Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, on March 21, 1685, and died in Leipzig, Germany, on July 28, 1750. The Orchestra Suite No. 2 is scored for solo flute, continuo, and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty minutes.

The Orchestral Suite was a popular form of instrumental ensemble music in the 17th and 18th centuries. The works consist of an Overture, followed by several dance movements. Because of the preeminence of the introductory movement, the entire works were known as Overtures (French: Ouverture). 19th-Century scholars later applied the term Suite to the multi-movement Overture.

Johann Sebastian Bach composed Four Orchestral Suites. It is not certain precisely when Bach created these works. It is possible that some of the music may have been composed during the years Bach was in the service of the court of Prince Leopold in Cöthen (1717-23). The source material for the various scores dates from Bach’s subsequent tenure in Leipzig. Regardless of the circumstances under which Bach created the works, his Orchestral Suites showcase the talents of the instrumentalists, including moments of thrilling display.

The Second Orchestral Suite features a solo flute, along with an ensemble of continuo and strings. The Suite opens with the traditional Ouverture, in which two slow-tempo sections frame the mercurial central episode. In the ensuing Rondeau, the ensemble immediately presents the refrain that returns throughout the movement. An introspective Sarabande follows. Both the sprightly Bourrée and elegant Polonaise are in A—B—A form, the latter featuring an extended passage for the solo flute. A delicate Menuet and quicksilver Badinerie conclude the Second Orchestral Suite.