Today I am linking Bach's four orchestral suites; written for the Collegium musicum of Köthen (which was certainly larger in number, but these have reached us). The dating is quite uncertain: the first seems to have been composed during his first period of residence in Köthen, the 2nd and 3rd during the last 2 years, and the last one would have arrived in the version arranged during the early moments of his stay in Leipzig, between 1725 and 1725; the presumed dates would be: I: 1718; II: 1721; III: 1722; IV: 1723. The existing parts for the various suites often testify to the presence of two versions, one intended for the court orchestra of Köthen and the other created for the instrumental group in Leipzig, which was larger in size; it is impossible to establish a "original version" on a practical level; the numerous pencil interventions testify to performances likely under Bach's own direction.
Forgotten after the death of their author, they were resurrected by Mendelssohn (who conducted the third overture in 1838) and by Dehn, who published the first 3 with the publisher Peters in Leipzig. Later came the recognition of the fourth suite, also published by Peters in 1881 edited by Roitzsch, and on which strong doubts regarding authenticity persisted for a long time. (A. Basso; Frau Musika)
K. Richter:
N. Harnoncourt
