Bach Orchestral Suite no. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067

Johan Sebastian Bach composed the Orchestral Suite no. 2, BWV 1067 in Leipzig between the years 1738 and 1739. It was originally referred to as an Ouverture (as the term was used in Baroque Germany to designate a suite preceded by a French-style ouverture). This work is usually grouped together with the other three orchestral suites (BWV 1066, 1068, and 1069) but it is believed that Bach did not conceive them as a set (in the way he conceived of the Brandenburg Concertos), since the sources are various. This particular suite, scored for solo flute, two violins, viola, basso and continuo, is apparently based on an earlier composition in A minor, in which the solo part was taken by a violin. There has been some speculation about this being originally an oboe concerto. The Badinerie (literally "jesting" in French; in other works Bach used the Italian word with the same meaning, "Scherzo") has become a show-piece for solo flautists because of its quick pace and difficulty.