cantata No. 140 ("Wachet auf" and
Cantata No. 147 ("Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben".
In addition, Bach wrote a number of secular cantatas, usually for
civic events such as weddings. The two Wedding Cantatas and the
Coffee Cantata, which concerns a girl whose father will not let her
marry until she gives up her coffee addiction, are among the best
known of these.
Bachs large choral-orchestral works include the famous St Matthew
Passion and St John Passion, both written for Holy Week services at
the St Thomass Church, the Christmas Oratorio (a set of six
cantatas for use in the Liturgical season of Christmas). The
Magnificat in two versions (one in E-flat major, with extra
movements interpolated among the movements of the Magnificat text,
and the later and better-known version in D major) and the Easter
Oratorio compare to large, elaborated cantatas, of a lesser extent
than the Passions and the Christmas Oratorio.
Bach's other large work, the Mass in B minor, was assembled by Bach
near the end of his life, mostly from pieces composed earlier (such
as Cantata 191 and Cantata 12). It was never performed in Bachs
lifetime, or even after his death until the 19th century.
All of these works, unlike the motets, have substantial solo parts
as well as choruses
