Bach’s harpsichord concerti, extremely popular among pianists, are presumably reworkings of pieces originally written for the violin. Bach, however, succeeded in transferring the diverse idiosyncrasies of violin technique to the keyboard with such ingenuity that most of today’s pianists also include these concerti in their standard repertoire.

The first concerto in d minor is perhaps the most popular – not least because of its jaunty outer movements and the eminently forceful solo part. Now, ...