List of chamber music works by Johann Sebastian Bach

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Chamber music by Johann Sebastian Bach refers to the compositions in the tenth chapter of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, catalogue of Bach's compositions), [1] or, in the New Bach Edition, the compositions in Series VI. [2] Chamber music is understood as containing:

Contents

Works for solo violin, cello or flute

Sonatas and partitas for solo violin (BWV 1001–1006)

Suites for solo cello (BWV 1007–1012)

Partita for solo flute (BWV 1013)

Two or more instruments

Six sonatas for violin and harpsichord (BWV 1014–1019)

Other works for accompanied violin (BWV 1020–1026)

Sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord (BWV 1027–1029)

Sonatas for accompanied flute (BWV 1030–1035)

Trio sonatas (BWV 1036–1040)

Chamber music works in the 10th chapter of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (1998)

Legend to the table
columncontent
01BWV Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (lit.'Bach-works-catalogue'; BWV) numbers. Anhang (Annex; Anh.) numbers are indicated as follows:
  • preceded by I: in Anh. I (lost works) of BWV1 (1950 first edition of the BWV)
  • preceded by II: in Anh. II (doubtful works) of BWV1
  • preceded by III: in Anh. III (spurious works) of BWV1
  • preceded by N: new Anh. numbers in BWV2 (1990) and/or BWV2a (1998)
022aSection in which the composition appears in BWV2a:
  • Chapters of the main catalogue indicated by Arabic numerals (1-13)
  • Anh. sections indicated by Roman numerals (I–III)
  • Reconstructions published in the NBE indicated by "R"
03DateDate associated with the completion of the listed version of the composition. Exact dates (e.g. for most cantatas) usually indicate the assumed date of first (public) performance. When the date is followed by an abbreviation in brackets (e.g. JSB for Johann Sebastian Bach) it indicates the date of that person's involvement with the composition as composer, scribe or publisher.
04NameName of the composition: if the composition is known by a German incipit, that German name is preceded by the composition type (e.g. cantata, chorale prelude, motet, ...)
05Key Key of the composition
06ScoringSee scoring table below for the abbreviations used in this column
07BG Bach Gesellschaft-Ausgabe (BG edition; BGA): numbers before the colon indicate the volume in that edition. After the colon an Arabic numeral indicates the page number where the score of the composition begins, while a Roman numeral indicates a description of the composition in the Vorwort (Preface) of the volume. [4]
08NBE New Bach Edition (German: Neue Bach-Ausgabe, NBA): Roman numerals for the series, followed by a slash, and the volume number in Arabic numerals. A page number, after a colon, refers to the "Score" part of the volume. Without such page number, the composition is only described in the "Critical Commentary" part of the volume. The volumes group Bach's compositions by genre: [5]
  1. Cantatas (Vol. 1–34: church cantatas grouped by occasion; Vol. 35–40: secular cantatas; Vol. 41: Varia)
  2. Masses, Passions, Oratorios (12 volumes)
  3. Motets, Chorales, Lieder (4 volumes)
  4. Organ Works (11 volumes)
  5. Keyboard and Lute Works (14 volumes)
  6. Chamber Music (5 volumes)
  7. Orchestral Works (7 volumes)
  8. Canons, Musical Offering, Art of Fugue (3 volumes)
  9. Addenda (approximately 7 volumes)
09Additional infomay include:
  • "after" – indicating a model for the composition
  • "by" – indicating the composer of the composition (if different from Johann Sebastian Bach)
  • "in" – indicating the oldest known source for the composition
  • " pasticcio " – indicating a composition with parts of different origin
  • "see" – composition renumbered in a later edition of the BWV
  • "text" – by text author, or, in source

Provenance of standard texts and tunes, such as Lutheran hymns and their chorale melodies, Latin liturgical texts (e.g. Magnificat) and common tunes (e.g. Folia), are not usually indicated in this column. For an overview of such resources used by Bach, see individual composition articles, and overviews in, e.g., Chorale cantata (Bach)#Bach's chorale cantatas, List of chorale harmonisations by Johann Sebastian Bach#Chorale harmonisations in various collections and List of organ compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach#Chorale Preludes.

10BD Bach Digital Work page
Legend for abbreviations in "Scoring" column
Voices (see also SATB)
aAbBsStTvV
alto (solo part)alto (choir part) bass (solo part)bass (choir part) soprano (solo part)soprano (choir part) tenor (solo part)tenor (choir part)voice (includes parts for unspecified voices or instruments as in some canons) vocal music for unspecified voice type
Winds and battery (bold = soloist)
BasBelCntFlHnObObaOdcTaiTbnTdtTmpTr
bassoon (can be part of Bc, see below) bell(s) (musical bells) cornett, cornettino flute (traverso, flauto dolce, piccolo, flauto basso) natural horn, corno da caccia, corno da tirarsi, lituo oboe oboe d'amore oboe da caccia taille trombone tromba da tirarsi timpani tromba (natural trumpet, clarino trumpet)
Strings and keyboard (bold = soloist)
BcHcKbLuLwOrgStrVaVcVdgVlVne
basso continuo: Vdg, Hc, Vc, Bas, Org, Vne and/or Lu harpsichord keyboard (Hc, Lw, Org or clavichord) lute, theorbo Lautenwerck (lute-harpsichord) organ (/man. = manualiter, without pedals)strings: Vl I, Vl II and Va viola(s), viola d'amore, violetta violoncello, violoncello piccolo viola da gamba violin(s), violino piccolo violone, violone grosso
Background colours
ColourMeaning
greenextant or clearly documented partial or complete manuscript (copy) by Bach and/or first edition under Bach's supervision
yellowextant or clearly documented manuscript (copy) or print edition, in whole or in part, by close relative, i.e. brother (J. Christoph), wife (A. M.), son (W. F. / C. P. E. / J. C. F. / J. Christian) or son-in-law (Altnickol)
orange-brownextant or clearly documented manuscript (copy) by close friend and/or pupil (Kellner, Krebs, Kirnberger, Walther, ...), or distant family member
Chamber music works in Chapter 10 of BWV2a
BWV2aDateNameKeyScoringBGNBEAdditional infoBD
100110.1720 Sonatas and partitas for solo violin No. 1: Sonata No. 1 G min.Vl271: 3VI/1: 3
rev 3: 3
BWV 1000, 539/2 01179
100210.1720 Partitas and sonatas for solo violin No. 2: Partita No. 1 B min.Vl271: 3VI/1: 10
rev 3: 10
01180
100310.1720 Sonatas and partitas for solo violin No. 3: Sonata No. 2 A min.Vl271: 3VI/1: 20
rev 3: 20
BWV 964 01181
100410.1720 Partitas and sonatas for solo violin No. 4: Partita No. 2 D min.Vl271: 3VI/1: 30
rev 3: 30
01182
100510.1720 Sonatas and partitas for solo violin No. 5: Sonata No. 3 C maj.Vl271: 3VI/1: 42
rev 3: 42
after "Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott"; → BWV 968 01183
1006.110.1720 Partitas and sonatas for solo violin No. 6: Partita No. 3 E maj.Vl271: 3VI/1: 54
rev 3: 54
BWV 1006.2, 29/1 and 120a/4 01184
100710.1720 (AMB) Suite for cello No. 1 G maj.Vc271: 59VI/2: 2 01186
100810.1720 (AMB) Suite for cello No. 2 D min.Vc271: 59VI/2: 8 01187
100910.1720 (AMB) Suite for cello No. 3 C maj.Vc271: 59VI/2:14 01188
101010.1720 (AMB) Suite for cello No. 4 E♭ maj.Vc271: 59VI/2: 22 01189
101110.1720 (AMB) Suite for cello No. 5 C min.Vc271: 59VI/2: 32BWV 995 01190
101210.1720 (AMB) Suite for cello No. 6 D maj.Vc271: 59VI/2:40 01191
101310.1717–1723? Partita for flute A min.FlVI/3: 3 01192
101410.1717–1723? Sonata for violin and harpsichord No. 1 B min.Vl Hc9: 69VI/1: 83
rev 3: 83
01193
101510.1717–1723? Sonata for violin and harpsichord No. 2 A maj.Vl Hc9: 84VI/1: 99
rev 3: 99
01194
101610.1717–1723? Sonata for violin and harpsichord No. 3 E maj.Vl Hc9: 98VI/1: 115
rev 3: 115
01195
101710.1717–1723? Sonata for violin and harpsichord No. 4 C min.Vl Hc9: 120VI/1: 136
rev 3: 136
01196
1018.210.1717–1723? Sonata for violin and harpsichord No.  5 F min.Vl Hc9: 136VI/1: 153
rev 3: 153
after BWV 1018.1 01197
1018.110.1717–1723? Adagio, early version of BWV 1018/3 F min.Vl Hc9: 250VI/1: 195
rev 3: 194
BWV 1018.2/3 01198
1019.310.after 1729? Sonata for violin and harpsichord No.  6 G maj.Vl Hc9: 154VI/1: 172
rev 3: 172
after BWV 1019.2 01200
1019.110.1725 Sonata for violin and harpsichord No.  6, early version 1 (partially lost)9: 252VI/1: 197
rev 3: 196
BWV 830/3, /6, 1019.2 01199
1019.2c.1730–1731 Sonata for violin and harpsichord No.  6, early version 2 VI/1: 197
rev 3: 218
after BWV 1019.1, 120.1/4; → BWV 1019.3 11577
102110.1732–1733Sonata for violin and continuoG maj.Vl BcVI/1: 65
rev 3: 65
BWV 1022, 1038 01202
102310.c.1714–1717?Sonata for violin and continuoE min.Vl Bc431: 31VI/1: 73
rev 3: 73
01204
1025.110.after 1739?Suite for violin and keyboardA maj.Vl Kb9: 43VI/5: 67after Weiss; → BWV 1025.2 11578
1025.210.c.1746–1747?Suite for violin and keyboard (incomplete)A maj.Vl Kb9: 43VI/5: 97after BWV 1025.1 01206
102610.c.1714–1717Fugue for violin and continuoG min.Vl Bc431: 39VI/5: 59 01207
102710.c.1742 Sonata for gamba and harpsichord No. 1 G maj.Gam Hc9: 175VI/4: 3after BWV 1039; → 1027/1a /2a /4a 01208
102810. Sonata for gamba and harpsichord No. 2 D maj.Gam Hc9: 175VI/4: 21 01210
102910. Sonata for gamba and harpsichord No. 3 G min.Gam Hc9: 175VI/4: 36BWV 545b 01211
1030.210.1736–1737 Sonata for flute and harpsichord B min.Fl Hc9: 3VI/3: 33after BWV 1030.1 11579
1030.110.1717–1736 Sonata for unknown instrument and harpsichord G min.v HcVI/3: 89BWV 1030.2 01212
103210.1736–1737 Sonata for flute and harpsichord (/1 incomplete)A maj.Fl Hc9: 32, 245VI/3: 54BWV 525a 01214
103410.1717–1723? Sonata for flute and continuo E min.Fl Bc431: 9VI/3: 11 01216
103510.1717–1723? Sonata for flute and continuo E maj.Fl Bc431: 21VI/3: 23 01217
103910.1708–1726 Sonata G maj.2Fl Bc9: 260VI/3: 71BWV 1027 01221

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Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin (Bach)

The sonatas and partitas for solo violin are a set of six works composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are sometimes referred to in English as the sonatas and partias for solo violin in accordance with Bach's headings in the autograph manuscript: "Partia" was commonly used in German-speaking regions during Bach's time, whereas the Italian "partita" was introduced to this set in the 1879 Bach Gesellschaft edition, having become standard by that time. The set consists of three sonatas da chiesa in four movements and three partitas in dance-form movements. The 2nd Partita is widely known for its Chaconne, considered one of the most masterly and expressive works ever written for solo violin.

Flute repertoire is the general term for pieces composed for flute. The following lists are not intended to be complete, but rather to present a representative sampling of the most commonly played and well-known works in the genre. The lists also do not generally include works originally written for other instruments and subsequently transcribed, adapted, or arranged for flute, unless such piece is very common in the repertory, in which case it is listed with its original instrumentation noted.

Orchestral suites (Bach)

The four orchestral suites BWV 1066–1069, are four suites by Johann Sebastian Bach. The name ouverture refers only in part to the opening movement in the style of the French overture, in which a majestic opening section in relatively slow dotted-note rhythm in duple meter is followed by a fast fugal section, then rounded off with a short recapitulation of the opening music. More broadly, the term was used in Baroque Germany for a suite of dance-pieces in French Baroque style preceded by such an ouverture. This genre was extremely popular in Germany during Bach's day, and he showed far less interest in it than was usual: Robin Stowell writes that "Telemann's 135 surviving examples [represent] only a fraction of those he is known to have written"; Christoph Graupner left 85; and Johann Friedrich Fasch left almost 100. Bach did write several other ouverture (suites) for solo instruments, notably the Cello Suite no. 5, BWV 1011, which also exists in the autograph Lute Suite in G minor, BWV 995, the Keyboard Partita no. 4 in D, BWV 828, and the Overture in the French style, BWV 831 for keyboard. The two keyboard works are among the few Bach published, and he prepared the lute suite for a "Monsieur Schouster," presumably for a fee, so all three may attest to the form's popularity.

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The Sonata in C major for flute and basso continuo is a sonata in 4 movements. It is attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach in the manuscript, which is in the hand of his son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and has been dated to about 1731, although scholars question the attribution

Flute Sonata in E major, BWV 1035

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Sonata in G major for two flutes and basso continuo, BWV 1039

The Sonata in G major for two flutes and basso continuo, BWV 1039, is a trio sonata by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is a version, for a different instrumentation, of the Gamba Sonata, BWV 1027. The first, second and fourth movement of these sonatas also exist as a trio sonata for organ.

Six Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord, BWV 1014–1019

The six sonatas for violin and obbligato harpsichord BWV 1014–1019 by Johann Sebastian Bach are works in trio sonata form, with the two upper parts in the harpsichord and violin over a bass line supplied by the harpsichord and an optional viola da gamba. Unlike baroque sonatas for solo instrument and continuo, where the realisation of the figured bass was left to the discretion of the performer, the keyboard part in the sonatas was almost entirely specified by Bach. They were probably mostly composed during Bach's final years in Cöthen between 1720 and 1723, before he moved to Leipzig. The extant sources for the collection span the whole of Bach's period in Leipzig, during which time he continued to make changes to the score.

Johann Pfeiffer was a German violinist, concert master and composer of the late baroque period.

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Sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord (Bach)

The sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord, BWV 1027–1029, are three sonatas composed by Johann Sebastian Bach for viola da gamba and harpsichord. They probably date from the late 1730s and early 1740s.

The Concerto, BWV 525a, is a trio sonata in C major for violin, cello and basso continuo, based on material otherwise found in Johann Sebastian Bach's first Organ Sonata, BWV 525, and Flute Sonata in A major, BWV 1032. The oldest extant manuscript containing the BWV 525a arrangement, D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 345, is dated to the middle of the 18th century. Although this version of Bach's sonata movements may have originated during his lifetime in the circle around him, it seems unlikely that the composer supervised, or even ordered, the manufacture of the string trio adaptation, thus the arrangement has been listed in BWV Anh. II, that is the Anhang (Anh.) of doubtful works, in the 1998 edition of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV). Breitkopf & Härtel published BWV 525a in 1965. Digital facsimiles of 18th- and 19th-century manuscript copies of the arrangement, in which the sonata is titled "Concerto", became available in the 21st century.

Organ Sonatas (Bach)

The organ sonatas, BWV 525–530 by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six sonatas in trio sonata form. Each of the sonatas has three movements, with three independent parts in the two manuals and obbligato pedal. The collection was put together in Leipzig in the late 1720s and contained reworkings of prior compositions by Bach from earlier cantatas, organ works and chamber music as well as some newly composed movements. The sixth sonata, BWV 530, is the only one for which all three movements were specially composed for the collection. When played on an organ, the second manual part is often played an octave lower on the keyboard with appropriate registration. Commentators have suggested that the collection might partly have been intended for private study to perfect organ technique, some pointing out that its compass allows it to be played on a pedal clavichord. The collection of sonatas is generally regarded as one of Bach's masterpieces for organ. The sonatas are also considered to be amongst his most difficult compositions for the instrument.

References

  1. (BWV2a) Alfred Dürr, Yoshitake Kobayashi (eds.), Kirsten Beißwenger. Bach Werke Verzeichnis: Kleine Ausgabe, nach der von Wolfgang Schmieder vorgelegten 2. Ausgabe. Preface in English and German. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998. ISBN   3765102490 - ISBN   978-3765102493, pp. 411–423
  2. The New Bach Edition – Series VI: Chamber Music at the Bärenreiter website
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Basso, Alberto  [ it ]. 1979. Frau Musika: la vita e le opere di J.S. Bach, EDT. ISBN   978-88-7063-011-4, p. 702.
  4. Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe, .../Prefaces, .../Thematic Catalogue: documentation and facsimiles at the International Music Score Library Project
  5. Neue Bach-Ausgabe: documentation at the International Music Score Library Project