In the eighteenth century, a hint of the goûts-réunis, a utopian blend of national styles hung in the air, while on Earth, thanks to releases, the latest music crisscrossed Europe. For example, Vivaldi’s brand new, innovative concertos inspired Bach to make arrangements and his own contributions to the genre.

Bach’s concerto “in the Italian flavor” follows the model of three movements, fast-slow-fast, imitates the constant alternation between tutti parts and solos, and deploys ritornelli (a kind of refrain to keep the momentum going) in the opening movement. The final movement takes on a typical rondo form. The hard-soft effects, which at the time only a harpsichord with two manuals could perform, are elaborated on accordion with registers and dynamics.