MuseData: Johann Sebastian Bach

Two- and Three-part Inventions

J. S. Bach: Invention No. 4 from the holograph manuscript.

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 taught in at least one of his posts in addition to teaching music. Each three-voice work that follows in the same collection was likewise called a Sinfonia.

Work No.	Catalogue No.	Genre / Instrument	Key	Score
No. 1	BWV 772	Invention / harpsichord	C Major	Example
No. 1a	BWV 772a	Invention / harpsichord	C Major	Example
No. 2	BWV 773	Invention / harpsichord	C Minor	Example
No. 3	BWV 774	Invention / harpsichord	D Major	Example
No. 4	BWV 775	Invention / harpsichord	D Minor	Example
No. 5	BWV 776	Invention / harpsichord	E♭ Major	Example
No. 6	BWV 777	Invention / harpsichord	E Major	Example
No. 7	BWV 778	Invention / harpsichord	E Minor	Example
No. 8	BWV 779	Invention / harpsichord	F Major	Example
No. 9	BWV 780	Invention / harpsichord	F Minor	Example
No. 10	BWV 781	Invention / harpsichord	G Major	Example
No. 11	BWV 782	Invention / harpsichord	G Minor	Example
No. 12	BWV 783	Invention / harpsichord	A Major	Example
No. 13	BWV 784	Invention / harpsichord	A Minor	Example
No. 14	BWV 785	Invention / harpsichord	Bb Major	Example
No. 15	BWV 786	Invention / harpsichord	B Minor	Example

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 in Western music theory.

The three-part inventions, or sinfonie, follow the same cyclical organization in the aggregate. Some commentators view the proper relationship between the inventions and sinfonias foreshadowing the pairing of preludes and flugues in the Well-Tempered Clavier. That is, given their shared cycle of keys, Invention 1 might be followed by Sinfonia No. 1.

Work No.	Catalogue No.	Genre / Instrument	Key	Score
No. 1	BWV 772	Invention / harpsichord	C Major	Example
No. 1a	BWV 772a	Invention / harpsichord	C Major	Example
No. 2	BWV 773	Invention / harpsichord	C Minor	Example
No. 3	BWV 774	Invention / harpsichord	D Major	Example
No. 4	BWV 775	Invention / harpsichord	D Minor	Example
No. 5	BWV 776	Invention / harpsichord	E♭ Major	Example
No. 6	BWV 777	Invention / harpsichord	E Major	Example
No. 7	BWV 778	Invention / harpsichord	E Minor	Example
No. 8	BWV 779	Invention / harpsichord	F Major	Example
No. 9	BWV 780	Invention / harpsichord	F Minor	Example
No. 10	BWV 781	Invention / harpsichord	G Major	Example
No. 11	BWV 782	Invention / harpsichord	G Minor	Example
No. 12	BWV 783	Invention / harpsichord	A Major	Example
No. 13	BWV 784	Invention / harpsichord	A Minor	Example
No. 14	BWV 785	Invention / harpsichord	Bb Major	Example
No. 15	BWV 786	Invention / harpsichord	B Minor	Example