J.S. Bach: The Works for Organ Volume XVII
Bach, J S: | Musical Offering, BWV1079: Ricercar a 6 Prelude & Fughetta in F major, BWV901 Fugue in B flat major, BWV955 Prelude & Fughetta in G major, BWV902 Fugue in D minor, BWV948 Fugue in A minor, BWV958 Prelude & Partita del tuono terzo in F major, BWV833 Fugue in B flat major, BWV954 Fugue in E minor, BWV945 Fantasia in C minor, BWV919 Prelude & Fughetta in G major, BWV902 Fantasia & Fugue in A minor, BWV944 Fantasia in A minor, BWV922 Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo, BWV992 Musical Offering, BWV1079: Ricercar a 3 Musical Offering, BWV1079: Ricercar a 6 (alternative registration) The Art of Fugue, BWV1080 Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein, BWV668a |
The last ten years of his life saw Bach developing a private preoccupation with the technical and musical possibilities surrounding strict fugal and canonic polyphony. The publication of the Goldberg Variations (BWV 988, 1742), with nine strict canons (to which an appendix of an additional fourteen has been recently discovered), the Musical Offering (BWV 1079, 1747), containing alongside two excellent ricercari, nine cerebrally devised canons in varying forms, and the canonic variations on Vom Himmel hoch (BWV 769, see Volume XI in this series), clearly reflect Bach’s increasing obsession with this type of composition. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to find that during the same period, Bach began another series of canons and fugues under the title The Art of Fugue |
