Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and WorkForkel, Johann Nikolaus
History
Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work
Forkel, Johann Nikolaus
Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750; Composers -- Germany -- Biography
1. _Clavierübung_, or “Exercises for the Clavier, consisting of
Preludes, Allemandes, Courantes, Sarabandes, Gigues, Minuets, etc.,
for the Diversion of Amateurs. Opus I. Published by the Composer,
1731.” This was Bach’s first published work and contains six
Suites. The first of them came out in 1726;(225) the others
followed in successive years until all were engraved together in
1731.(226) The work was much noticed at the time. Such compositions
for the Clavier had not been seen or heard before, and the man who
could play them was sure of a success. Our young players to-day
would profit by the study of them, so brilliant, agreeable,
expressive, and original are they. In the new edition(227) they are
entitled, “Exercises for the Clavier.”
2. _Clavierübung_, or “Exercises for the Clavier, Part II.,
consisting of a Concerto in the Italian style and an Overture in the
French manner(228) for a Clavier with two manuals. Published by
Christopher Weigel, Junior, in Nürnberg.”(229)
3. _Clavierübung_, or “Exercises for the Clavier, Part III.,
consisting of various Organ Preludes to the Catechism and other
Hymns, composed for the diversion of amateurs and particularly of
competent judges of such works. Published by the Composer.”
Besides the Preludes and Fugues for the Organ, all of which are
masterly, the book contains four Duetti for the Clavier,(230) models
of their kind.
4. _Sechs Choräle_, or “Six Choral Melodies of different kinds, for
an Organ with two manuals and pedal. Zella, in the Thuringian
Forest. Published by Johann G. Schübler.”(231) They are full of
dignity and religious feeling. In some of them, too, we have
instances of Bach’s original management of the stops.(232) Thus, in
the second Choral, _Wo soll ich fliehen hin,_ he gives to the first
manual an 8 foot, to the second a 16 foot, and to the pedal a 4 foot
stop. The pedal has the cantus firmus.(233)
5. _Clavierübung_, or “Exercises for the Clavier, consisting of an
Aria with several Variations, for a Clavier with two manuals.
Published by Balthasar Schmidt at Nürnberg.”(234) This admirable
work consists of thirty Variations, some in canon, in a variety of
movements and at all intervals from the unison to the ninth, with
easy flowing melody. It includes a regular fourpart Fugue,(235)
several extremely brillant Variations for two Claviers,(236) and
concludes with a Quodlibet, as it is called, which alone would
render its composer immortal, though it is not the best thing in the
volume.(237)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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