Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582

There have been several orchestrations of Bach’s famous organ masterwork over the years, including some by notable conductors such as Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, Rene Leibowitz, Andrew Davis plus a couple by composers: Ottorino Respighi and the one offered here by the Russian Aleksandr Gedike. The exact date of Gedike’s orchestration is unknown but could date from before the Russian revolution of 1917 which would make it one of the earliest orchestral settings. It’s a splendid example of Gedike’s typically Russian orchestrational style which employs the full compliment of orchestral forces. The study score offered here is a newly engraved edition prepared by Richard W. Sargeant, Jr. The large conductor’s score and orchestra parts compatible with this new edition are also available from Serenissima Music.