With its roughly fifty surviving pieces the concerto genre constitutes one of the major work groups of Johann Wilhelm Hertel’s (1727–1789) compositional output. A striking aspect is the fact that the composer contributed solo concertos for nearly every instrument customary in his time. The majority among these are for harpsichord (14), for oboe (10), and for violin (9); in addition Hertel wrote three solo concertos each for harp (alternatively for harpsichord), flute, bassoon, and trumpet, two concertos for violoncello, and a double concerto for trumpet and oboe. Only one of the harpsichord concertos was published (in 1767), the other concertos are transmitted in manuscript form. Not all of Hertel’s contributions to the genre have survived, however; this can be seen from the work catalogue compiled by the composer himself, which lists six concertos for violoncello as well as “several concertos” for “hunting horn”.
(Karl Heller, translation by Stephanie Wollny)
