Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) was a German
composer and musician of the Baroque period. He
enriched established German styles through his skill in
counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and
the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from
abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's
compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the
Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions,
and over three hundred cantatas of which around two
hundred survive. His music is...(+)
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) was a German
composer and musician of the Baroque period. He
enriched established German styles through his skill in
counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and
the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from
abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's
compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the
Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions,
and over three hundred cantatas of which around two
hundred survive. His music is revered for its technical
command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth.
The date of composition here is uncertain, though the
high quality of the work suggests Bach had already
attained a mastery of the fugue form. Thus, it probably
dates at least to the early years of the composer's
Weimar period (1708 - 1717), during which he was the
court organist in the service of the Duke of
Sachsen-Weimar. In this Fugue in B minor, he uses a
theme by Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli, who gave
it a vigorous (Allegro) treatment. Bach, on the other
hand, slows the tempo and imaginatively alters its
character, converting its vivacity to a slightly
melancholy deliberateness. Bach presents Corelli's
theme in a somber dressing at the outset, the pacing
leisurely, the textures light. There is virtually no
hint of the Italianate character or lively manner of
the original here. Instead, the music has a serious
demeanor, but is hardly devoid of color and spirit. As
the work proceeds, inner voices become more active,
textures thicken, and a subtle sense of tension
develops, culminating in an ambivalent but resolute
ending. Bach's fugal writing is brilliantly crafted
throughout, growing somewhat more animated in the
brighter second half.
Although originally composed for Organ, I created this
modern interpretation of the Fugue in B Minor (BWV 579)
Transposed for Brass Quartet (Bb Trumpet, Flugelhorn,
French Horn & F Tuba).
Tags: Baroque
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