Baroque Multiculturalism, or Everybody Loves Italian

Music that is, and probably Italian food as well. But in the 18th century, it was easier for travelers to bring back musical scores from countries that they visited than it was to bring food home with them. Bach not only spoke fairly good Italian, but he was quite a fan of Italian composers, such as Vivaldi, Corelli and Torelli, and adopted many of their stylistic devices, such as their dramatic openings and sunny, pleasant melodies.

His influence is still strong, but the final product is more sensual and less impressive for its elegance than it is for its pastoral and emotional tone. Hearing the two styles blend is quite an experience for Bach fans. So listen to J.S. Bach - Transcriptions of Italian Music for free and get a new take on an old master.

Update:  I've had a ton of hits from people visiting from their email accounts, so I'm guessing that this post got mentioned on some list serve or email newsletter relating to classical music.  Would someone be kind enough to leave a comment letting me know where it was mentioned?

Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed the post.

Richard