How to Play the Bach Italian Concerto on Piano – Part 2

As we discussed in Part 1 of this lesson, Bach wrote this “concerto” as a solo piece and it’s not what you would typically think of as a concerto (one instrument or a group of instruments with orchestra). To replicate the sound of a traditional concerto, Bach wrote dynamics for both hands throughout the piece. Last week we talked briefly about the first movement of the piece, today you will get some tips on the second movement.

In the right hand, you have a beautiful and luscious melody while the left hand is to be played very quietly. The right hand has an almost improvisational quality. Classical composers improvised quite a bit in their days, however, since recording technology wasn’t invented yet we really have no examples of what it sounded like. One could imagine that the right hand in the second movement of the Italian Concerto is a glimpse into the styling of Bach’s improvisational work.

The left hand in this piece has a repeated regular pattern of 8th notes and is a great place to focus as you begin learning the second movement. If you listen to the piece, you’ll notice that there is a nice steady beat to these notes. Think of it almost like a heartbeat that holds up the structure of the music.

When I play this piece, sometimes I use a little bit of pedal, sometimes I use no pedal at all. It’s always a great idea to practice without the pedal so it doesn’t act as a crutch. One way to approach without the pedal is to play the top notes of the thirds legato and the bottom notes more detached. This will help to bring out the clarity of the lines. The secret to this is utilizing good fingering. If done correctly, this will give the illusion that it’s two instruments playing together. Baroque music is personified by counterpoint and this is one example of that.

When it comes to the right hand, you should always remind yourself that the ornamentation should not affect the rhythm. You should play very expressively but don’t get that confused with changing tempo. Many times people will see trills and turns and think it means playing fast, which is not the case. Here you will want to play the lines very expressively, letting them stand out and playing them as beautifully as possible.

I’ve had numerous videos talking about the importance of the arms when playing piano; here is no different. You can use the weight of the arms – both left and right to create a nice balance and tone between the two hands. Use more weight in the right hand to bring out the melody.

Thanks again for joining me. I will be producing some much more thorough lessons in the near future on specific repertoire like this. If you would like to be notified when these become available please email me Robert@LivingPianos.com