Boston Baroque

J.S. Bach - The Complete Orchestral Suites

by C. Michael Bailey
April 28, 2004

As prolific a composer (and patriarch) as Johann Sebastian Bach was, he managed to compose a precious few instrumental orchestral works. Besides solo instrument concertos, there exist only the six Brandenburg Concertos and the four Orchestral Suites. The fact that these two sets of orchestral compositions are instrumental may be all they have in common. The Brandenburg Concertos represent the best of writing in the Baroque Italian Concerto style, whereas the Orchestral Suites were composed in the French Baroque Style.