🇩🇪Johannes Brahms ： Cadenza for J.S. Bach Harpsichord Concerto WoO.11 BWV 1052

This cadenza was written by Brahms for Bach’s Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1052. Drawing on the cadenza’s role as an improvisatory showcase for the solo instrument, it shapes a progression from mounting tension to resolution through weighty harmony and interwoven voices. In passages of greater density, it is important to clarify the movement of each voice and bring out the inner lines without allowing them to be obscured by the thick chords. Rather than relying on momentum alone, maintaining a clear sense of meter and shaping the phrases carefully brings out the work’s drive and structural strength. A performance that balances power with dignity and leads naturally back to the concerto is especially compelling.