40
votes
Accepted
Why does Brahms stand next to Bach and Beethoven?
First, a history lesson:
Peter Cornelius originally claimed that these "Three Bs" were Bach, Beethoven, and Berlioz. It was Hans von Bülow that then replaced Berlioz with Brahms, and Bülow did it ...
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36
votes
Why didn't Bach sign his manuscripts?
While the point expressed in user77817's answer is an important part of the story, it isn't the whole story. Furthermore, the premise of the question is oversimplified, if not simply incorrect, but ...
- 24.3k
27
votes
Accepted
Why does Bach sometimes end with flat 7ths?
Well spotted! This is very common. Bach often uses a brief modulation to the subdominant key near the end of his fugues, preludes and inventions (presumably other pieces, too). Sometimes this is so ...
- 21.5k
26
votes
Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor breaks the "no parallel octaves" rule?
The counterpoint rules for parallel octaves (and fifths) apply in cases where two or more voices are meant to be heard as independent. Similarly for covered fifths and octaves. (Also for long strings ...
- 25.7k
18
votes
Who was listening to Bach's compositions in his lifetime?
According to Wikipedia:
From 1703 he was back in Thuringia, working as a musician for Protestant churches in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen and, for longer stretches of time, at courts in Weimar, where he ...
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17
votes
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Why does Bach not resolve this chordal seventh down by step?
The D on the fourth beat in the alto is an error. It should be an E. You can compare editions at IMSLP. Both the original edition of the 1780s and the second engraving of 1831 have the E; the D was ...
- 24.3k
15
votes
A♭ major 9th chord in Bach is unexpectedly dissonant/jazzy
It's actually a suspension, which is to say that the actual chord is F Minor (F, A-flat, C, in first inversion) but the G and B-flat are held over from the previous chord before moving to F and A-flat....
- 8,810
12
votes
Why does Bach sometimes end with flat 7ths?
In addition to what's been mentioned above, the motion to the subdominant also has a plagal sound. What's more final than a big "aaaa-men" plagal cadence at the end of a hymn? Sometimes Bach's flat-7s ...
- 121
12
votes
Accepted
Obscure markings in BWV 814 I. Allemande, Bach, Henle edition
Small ornaments
The smaller ornaments indicate an editorial addition. These additions are typically based on alternative sources or common practice, but which cannot be conclusively determined by the ...
- 92.5k
11
votes
How does one maintain voice integrity when longer and shorter notes of the same pitch occur in two voices
One of the things my first piano teacher taught me when looking at Bach was to isolate the voices and play the parts by themselves to get to know how the individual lines sounded like, not just their ...
- 1,034
11
votes
In JS Bach's lifetime who listened to any of his organ preludes and fugues and when?
Bach was employed by churches for his entire working life, and a vast portion of his compositions were for the purpose of church services. He composed new material essentially every week, including ...
- 92.5k
10
votes
Accepted
Why did Anna Magdalena Bach write funny accidentals sometimes?
Yes, this seems to have been Bach's (and his family's) practice in the early part of his career. Schweitzer mentions it in his book 'Bach' (1911). I don't think anyone's come up with a plausible ...
- 94.8k
10
votes
Who was listening to Bach's compositions in his lifetime?
Bach was also director of the Leipzig Collegium Musicum which gave weekly concerts at Café Zimmermann (in Leipzig, of course.) He also had big family reunions which were described as big parties. Lots ...
- 25.7k
9
votes
Did Bach ever use melodic minor keys in chorales?
Yes and no.
"Yes" because there are certainly moments where he uses the raised sixth and seventh scale degrees of a minor scale. In fact, a recent question discussed such an example: Functional ...
- 84.9k
9
votes
Enharmonic key signatures in Bach's Well Tempered Clavier
Why didn't he just name both E♭ or both D♯?
Why not both in D# major seems clear to me as D# major would need 9 sharps. Eb minor has 6 flats like D# minor has 6 sharps. As usual Bach’s pieces are ...
- 26k
9
votes
What, if anything, is known about Bach's interpretation of, or emphasis on, meter?
This is a very interesting question, and I wish I had the time I would need to incorporate more source material into this answer.
Some thoughts:
in a passage such as the example, in 4/4 meter with ...
- 24.3k
8
votes
On Bach' fourteen canons
These pieces are really very short
This link explains it all very nicely in my view, although the video is rather long, but keep at it, from 1:36 onwards he has done a brilliant job
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8
votes
Accepted
Having significant difficulty with Bach's two part inventions for piano
Make sure you are ABSOLUTELY fluent hands separately before attempting to put them together. Then try it VERY slowly. Slowly enough to not make mistakes. If you do make a mistake, go even slower. ...
- 94.8k
8
votes
Accepted
Bwv 639 Bach/Busoni note length and symbols
It is music original written for organ where you have more than one manual plus pedals. Busoni made piano editions of many of Bach's organ pieces and your image shows Busoni's piano version.
Maybe it ...
- 4,815
8
votes
Accepted
How to "fix" Toccata and fugue?
There is no "one fits all" procedure. What you want to do is arranging: cutting out parts, changing where notes are to fit the instrument or your hand. Arranging was and is very commonly ...
- 645
8
votes
How does one maintain voice integrity when longer and shorter notes of the same pitch occur in two voices
The short, general answer
All things (all voices) being equal, solution #1 is the correct technical approach. The shorter note should interrupt the longer one, but then continue to be held (allowing ...
- 92.5k
8
votes
Bach BWV 812 Allemande: Fingering for this semiquaver passage over held note
Yes, that's definitely the idea. (You know, I've played this edition for 30 years and never noticed that the suggested fingering is technically impossible. But no one is going to miss the last beat of ...
- 7,828
8
votes
Accepted
Opening of Bach's mass in b minor: why does it make sense?
Structurally, the second chord is not a C♯ half-diminished seventh but an A♯ diminished seventh in first inversion. The B in the second soprano is a suspension. The harmonic rhythm is in half notes ...
- 24.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Where did JSBach study composing? Was he an autodidact?
A few things to note regarding the other answer and C.P.E. Bach's obituary:
First, CPE Bach and a number of Bach's students and admirers (including Forkel, Kirnberger, etc.) basically had an agenda ...
- 12.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Did Bach name his pieces?
Well, some names are certainly contributed by editors and tradition (he never called his two-violin concerto a "double concerto," let alone, for obvious reasons, "The Bach Double")....
- 18.7k
7
votes
Accepted
How to study Bach's harmony?
Two items come to mind:
The two and three part inventions. Bach wrote a preface to those in which he stated...
Sincere instruction...not only to compose good inventions, but to develop them well......
- 58.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible