Works for lute (Bach)

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Although the sound work by Johann Sebastian Bach with seven works for lute solo, with only BWV 995 and BWV 998 express the sounds are assigned, is very manageable, it takes in the world of lute compositions and accordingly in today's guitar repertoire a parent space a. They are part of the compulsory repertoire of demanding lute and guitar literature. The lute is also used as an ensemble instrument in Bach's work (e.g. BWV 198 and BWV 245).

Bach's work is undisputedly among the most artistic that has ever been composed for the lute and is to be seen as trend-setting in the exhaustion of the polyphonic possibilities on the lute. One of the highlights here is certainly the fugue in C minor from the Partita BWV ( Bach Works Directory according to Wolfgang Schmieder ) 997. The descending melody with the first counterpoint is set against a chromatically ascending bass movement from bar 56 in the bass part , while the middle voice “fills” the sentence harmoniously in a sixteenth-note movement.

Emergence

The time of origin of the works, as well as the authenticity of the authorship in some cases, cannot be clearly clarified. An important stimulus for Bach's lute works may have been his acquaintance with Silvius Leopold Weiss , the most famous lutenist in the German-speaking world at the time . In his dissertation on Bach's lute works, Thomas Kohlhase assumes a period of around 30 years for the creation of the works, which extends from Bach's Weimar period to around 1740.

Bach wrote down his lute compositions in a double system of treble, tenor or violin and bass clef; sometimes the treble clef is meant to be octave. Bach therefore did not use the notation in tablature that was common up until his time in any of his compositions for lute . Exceptions to this are some bars in BWV 998, which Bach noted in organ tablature for reasons of space. For this reason, however, it is difficult to clearly assign the group of so-called “lute works” to a specific instrument.

Bach wrote the compositions secured for lute for a 13-course lute ( baroque lute ) or theorbo in the New French lute tuning (GAdfad'-f ').

Suites

Suite in G minor BWV 995

Manuscript of the Suite in G minor

Sentences:

Composition: The Suite in G minor BWV 995 is a version of Suite No. 5 for solo violoncello in C minor (BWV 1011, also known as “Suite discordable”), designed for the 14-course lute - more precisely: Both versions go to one common original version, although it is not clear whether it was written for lute or cello .

The dedication to a “ Monsieur Schouster ”, which Kohlhase brings in connection with the lutenist Schuster, who is proven to have worked in Dresden between 1741 and 1784, is questionable. The time shift therefore coincides with the assumption that the dedication was added later. Schulze sets up a chain of circumstantial evidence - which is hypothetical, but does not appear absurd - according to which the dedicatee is the Leipzig publisher Jacob Schuster, for whom Bach prepared a transcription intended for publication. In terms of time, this assumption would coincide with that of Kohlhase, Schulze assumes the year 1730 was created.

Music: The suite begins with a French overture consisting of an introduction in dotted rhythms and a fugato - the typical introductory movement for a baroque orchestral suite .

Suite in E minor BWV 996

Sentences:

  • Praeludio ¢ E minor - Passaggio Presto 3/8 in E minor
  • Allemande ¢ E minor
  • Courante 3/2 in E minor
  • Sarabande 3/2 in E minor
  • Bourrée ¢ E minor
  • Gigue 12/8 in E minor

Composition: Kohlhase assumes the suite in E minor BWV 996, probably composed in Weimar, to be the oldest and dates it to before 1717: A terminus post quem results from a style comparison with early Bach piano and organ pieces . According to Ragossnig, two copies have been preserved: a handwritten transcription made by Johann Gottfried Walther around 1715 in the double system (soprano and bass clef) and a non-assignable copy from an anthology that is now owned by the Bibliothèque royale de Belgique in Brussels.

Music: This suite is often referred to as "Lute Suite No. 1" in literature, based on a controversial numbering of the lute suites by Hans Dagobert Bruger (1894–1932). After the introductory prelude, the one-minute Presto is the first polyphonic climax of the suite. In the sequence of Allemande, Courante and Sarabande, the tempo is slowed down more and more until it is a little livelier again in the Bourrée. This phrase has been adapted several times by rock musicians . The final gigue is a prime example of how Bach's polyphonic compositional art also extends to the lute, although there are doubts that the composition can be clearly assigned to the (13-course) lute and not to a lute piano .

Suite in C minor BWV 997

Sentences:

  • Prelude in C in C minor
  • Fugue 6/8 in C minor
  • Sarabande 3/4 in C minor
  • Gigue 6/8 in C minor - Double 6/8 in C minor

Composition: The Suite in C minor BWV 997 is believed to be one of Bach's later works. An autograph by Bach has not survived, the presumed date of origin is the period between 1738 and 1741, when a manuscript by Johann Friedrich Agricola was written in Leipzig.

In some early copies the second and fifth movements of the suite, the fugue and the double attached to the gigue are missing. Today, however, these are clearly recognized as Bach's creation. The question of the occupation of the suite is much more difficult and cannot be clearly clarified to this day.

With the exception of a tablature arrangement, all of the surviving copies are written in piano score, which, however, due to the voice guidance, do not justify any unambiguity in favor of the piano. What is striking in the consistently three-part fugue is the unusual guidance of the middle voices. Kohlhase concludes: “With their predominantly linear and step-by-step movement, seventh, decimal, undecimal and duodecimal jumps appear disruptive in terms of sound and in terms of composition. Here at the latest it becomes clear that the notation of the upper system cannot be meant literally. If you read the treble clef as an octaved treble clef, the sentence becomes coherent and balanced. "

A decimal becomes a third, the seventh becomes a second, etc. Both possible versions speak against the piano due to their playability. The octaved version makes the suite for (13-course) lute playable and technically balanced. Both contemporary tablature arrangements and today's editions are based on this reading, but the reasons for this idiosyncratic notation are still unclear. However, if one proceeds from the fact that today's guitar notation system also requires an octaved treble clef, one could assume that Bach developed this system himself and, despite the piano score, presented the lutenist with a new system in the treble clef.

However, the fact that the double is obviously not subject to this principle causes complete confusion. Kohlhase is aware of the contradictions and inconsistencies and hypothetically assumes that the suite in C minor could have been a suite for a lute piano . Since the development of the lute piano coincided with the creation of the lute suite, it would be possible that the suite was conceived as a lute suite with four movements, to which a fifth movement was added, ad libitum, so to speak, if the piece was performed on the lute piano.

Music: The second movement is unusual, as it is a da capo fugue that is rare for Bach .

Suite in E major BWV 1006a

Sentences:

  • Prelude 3/4 in E major
  • Loure 6/4 in E major
  • Gavotte en Rondeau ¢ E major
  • Minuet I 3/4 in E major - Minuet II 3/4 in E major
  • Bourrée 2 in E major
  • Gigue 6/8 in E major

Composition: The Suite in E major BWV 1006a is also an arrangement of an earlier solo suite, the 3rd violin partita in E major BWV 1006 , which was written around 1720. The transcription appeared as an autograph around 1737, but without specifying an instrument, which is why there was long disagreement about the line-up. The pitch range (A to e '') corresponds more to that of the lute (“the harpsichord only reached down to C in Bach's time”), even if the usual mood at the time made the work appear very uncomfortable for a common 13-course lute Bach could also have had a 14-course instrument available. In a letter to the owner of the autograph at the time, Philipp Spitta leaves no doubt that he sees the work as being arranged for a clavier (keyboard instrument such as harpsichord or clavichord ). But since Bach requires scordatures for some of his suites , this is also conceivable for the E major suite. Due to the atypical characteristics in terms of pitch range, movement and figurative work, Kohlhase assumes a clear reference to a plucked instrument that he defines as a lute. The processing is dated between 1735 and 1740. Although it bears no dedication, it can be assumed that it was transcribed for one of the two famous lutenists Silvius Leopold Weiss or Johann Kropffgans, who both can be shown to have made music in Bach's house in 1739.

Preludes and Fugues

Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E flat major BWV 998

Sentences:

  • Prelude 12/8 in E flat major
  • Fuga in E flat major
  • Allegro 3/8 in E flat major

Composition: Prelude, Fugue, Allegro in E flat major BWV 998 is preserved in Bach's original handwriting, although it is not dated. However, watermarks on the paper and Bach's handwriting suggest that it was made around 1735. Although the piece has the scoring indication “pour la Luth. ó Harpsichord ”precedes, Kohlhase assumes a primary composition for the (14-course) lute due to the composition and the range of notes. Like all of Bach's original handwritings that are assigned to the lute, the notation is in the double system with treble and bass clef.

Prelude in C minor BWV 999

Sentence name:

  • Prelude 3/4 in C minor

Composition : The prelude in C minor BWV 999, which, composed as the third of the so-called Twelve Little Preludes , is dated to the Koethen time around 1720, is considered to be the second composition in terms of genesis . This work has also been preserved as a contemporary copy in the double system. Kohlhase states that the authenticity of the work could be questioned for reasons of tradition, but not in terms of style . Indeed, there is an unmistakable parallel to the Prelude in C major from the first part of the Well-Tempered Clavier .

Fugue in G minor BWV 1000

Sentence name:

  • c in g minor

Origin: From the fugue in G minor BWV 1000 only a tablature transcription by Johann Christian Weyrauch has survived, which was made around 1730. It goes back to the second movement (94 bars) of the G minor sonata for violin solo (BWV 1001), which was written after 1720. An exact dating of Bach's adaptation is not possible. Even whether it is the work of Bach or the Intavolator Weyrauch cannot be proven with certainty. An arrangement for organ (BWV 539.2) in D minor with 96 bars of the original solo violin sonata has survived, although this cannot be definitely traced back to Bach. While the organ version is said to be of “mediocre quality”, the arrangement for (13-course) lutes is of a higher level and, like the organ version, adds two more bars to the original version. In recent research it is generally seen as the work of Bach.

Performance practice with guitar

Common arrangements

The setup of Bach's lute works for guitar (but also for common lute tunings) often requires octaves in the voice leading or the transpositions of complete suites. Only the suites in E minor BWV 996 and E major BWV 1006a can be easily transferred in their original key. The suites in G minor BWV 995, C minor BWV 997 as well as the fugue in G minor BWV 1000 are usually after A minor, Prelude, Fugue, Allegro in E flat major BWV 998 after D major and the Prelude in C minor BWV 999 transposed to D minor. The guitarist Ansgar Krause recorded the lute works BWV 995-998 in the original keys on the guitar and published the notes of his transcription. The 1975 album John Williams Plays Bach: The Complete Lute Music on Guitar by John Williams is one of the most important recordings of the lute works on the guitar .

The Bach renaissance in the 19th and 20th centuries

Since the Bach renaissance of the 19th and 20th centuries, his pieces have become an integral part of concert life. In the course of historical performance practice , his lute work has become an integral part of the guitar repertoire, including replicas of original lutes, but especially designed for guitar. Other works by Bach were also transcribed for guitar and, like the lute compositions, are now part of the standard repertoire. The arrangements for the cello suites, e.g. B. by John Duarte and Andrés Segovia as well as the violin partitas, of which the arrangement of the Ciaccona from the second violin partita in D minor BWV 1004 must be mentioned.

Work, work editions and transcriptions

  • Pieces pour Luth. BWV 995, 997, 1000 in tablature by Johann Christian Weyrauch, facsimile edited by Albert Reyerman, Tree Edition, Lübeck
  • New edition of all works Series V, Volume 10: Individually handed down piano works II and compositions for lute instruments. Edited by Hartwig Eichberg (piano works) and Thomas Kohlhase (lute works). Bärenreiter, Kassel 1976.
  • Hans Dagobert Bruger: Johann Sebastian Bach, compositions for the lute. First complete and critically reviewed edition. Transcribed and edited from old source material for today's lute. 1921; 3. Edition. Julius Zwißlers Verlag (owner Georg Kallmeyer), Wolfenbüttel 1925; Reprinted by Karl Heinrich Möseler Verlag, Wolfenbüttel / Zurich. - For the modern 10-string bass lute in guitar tuning.
  • Anton Stingl : Johann Sebastian Bach - lute music, old lute music arranged for guitar. Friedrich Hofmeister, Leipzig 1957.
  • Thomas Schmitt: Johann Sebastian Bach's works for lute. In: Guitar & Laute Volume 7, 1985, Issue 6, pp. 13-20, and Volume 8, 1986, Issue 1, pp. 26 f. and 64 f.
  • Paolo Cherici (Ed.): Johann Sebastian Bach, Opere complete per liuto. Zerboni, Milan
    • Fuga BWV 1000. (A. Borghese)
    • Suite BWV 995. ( Oscar Ghiglia )
    • Suite BWV 998. (A. Company)
    • Suite BWV 1006a. (Oscar Ghiglia)
  • José de Azpiazu (arrangements for guitar):
    • Prelude and Fugue. (BWV 999). G. Ricordi & Co., Munich
    • Sonata in E flat major.
    • Suite in E minor.
    • Suite in c minor.
    • Suite in G minor.
    • Suite in E major.
  • Edmund Wensiecki: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1759). Lute music. Revised and edited for the guitar, with a brief introduction to the lute tablature. Music publisher Friedrich Hofmeister, Hofheim am Taunus 1965; 8th edition ibid 1977.

literature

  • André Burguéte: The lute compositions by JS Bach. A contribution to the critical evaluation. In: Bach-Jahrbuch 63, 1977, pp. 26–55.
  • Ingo Negwer: The question of the cast of the 'lute works' by Johann Sebastian Bach with special consideration of the Suite BWV 995 . In: Christian Ahrens, Gregor Klinke (Ed.): Lute and Theorbe . Munich, Salzburg 2009 ( online ( memento from January 12, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) [PDF; accessed on July 24, 2015]).
  • Tilman Hoppstock : Bach's lute works from the guitarist's point of view Vol. 1 - Suites BWV 995/996 . Prim-Musikverlag, Darmstadt 2009 (330 pp., Sample print [PDF; accessed on January 23, 2017]).
  • Tilman Hoppstock : Bach's lute works from the perspective of the guitarist Vol. 2 - BWV 998/999/1000 . Prim-Musikverlag, Darmstadt 2012 (336 pages, sample printout [PDF; accessed on January 23, 2017]).
  • Konrad Ragossnig : Manual of the guitar and lute. Schott, Mainz 1978, ISBN 3-7957-2329-9 , pp. 45-50.
  • Edmund Wensiecki: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1759). Lute music. Revised and edited for the guitar, with a brief introduction to the lute tablature . Music publisher Friedrich Hofmeister, Hofheim am Taunus 1965; 8th edition ibid 1977, pp. 4-7 and 69-77.
  • Hans Dagobert Bruger: Johann Sebastian Bach, compositions for the lute. First complete and critically reviewed edition. Transcribed and edited from old source material for today's lute. 1921; 3. Edition. Julius Zwißlers Verlag (owner Georg Kallmeyer), Wolfenbüttel 1925; Reprinted by Karl Heinrich Möseler Verlag, Wolfenbüttel / Zurich, p. 3 f. and 49-63.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Thomas Kohlhase: Johann Sebastian Bach's compositions for lute instruments , dissertation, Tübingen 1972
  2. ↑ Edmund Wensiecki: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1759). Lute music. Revised and edited for the guitar, with a brief introduction to the lute tablature . Music publisher Friedrich Hofmeister, Hofheim am Taunus 1965; 8th edition ibid 1977, p. 4 ( preface , Stuttgart, December 1964).
  3. ↑ ¢: stands for alla breve .
  4. ^ Konrad Ragossnig : Handbook of the guitar and lute. Schott, Mainz 1978, ISBN 3-7957-2329-9 , p. 46.
  5. ^ Cf. Pièces pour la Luth à Monsieur Schouster par JS Bach. (Inside title: Suite pour la Luth par JS Bach ). Notated in tenor and bass clef. Brussels Royal Library, around 1720.
  6. ^ Konrad Ragossnig: Handbook of the guitar and lute. 1978, p. 47.
  7. ↑ See also Praeludio con la Suite da Gio. Bast. Bach on the lute work. (Copy from the anthology of the Bach student Johann Ludwig Krebs in the double system, Berlin State Library).
  8. ↑ "Out of the ghetto ..." Peter Päffgen spoke to Eliot Fisk. In: Guitar & Lute. Volume 10, No. 2, 1988, pp. 31-35; here: p. 35.
  9. ↑ Thomas Schmitt (1986), p. 27.
  10. ↑ See Partita al Liuto. Composta dal Sig re Bach. (1761). Only the movements Prelude, Sarabande and Gigue of the suite in French lute tablature. Leipzig City Library.
  11. ↑ Jürgen Braubach: The language of the characters. On the hermeneutics of Bach's lute fugue using the example of the fugue in C minor BWV 997. In: Guitar & Lute. Volume 8, No. 2, 1986, pp. 51-56.
  12. ↑ Edmund Wensiecki: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1759). Lute music. P. 71.
  13. ↑ Thomas Schmitt (1986), p. 26 f.
  14. ^ Konrad Ragossnig : Handbook of the guitar and lute. Schott, Mainz 1978, ISBN 3-7957-2329-9 , pp. 45-50; here: pp. 46–49.
  15. ↑ Prelude pour la Luth ò harpsichord. Private ownership, Munich.
  16. ↑ Yoshitake Kobayashi, On the Chronologies of Bach's Late Works , Bach Yearbook 1988, p. 65
  17. ^ Konrad Ragossnig: Handbook of the guitar and lute. 1978, p. 47 f.
  18. ^ Konrad Ragossnig: Handbook of the guitar and lute. 1978, p. 48.
  19. ↑ See Johann Peter Kellner : Prelude in C-mol pour la Lute di Johann Sebastian Bach. around 1720 (Berlin State Library).
  20. ↑ Hans Joachim Schulze: Who intavolated JS Bach's lute compositions? In: Die Musikforschung 19, 1966, pp. 32–39.
  21. ^ Konrad Ragossnig: Handbook of the guitar and lute. 1978, p. 48.
  22. ^ Fuga del Signore Bach. (1761). Leipzig City Library.
  23. ↑ Thomas Schmitt (1985).
  24. ^ Hannes Fricke: Myth guitar: history, interpreters, great hours. Reclam, Stuttgart 2013, ISBN 978-3-15-020279-1 , p. 199.

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