Johann Sebastian Bach - Original & Counterfeit (Ensemble Odyssee)

Information

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

• Concerto in E-Flat Major, after BWV 1053, 169, 49, (arr. Andrea Friggi & Anna Stegmann)
• Concerto in D Minor, after BWV 1052, 146, (arr. Eva Saladin & Andrea Friggi)
• Concerto in G Minor, after BWV 1056, (arr. Georg Fritz & Andrea Friggi)
• Concerto in F Major BWV 1057, 1049, (arr. Johann Sebastian Bach)

Ensemble Odyssee

Date: 2025

Label: Challenge Classics

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For many years, scholars believed J.S. Bach’s harpsichord concertos were mostly adaptations of lost violin or wind works, leading to numerous reconstructions. More recent research, however, suggests they originated from earlier keyboard compositions. Ensemble Odyssee reimagines this idea by asking what Bach might have done if he wanted to perform these works again for different solo instruments. Their program presents three fresh arrangements alongside Bach’s own reworking of the Fourth Brandenburg Concerto, highlighting the ensemble’s creativity and the virtuosity of its four core members while offering a new perspective on Bach’s inventive approach to adaptation.

Ensemble Odyssee, based in Amsterdam, is formed by Anna Stegmann (recorder), Eva Saladin (violin), Georg Fritz (oboe), and Andrea Friggi (harpsichord). Dedicated to historically informed performance, the group combines musicological research with artistic creativity to revive forgotten sounds for modern audiences. Their recordings have uncovered neglected repertoire, from seventeenth-century Naples to English instrumental concertos, while their live and recorded programs recreate the music of specific times and places with authenticity and bold precision. Prize winners at Amsterdam’s International Van Wassenaer Concours, they perform widely across Europe and collaborate with renowned guest artists including Raffaella Milanesi, Claron McFadden, and Filippo Mineccia.