About this edition
Bach's Harpsichord Concerto No. 7 in G minor, BWV 1058, is the composer's own keyboard reworking of his celebrated Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 — transposed down a step and richly reimagined with the harpsichord taking the solo voice against a string ensemble and continuo. The concerto's driving opening ritornello, its deeply expressive Andante over an ostinato bass, and its exhilarating gigue-like finale make it one of the most compelling of the seven surviving solo harpsichord concertos, offering fascinating insight into Bach's practice of self-arrangement and his development of the keyboard concerto as a genre.
This score is reproduced from the landmark Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (Band 17, pp. 197–220), published by Breitkopf und Härtel in Leipzig in 1869 and edited by Wilhelm Rust (1822–1892), one of the most meticulous Bach scholars of the nineteenth century. The Bach-Gesellschaft edition — the first complete critical edition of Bach's works, produced over nearly half a century by a distinguished society of scholars — remains a foundational reference for performers and researchers alike. Rust's editorial work on the harpsichord concertos is particularly esteemed for its careful engagement with the surviving sources and its clean, uncluttered engraving.
About this edition:
- Format: Full orchestral score (conductor's score)
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches, printed for clarity and desk use
- Source: Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe, Band 17 (Breitkopf und Härtel, 1869), edited by Wilhelm Rust
- Plate: B.W. XVII
- Reproduced from a public domain historical edition
- Publisher: Purple 4R Publishing
We're pleased to make this historic Rust edition available in a fresh, affordable printing so that conductors, harpsichordists, string players, students, and Bach enthusiasts can bring this remarkable concerto to the stand and the study. As a public domain work, it belongs to all of us — and we hope this edition finds a welcome place in your library.
