View source for MuseData: Johann Sebastian Bach


== Cantatas ==

== Masses ==

== Brandenburg Concertos ==

Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos are demonstrations par excellence of both virtuosity and interplay between most of instruments available to Bach's time in Thuringia, where Bach was raised and held all his posts prior to moving to Leipzig in 1723.  He composed them while living in Cöthen, which offered few of these resources but may have prompted Bach to show how many different combinations of sounds could be found in the broader palette of sonorities in use within a day's travel from the court.  

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Work No. !! Catalogue No. !! Genre / Instruments [[Instrument abbreviations | ? ]] !! Key !! Score (PDF) !! Concordances
|-
| No. 1 || BWV 1046 || Concerto / 2 Hn, Ob, Bn; VPiccolo, 2V, Va, Vc, Vne Gr, Cem || F Major ||  || BWV 1046/3 = BWV 207a/1.  BWV 1046/7 = BWV 207a/5a.  
|-
| No. 1a || BWV 1046a || Concerto / 2 Hn, 3 Ob, Bn; 2V, Va, Vc, Cem || F Major || [http://esf.ccarh.org/MuseData-Bach-PDFs/01-bwv1046a.pdf BWV 1046a] || BWV 1046a/1 = BWV 52/1
|-
| No. 2 || BWV 1047 || Concerto / Tr, Rec, Ob, Vn; 2V, Va, Vc, Vne, Cem || F Major || [http://esf.ccarh.org/MuseData-Bach-PDFs/01-bwv1047.pdf BWV 1047] || 
|-
| No. 3 || BWV 1048 || Concerto / 3V, 3Va, 3Vc, Vne, Cem || G Major || [http://esf.ccarh.org/MuseData-Bach-PDFs/01-bwv1048.pdf BWV 1048] || BWV 1048/1 = BWV 174/1
|-
| No. 4 || BWV 1049 || Concerto / VPr, Rec, 2Vn, Va, Vc, Vne, Cem || G Major || [http://esf.ccarh.org/MuseData-Bach-PDFs/01-bwv1048.pdf BWV 1049] || BWV 1049 = BWV 1057
|-
| No. 5 || BWV 1050 || Concerto / Fl, VPr, Cem concertato; V, Va, Vc, Vne, Cem || D Major ||  || 
|-
| No. 5a || BWV 1050a || Concerto / Fl, VPr, Cem concertato; V, Va, Vne || D Major || [http://esf.ccarh.org/MuseData-Bach-PDFs/01-bwv1050a_correct_version.pdf BWV 1050a]  || 
|-
| No. 6 || BWV 1051 || Concerto / 2Va, 2Va da gamba, Vc, Vne, Cem || B{{music|flat}} Major || [http://esf.ccarh.org/MuseData-Bach-PDFs/01-bwv1051.pdf BWV 1051] || 
|}

==Orchestral Suites==

Bach's orchestral suites come down to our time in editions based on third-party manuscripts datable to various years between 1724 and 1739. Those who have studied them recently lean to the view that, like the Brandenburgs, they were composed during Bach's Cöthen years (1717-1723) with Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen in mind. It is not clear, however, that he intended him as a set.  The attribution of a putative fifth orchestra suite, BWV 1070, is widely discredited. BWV 1071, which is effectively a suite, corresponds to BWV 1046a, the alternative version of the first Brandenburg Concerto.

Each suite has a distinctly different character and each calls for a different ensemble.  The treble wind in No. 2 is variously claimed to have been an oboe or a violin, although the flute and viola parts for it are in Bach's hand on one manuscript set in Berlin. We know that Bach sometimes modified one of another aspect (e.g. key) of individual works in his instrumental collections to meld the whole into a coherent entity. This may not have been the case with the ouvertures (as the orchestral suites were originally named), but the latitude to make changes is ever-present.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Collection, Work No. !! Cat. No. !! Genre / Instruments !! Key !! Earliest copy date !! Score
|-
| Orchestral Suite, No. 1 || BWV 1066 || Suite / 2Ob, Bn, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo || C Major || Example || Example
|-
| Orchestral Suite, No. 2 || BWV 1067 || Suite / Fl, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo|| B Minor || Example || Example
|-
| Orchestral Suite, No. 3 || BWV 1068 || Suite / 3Tr, Timp, 2Ob, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo|| D Major || Example || Example
|-
| orchestral Suite, No. 4 || BWV 1069 || Suite / 3Tr, Timp, 3Pb, Bn, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo || D Major || Example || Example
|}

== The Well-tempered Clavier ==

Bach composed two books of 24 pairs of works in each key (major and minor) of the "well-tempered" keyboard. Each pair consists of a prelude and fugue. [https://www.britannica.com/art/equal-temperament Equal temperament], the practical virtue of which was the ability to play in any key without retuning the instrument, was emerging when Bach compiled the first book of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Well-Tempered_Clavier <i>Well-Tempered Clavier</i>]. Equal temperament, in which each named tone set equidistant (in cents) from adjacent keys, was not instantly adopted everywhere. Organs were generally tuned to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meantone_temperament meantone temperament].  Much of the music of Asia employs [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_intonation just intonation], which requires an instrument to be retuned for the next piece, unless it is in the same key as the preceding one. Bach demonstrated the use of equal temperament by compiling this cycle of short pieces. The preludes could show off the effect of equal temperament in scale passages, while the fugues imitative processes required consonance in certain places to fulfill the work's satisfaction of the genre's requirements.  

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Work No. !! Catalogue No. !! Genre/instrument !! Key !! Score
|-
| No. 1a || BWV 846a || Prelude/keyboard || C Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv846a&L1=(C)%201994%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=http://wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Prelude%20No.%201%20in%20C%20Major%20(BWV%20846a)&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Walter%20Hewlett,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20846a BWV 846a]
|-
| No. 1b || BWV 846b || Fugue/keyboard || C Major || Example
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|}
===Book I (1722)===

===Book II (1744)===

== Two-part Inventions ==

[[File:JSB_Inv4.PNG|280px|thumb|right|J. S. Bach: Invention No. 4 [BWV 775] from the holograph manuscript, Mus.ms. Bach P 610, Berlin, Deutsche Staatsbibliothek.]]

Bach's two-part inventions (BWV 772-786) constituted one set of several that J. S. Bach composed for his gifted son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710-1784). The term invention is traced to the solo violin pieces Op. 10 (1713) by Francesco Antonio Bonporti (1672-1749), a Trentine composer. Bach uses the Latin title <i>Inventio</i>, reminding us of his command of the language, which he sometimes taught (in addition to teaching, composing, and performing music). Each three-voice work [see next section] was likewise called a <i>Sinfonia</i>.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Work No. !! Catalogue No. !! Genre / Instrument !! Key !! Score
|-
| No. 1 || BWV 772 || Invention / harpsichord || C Major|| [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv772 BWV 772]
|-
| No. 1a || BWV 772a || Invention / harpsichord || C Major || 
|-
| No. 2 || BWV 773 || Invention / harpsichord || C Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv773&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%202%20in%20C%20minor&R1=%P=2%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20773 BWV 773]
|-
| No. 3 || BWV 774 || Invention / harpsichord || D Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv774&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%203%20in%20D%20major&R1=%P=3%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20774 BWV 774]
|-
| No. 4 || BWV 775 || Invention / harpsichord || D Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv775&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%204%20in%20D%20minor&R1=%P=4%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20775 BWV 775]
|-
| No. 5 || BWV 776 || Invention / harpsichord || E{{music|flat}} Major ||  [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv776&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%205%20in%20E-flat%20major&R1=%P=5%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20776 BWV 776]
|-
| No. 6 || BWV 777 || Invention / harpsichord || E Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv777&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%206%20in%20E%20major&R1=%P=6%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20777 BWV 777]
|-
| No. 7 || BWV 778 || Invention / harpsichord || E Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv778&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%207%20in%20E%20minor&R1=%P=7%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20778 BWV 778]
|-
| No. 8 || BWV 779 || Invention / harpsichord || F Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv779&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%208%20in%20F%20major&R1=%P=8%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20779 BWV 779]
|-
| No. 9 || BWV 780 || Invention / harpsichord || F Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv780&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%209%20in%20F%20minor&R1=%P=9%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20780 BWV 780]
|-
| No. 10 || BWV 781 || Invention / harpsichord || G Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv781&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%2010%20n%20G%20major&R1=%P=10%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20781 BWV 781]
|-
| No. 11 || BWV 782 || Invention / harpsichord || G Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv782&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%2011%20in%20G%20minor&R1=%P=11%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20782 BWV 782]
|-
| No. 12 || BWV 783 || Invention / harpsichord || A Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv783&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%2012%20in%20A%20major&R1=%P=12%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20783 BWV 783]
|-
| No. 13 || BWV 784 || Invention / harpsichord || A Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv784&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%2013%20in%20A%20minor&R1=%P=13%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20784 BWV 784]
|-
| No. 14 || BWV 785 || Invention / harpsichord || Bb Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv785&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%2014%20in%20B-flat%20major&R1=%P=14%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20785 BWV 785]
|-
| No. 15 || BWV 786 || Invention / harpsichord || B Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv786&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=wiki.ccarh.org&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Invention%20No.%2015%20in%20B%20minor&R1=%P=15%20of%2015&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20786 BWV 786] 
|}

The harmonic cycle that Bach has constructed in the collection as a whole foreshadows the tonally more complete cycles of the two sets of paired preludes and fugues called the Well-Tempered Clavier. They appeared in 1722 and 1744.  It was not enough for young Friedemann to be able to play the pieces. He was being called to understand the cyclic possibilities that inhered in tonal relationships. This was a dominant focus in music theory of the time.  Johann David Heinichen's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths Circle of Fifths] was first formalized in 1711 and has remained the dominant scheme for rationalizing harmonic relations in Western music theory.

==Three-part inventions (<i>Sinfonie</i>)==
The three-part inventions, or <i>sinfonie</i>, follow the same cyclical organization in the aggregate. It has been suggested that the intended relationship between the inventions and sinfonias was to be performed in pairs, like the prelude-fugue sets of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Given their shared cycle of keys, Invention 1 might be followed by Sinfonia No. 1 and so forth.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Work No. !! Catalogue No. !! Genre / Instrument !! Key !! Score
|-
| No. 1 || BWV 787 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || C Major|| [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv787&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Sinfonia%20No.%201&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20787 BWV 787]
|-
| No. 2 || BWV 788 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || C Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv788&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Sinfonia%20No.%202&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20788 BWV 788]
|-
| No. 3 || BWV 789 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || D Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv789&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Sinfonia%20No.%203&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20789 BWV 789]
|-
| No. 4 || BWV 790 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || D Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv790&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Sinfonia%20No.%204&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20790 BWV 790]
|-
| No. 5 || BWV 791 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || E{{music|flat}} Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv791&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Sinfonia%20No.%205&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20791 BWV 791]
|-
| No. 6 || BWV 792 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || E Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv792&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Sinfonia%20No.%206&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20792 BWV 792]
|-
| No. 7 || BWV 793 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || E Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv793&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Sinfonia%20No.%207&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20793 BWV 793]
|-
| No. 8 || BWV 794 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || F Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv794&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Sinfonia%20No.%208&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20794 BWV 794]
|-
| No. 9 || BWV 795 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || F Minor || 
|-
| No. 10 || BWV 796 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || G Major || 
|-
| No. 11 || BWV 797 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || G Minor || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv797&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Sinfonia%20No.%2011&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20797 BWV 797]
|-
| No. 12 || BWV 798 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || A Major || 
|-
| No. 13 || BWV 799 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || A Minor || 
|-
| No. 14 || BWV 800 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || Bb Major || [https://pdf.musedata.org/?id=bachjs-bwv800&L1=(C)%201993%20Center%20for%20Computer%20Assisted%20Research%20in%20the%20Humanities%20(CCARH)&L2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&L3=Bach,%20J.S.:%20Sinfonia%20No.%2014&R1=%P%20of%20%C&R2=Steven%20Rasmussen,%20ed.&R3=BWV%20800 BWV 800]
|-
| No. 15 || BWV 801 || Sinfonia / harpsichord || B Minor || 
|}