Bach addobbato, Bach sfrondato

The reception history of Bach’s Sei Solo for violin and of his Six Suites for cello includes phenomena such as transcriptions, arrangements, and adaptations. These forms of creative reception can require or showcase varying degrees of freedom with respect to the original text. While these mostly depend on the transcriber/arranger’s taste and aesthetical views, they are also conditioned by the overall context, and by the instrument(s) of destination. When Bach’s solo violin or solo cello works are transcribed for performance on the viola, for example, the transposition can maintain many of the work’s original features. By way of contrast, arranging the same works for the flute or recorder on the one hand, or for the piano on the other, imposes a number of creative choices whose results can be rewardingly analysed. This paper identifies the distinctive traits of some Italian transcriptions for the flute, the recorder, and the piano, thus contributing to the larger reception history of these works.