Bach JS - Musical Offering BWV 1079 - Kuijken Brothers

Bach's "Musical Offering" is given a truly historical treatment by the brothers Kuijken and Robert Kohnen. The arrangement is designed specifically for the use of ancient instruments. The performance takes place in the legendary Fest Hall in Leipzig's sacred City Hall. The setting and instrumentation provide an opportunity to hear and see an original Bach composition as it may have been played originally. The orchestra consists of Barthold Kuijken on transverse flute, Sigiswald Kuijken on violin, Wieland Kuijken on viola de gamba, and Robert Kohnen on harpsicord.

The Musical Offering is the name of a set of pieces that Bach wrote for king Frederick II of Prussia. Bach's son, Carl Phillip Emmanuel, was harpsichordist for the young king, who was an avid music lover. He begged the younger Bach to have his father come and play for him. One evening, Johann Sebastian showed up, and the king immediately ushered him to a pianoforte, where he played a theme for a fugue. "Old" Bach improvised a fugue to this theme, but was so impressed by it that he wrote a much larger set of pieces around this theme, and dedicated it to the king, hence, this Musical Offering.

Like Bach's Art of Fugue, this work shows the many possible ways that a single theme can be elaborated on to make a large, varied work composed of fugues and canons. The two works do indeed have many similarities. The themes are related, and the manner of treating them is similar.

This DVD, recorded for the Bach 24 Hours television festival in 2000 (and shown live at the time), presents a fine group of musicians, who has already recorded this work together (twice - once in the same group, a second time with Gustav and Marie Leonhardt). Needless to say, these musicians are very familiar with the work, and play it with a great deal of experience behind them.

More information about Musical Offering BWV 1079 and about Kuijken Brothers.

Product Details
Format: Anamorphic, Classical, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC , Widescreen
Language: English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Studio: Euroarts Music International
DVD Release Date: Oct 09, 2001
Run Time: 52 minutes
UPC code: 014381066920
ASIN: B00005OCKU

Download link

Pass: Eisenach

Thank you to longfoot, the original uploader.

I apologize for posting this gem without a careful check and I ask to all potential downloaders to use only the links posted by longfoot:

J S Bach - Musical Offering, The Kuijken Ensemble DVD

My links will be deleted soon!


You can buy similar DVDs, after trying.