Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major (BWV 564) is an
organ composition by Johann Sebastian Bach. As is the
case with most other organ works by Bach, the autograph
score does not survive. The earliest manuscript copies
were probably made in 1719–1727. The title of the
piece in these copies is given, as expected of organ
literature of the time, simply as Toccata in C major
(or more precisely, Toccata ped: ex C in one source and
Toccata ex C? pedaliter, referring to the obbligato
pedal part). Th...(+)
Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major (BWV 564) is an
organ composition by Johann Sebastian Bach. As is the
case with most other organ works by Bach, the autograph
score does not survive. The earliest manuscript copies
were probably made in 1719–1727. The title of the
piece in these copies is given, as expected of organ
literature of the time, simply as Toccata in C major
(or more precisely, Toccata ped: ex C in one source and
Toccata ex C? pedaliter, referring to the obbligato
pedal part). The piece is an early work, probably
composed in the mid-to-late Weimar years, i.e.
1710–1717. It shares some similarities with other
toccatas composed around the same time, such as BWV
538, BWV 540, and others: all show the influence of
concerto style and form.
The work begins with an updated and extended form of
the old prelude-type, manual passaggio followed by a
pedal solo, and a motivic-contrapuntal section. Bach's
extended passaggio which opens BWV 564 may have been
inspired by Buttstett's preludes; both the rhetorical
rests followed by returns to the tonic and the single
pedal notes are part of the older tradition as well.
The following pedal solo, however, is unique in organ
literature: it is the longest known pedal introduction,
reaching far beyond the scope of Bach's models
(Buxtehude, Böhm, and others) or his own earlier works
(e.g. the pedal solo in BWV 549). The full-voiced
section that follows elaborates on motives first
introduced in the pedal solo. Various scholars have
noted how the construction of this first movement is
reminiscent of that of a concerto, if the opening
manual and pedal passages are taken as "solos" and the
closing contrapuntal section as a "tutti".
The second movement is again in two sections, one
marked Adagio and another marked Grave. The insertion
of a middle slow movement in an organ work was unusual
for Bach, although traces of this idea can be found in
other works from the same period: for example, a
surviving early version of Prelude and Fugue in C
Major, BWV 545, contains a slow Trio, which was removed
from the final version, but found its way into one of
the late organ trio sonatas, BWV 529. The Adagio is a
melody made of short phrases, characteristic of early
Bach, over what may be seen as a realized continuo
part. The music has been compared to Giuseppe Torelli's
Concerto in C major Op. 8 No. 1; but in Bach's oeuvre,
this Adagio stands alone and has no parallels. The
abundance of Neapolitan sixths and quasi-pizzicato
pedal suggests Italian influence. The Adagio flows
seamlessly into the short Grave section, which, through
italiante durezze chromatic progressions, enlarged with
several instances of diminished seventh chords
suspended over the next chord, leads back to the
tonic.
The third movement is a four-voice fugue in 6/8. It
includes a countersubject typical of permutation
fugues, which, unusually, engages in dialogue with the
subject. Several features of the fugue suggest that it
represented a considerable advance for Bach, especially
considering that there are middle entries as far as the
mediant and the dominant of the dominant.Somewhat
unusually for Bach, the fugue includes very few
episodes, the longest being the coda of the piece,
which is based on various style brisé figures.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toccata,_Adagio_and_Fugu
e_in_C_major,_BWV_564).
I created this transcription of the Toccata, Adagio and
Fugue in C Major (BWV 564) for Pipe Organ.
SHEET MUSIC