Johann Sebastian Bach was better known as a virtuoso
organist than as a composer in his day. His sacred
music, organ and choral works, and other instrumental
music had an enthusiasm and seeming freedom that
concealed immense rigor. Bach's use of counterpoint was
brilliant and innovative, and the immense complexities
of his compositional style -- which often included
religious and numerological symbols that seem to fit
perfectly together in a profound puzzle of special
codes -- still amaze musici...(+)
Johann Sebastian Bach was better known as a virtuoso
organist than as a composer in his day. His sacred
music, organ and choral works, and other instrumental
music had an enthusiasm and seeming freedom that
concealed immense rigor. Bach's use of counterpoint was
brilliant and innovative, and the immense complexities
of his compositional style -- which often included
religious and numerological symbols that seem to fit
perfectly together in a profound puzzle of special
codes -- still amaze musicians today. Many consider him
the greatest composer of all time judging by the
character of Bach's early keyboard works, both the
improvisatory and virtuoso aspects of his playing acted
as spurs to his creativity. Improvisation was essential
to the keyboard player's training in Bach's day, and
numerous passages in the early keyboard works no doubt
had an extempore basis, notably hisfree fantasy
interludes, the toccatas and the ruminative elaborated
chord sequences in his preludes (BWV 921-923). In
addition, many pieces may have originated, at least in
part, as material for the exercise of Bach's own
virtuosity. However, these virtuoso and improvisatory
elements, the urge 'to run or leap up and down the
instrument, to take both hands as full as all the five
fingers will allow and to proceed in this wild manner
till he by chance finds a resting place? represent only
one side of the musical make-up of the young Bach. Just
as strong, and eventually predominant, was the impulse
to create order in sound, to excel in the art of
musical construc-tion. Here Bach appears to have been
very largely self-taught. His search for compositional
models is illustrated in the story of his illicit
copying during the Ohrdruf years (1695-1700) of a book
of keyboard pieces belonging to his elder brother
Johann Christoph. This book, which is no longer extant,
contained music by three seventeenth-century South
German composers (J. J. Froberger, J. C. Kerl and J.
Pachelbel) two of whom (Kerl and Pachelbel) were linked
with Johann Christoph in a direct teacher—pupil
line.
The Prelude for keyboard in B minor (BWV 923) is
believed to be the work of Wilhelm Hieronymous
Pachelbel (BC L131). In this piece, short transitions
connect the movements into a continuous cycle, somewhat
like the organ pastorale (BWV 590).
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_keyboard_and_lut
e_compositions_by_Johann_Sebastian_Bach).
Although originally written for Harpsichord. I created
this Arrangement of the Prelude in B Minor (BWV 923)
for Concert (Pedal) Harp.
SHEET MUSIC