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.
One lesson offered by historical studies of musical
styles is that the greatest composers almost never
abandon their musical heritage entirely even in their
most progressive compositions. They tend to build their
works upon existing styles and genres, and then
transform them into new styles in ways unprecedented in
their times. This is a transcription of the first
movement of Bach's Sonata No. 3 in C major for solo
violin (BWV 1005). While it is a finely crafted
arrangement, it may be the work of his son Wilhelm
Friedemann Bach. The movement is marked Adagio and
since J.S. Bach scored the original for solo violin,
the version for keyboard sounds quite different as
harmonies and other details are added, thus putting
flesh on a rather dainty, though quite adequate frame.
Yet the piece is of such a distinctly barren character
that it remains rather thinly scored in its keyboard
incarnation. The work features a dark but elegant
theme, whose serious manner translates well to the
keyboard, but therein sounds a bit less intimate,
albeit more colorful and fuller. Bach brilliantly
weaves the melodic fibers, creating a richly nocturnal
atmosphere in which the theme unfolds in lovely,
descending waves. Harmonies often consist of
arpeggiated chords and relatively little else. In the
end, this piece is probably better-suited to the solo
violin than to the keyboard, though Bach (whichever one
fashioned it) made a quite workable version for the
keyboard.
SHEET MUSIC