MuseData: Johann Sebastian Bach
Sacred Vocal Works
Cantatas
Motets
Bach's six motets are well known to choirs and choral groups. Each one was composed and performed for a funeral or memorial service. Each reflects on the personal relationship between the recently deceased and God by proclaiming joy at the imminent reunion with Him in Heaven. Nos. 4 and 6 are thought to have been composed during Bach's Weimar period (1708-1717), the remainder subsequently. The others were composed between 1723 and 1732, during Bach's long tenure in Leipzig. Opinions vary on the question of two additions motets ("Ich lasse dich nicht," BWV Anh. 159, and "Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt, BWV 160) are partly by Bach or entirely by other members of his family. Although some motets were composed for funeral services, others may have been performed at festive celebrations.
| Work No. | Title | Catalogue No. | Genre/voices | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied | BWV 225 | Motet/SATB, SATB | BWV 225 |
| No. 2 | Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf | BWV 226 | Motet/SATB, SATB | BWV 226 |
| No. 3 | Jesu, meine Freude | BWV 227 | Motet/SSATB | Example |
| No. 4 | Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir | BWV 228 | Motet/SATB, SATB, insts. | BWV 228 |
| No. 5 | Komm, Jesu, komm | BWV 229 | Motet/SATB | BWV 229 |
| No. 6 | Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden | BWV 230 | Motet/SATB, BC | BWV 230 |
Masses
Orchestral Works
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 the resources required here 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.
| Work No. | Catalogue No. | Genre / Instruments ? | 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 | BWV 1046a | BWV 1046a/1 = BWV 52/1 |
| No. 2 | BWV 1047 | Concerto / Tr, Rec, Ob, Vn; 2V, Va, Vc, Vne, Cem | F Major | BWV 1047 | |
| No. 3 | BWV 1048 | Concerto / 3V, 3Va, 3Vc, Vne, Cem | G Major | BWV 1048 | BWV 1048/1 = BWV 174/1 |
| No. 4 | BWV 1049 | Concerto / VPr, Rec, 2Vn, Va, Vc, Vne, Cem | G Major | 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 | BWV 1050a | |
| No. 6 | BWV 1051 | Concerto / 2Va, 2Va da gamba, Vc, Vne, Cem | B♭ Major | BWV 1051 |
Miscellaneous Concertos
Copies from around 1730 survive for four miscellaneous concertos by Bach. Two or more of them may have been composed earlier, during Bach's Cöthen period. They follow three-movement plans, but relatively little is known about the circumstances for which they were intended. The sinfonia, judged to come from 1743-46, is believed to be detached from a lost cantata.
BWV 1043, for two violins and strings, is one of Bach's best known and most widely played works.
| Title | Catalogue No. | Genre/instrumentation | Key | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | BWV 1041 | Concerto/ | A Minor | EBWV 1041, 1st movement | |
| No. 2 | BWV 1042 | Concerto/ | E Major | Example | |
| No. 3 | BWV 1043 | Concerto/2VPr; VV Va BC | D Minor | BWV 1043 | |
| No. 4 | BWV 1044 | Concerto/ | A Minor | Example | |
| No. 5 | BWV 1045 | Sinfonia/3TrTm2Ob;VVVaBC | D Major | Example |
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. Unlike the Brandenburgs, they were not envisaged 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 (originally in A Minor) 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.
Earlier full or partial versions exist for two of the works, giving latitude to arguments for alternative instrumental choices. In the case of No. 2 (ostensibly the latest of the group), partisan perspectives on the principal part variously favor the violin (Joshua Rifkin), the flute (Steven Zohn), or the oboe (Gonsalo Ruiz). (Copy dates in the table below do not establish date of composition.)
| 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 | Leipzig, 1724-1725 | Example |
| Ouverture | BWV 1066 | Suite / 2Ob, Bn, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo | C Major | Leipzig, 1724-1725 | BWV 1066: Ouverture |
| Courante | BWV 1066 | Suite / 2Ob, Bn, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo | C Major | Leipzig, 1724-1725 | BWV 1066: Courante |
| Gavottes 1, 2 | BWV 1066 | Suite / 2Ob, Bn, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo | C Major | Leipzig, 1724-1725 | BWV 1066: Gavottes 1, 2 |
| Forlane | BWV 1066 | Suite / 2Ob, Bn, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo | C Major | Leipzig, 1724-1725 | BWV 1066: Forlane |
| Minuets 1, 2 | BWV 1066 | Suite / 2Ob, Bn, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo | C Major | Leipzig, 1724-1725 | BWV 1066: Minuets 1, 2 |
| Bourrées 1, 2 | BWV 1066 | Suite / 2Ob, Bn, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo | C Major | Leipzig, 1724-1725 | BWV 1066: Bourrées 1, 2 |
| Passepieds 1, 2 | BWV 1066 | Suite / 2Ob, Bn, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo | C Major | Leipzig, 1724-1725 | BWV 1066: Passepieds 1, 2 |
| Orchestral Suite, No. 2 | BWV 1067 | Suite / Fl, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo | B Minor | Leipzig, 1738-1739 | |
| Orchestral Suite, No. 3 | BWV 1068 | Suite / 3Tr, Timp, 2Ob, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo | D Major | Leipzig, 1730 | Example |
| orchestral Suite, No. 4 | BWV 1069 | Suite / 3Tr, Timp, 3Pb, Bn, 2V, Va, Vc, Cb, Continuo | D Major | Leipzig, 1730 | Example |
Works for Organ
Preludes and Fugues for Organ (BWV 531-535)
These two-movement sets for organ, despite their outward resemblance to the Well-Tempered Clavier and the Inventions, share with the orchestral suites that they span quite a stretch of Bach's lifetime. They share the two-movement arrangement but were undoubtedly composed for varied circumstances. Despite the span of years they cover, these works are set apart by the brilliance of the preludes. As assembled, they begin on consecutive tones of a pentatonic cycle--C Major (c1703-c1707), D Major (1708-1712), E Minor (1703), F Minor (c1712-1717), and G Minor (post-1717). (N.B. Subscripts in the table below distinguish preludes and fugues sharing a BWV number. They do not refer to other versions of the work.)
The first, third, and fifth of these pairs are thought to come from Bach's Arnstadt period (1703-1707), when he was serving as organist was at the Neue Kirche. Some of Bach's best-known chorale settings are considered to come from this period.
| Work Number | Catalogue Number | Genre/instrumentation | Key | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1a | BWV 531a | Prelude/Organ | C Major | BWV 531a |
| No. 1b | BWV 531b | Fugue/Organ | C Major | BWV 531b |
| No. 2a | BWV 532a | Prelude/Organ | D Major | BWV 532 |
| No. 2b | BWV 532b | Fugue/Organ | D Major | BWV 532 |
| No. 3a | BWV 533a | Prelude/Organ | E Minor | BWV 533a |
| No. 3b | BWV 533b | Fugue/Organ | E Minor | BWV 533b |
| No. 4a | BWV 534a | Prelude/Organ | F Minor | BWV 534a |
| No. 4b | BWV 534b | Fugue/Organ | F Minor | BWV 534b |
| No. 5a | BWV 535a | Prelude/Organ | G Minor | BWV 535a |
| No. 5b | BWV 535b | Fugue/Organ | G Minor | BWV 535b |
Preludes and Fugues for Organ (BWV 549-551)
In this group of three sets of organ preludes and fugues the first and third seem to come from near the start of Bach's tenure in Arnstadt. The middle set is slightly later (up to 1708) but is still likely to come from Bach's first professional position. Considering that they were composed when the composer was between 18 and 20 years of age, they show his enormous promise.
| Work No. | Catalogue No. | Genre/Instrumentation | Key | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | BWV 549 | Prelude & Fugue/Organ | C Minor | BWV 549 |
| No. 2 | BWV 550 | Prelude & Fugue/Organ | G Major | BWV 550 |
| No. 3 | BWV 551 | Prelude & Fugue/Organ | A Minor | BWV 551 |
Miscellaneous Works for Organ
- Prelude in G Major (BWV 568)
Very little is known about the Prelude in G Major.
- Prelude in A Minor (BWV 569)
Similarly little-known, this work was composed before 1717.
Works for Harpsichord
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. 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 Well-Tempered Clavier. Equal temperament, in which each named tone set equidistant (in cents) from adjacent keys, was not instantly adopted everywhere. Organs were generally tuned to meantone temperament. Much of the music of Asia employs 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.
WTC: Book I (1722)
Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier was published towards the end of Bach's tenure at the Cöthen court.
| Work No. | Catalogue No. | Genre/instrument | Key | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1a | BWV 846a | Prelude/keyboard | C Major | BWV 846a |
| No. 1b | BWV 846b | Fugue/keyboard | C Major | BWV 846b |
| No. 2a | BWV 847a | Prelude/keyboard | C Minor | BWV 847a |
| No. 2b | BWV 847b | Fugue/keyboard | C Minor | BWV 847b |
| No. 3a | BWV 848a | Prelude/keyboard | C# Major | BWV 848a |
| No. 3b | BWV 848b | Fugue/keyboard | C# Major | BWV 848b |
| No. 4a | BWV 849a | Prelude/keyboard | C# Minor | BWV 849a |
| No. 4b | BWV 849b | Fugue/keyboard | C# Minor | BWV 849b |
| No. 5a | BWV 850a | Prelude/keyboard | D Major | BWV 850a |
| No. 5b | BWV 850b | Fugue/keyboard | D Minor | BWV 850b |
| No. 6a | BWV 851a | Prelude/keyboard | D Minor | BWV 851a |
| No. 6b | BWV 851b | Fugue/keyboard | D Minor | BWV 851b |
| No. 7a | BWV 852a | Prelude/keyboard | Eb Major | BWV 852a |
| No. 7b | BWV 852b | Fugue/keyboard | Eb Major | BWV 852b |
| No. 8a | BWV 853a | Prelude/keyboard | Eb Minor | BWV 853a |
| No. 8b | BWV 853b | Fugue/keyboard | D# Minor | BWV 853b |
| No. 9a | BWV 854a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 9b | BWV 854b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 10a | BWV 855a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 10b | BWV 855b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 11a | BWV 856a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 11b | BWV 856b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 12a | BWV 857a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 12b | BWV 857b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 13a | BWV 858a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 13b | BWV 858b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 14a | BWV 859a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 14b | BWV 859b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 15a | BWV 860a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 15b | BWV 860b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 16a | BWV 861a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 16b | BWV 861b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 17a | BWV 862a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 17b | BWV 862b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 18a | BWV 863a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 18b | BWV 863b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 19a | BWV 864a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 19b | BWV 864b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 20a | BWV 865a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 20b | BWV 865b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 21a | BWV 866a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 21b | BWV 866b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 22a | BWV 867a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 22b | BWV 867b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 23a | BWV 868a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 23b | BWV 868b | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 24a | BWV 869a | Example | Example | Example |
| No. 24b | BWV 869b | Example | Example | Example |
WTC: Book II (1742)
Two-part Inventions
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 Inventio, 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 Sinfonia.
| Work No. | Catalogue No. | Genre / Instrument | Key | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | BWV 772 | Invention / harpsichord | C Major | BWV 772 |
| No. 1a | BWV 772a | Invention / harpsichord | C Major | |
| No. 2 | BWV 773 | Invention / harpsichord | C Minor | BWV 773 |
| No. 3 | BWV 774 | Invention / harpsichord | D Major | BWV 774 |
| No. 4 | BWV 775 | Invention / harpsichord | D Minor | BWV 775 |
| No. 5 | BWV 776 | Invention / harpsichord | E♭ Major | BWV 776 |
| No. 6 | BWV 777 | Invention / harpsichord | E Major | BWV 777 |
| No. 7 | BWV 778 | Invention / harpsichord | E Minor | BWV 778 |
| No. 8 | BWV 779 | Invention / harpsichord | F Major | BWV 779 |
| No. 9 | BWV 780 | Invention / harpsichord | F Minor | BWV 780 |
| No. 10 | BWV 781 | Invention / harpsichord | G Major | BWV 781 |
| No. 11 | BWV 782 | Invention / harpsichord | G Minor | BWV 782 |
| No. 12 | BWV 783 | Invention / harpsichord | A Major | BWV 783 |
| No. 13 | BWV 784 | Invention / harpsichord | A Minor | BWV 784 |
| No. 14 | BWV 785 | Invention / harpsichord | Bb Major | BWV 785 |
| No. 15 | BWV 786 | Invention / harpsichord | B Minor | 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 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 (Sinfonie)
The three-part inventions, or sinfonie, 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.
| Work No. | Catalogue No. | Genre / Instrument | Key | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | BWV 787 | Sinfonia / harpsichord | C Major | BWV 787 |
| No. 2 | BWV 788 | Sinfonia / harpsichord | C Minor | BWV 788 |
| No. 3 | BWV 789 | Sinfonia / harpsichord | D Major | BWV 789 |
| No. 4 | BWV 790 | Sinfonia / harpsichord | D Minor | BWV 790 |
| No. 5 | BWV 791 | Sinfonia / harpsichord | E♭ Major | BWV 791 |
| No. 6 | BWV 792 | Sinfonia / harpsichord | E Major | BWV 792 |
| No. 7 | BWV 793 | Sinfonia / harpsichord | E Minor | BWV 793 |
| No. 8 | BWV 794 | Sinfonia / harpsichord | F Major | 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 | 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 | BWV 800 |
| No. 15 | BWV 801 | Sinfonia / harpsichord | B Minor |