HIGH DEFINITION PIANO ANTHOLOGY

“Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach”

 

Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
[Little Clavier Book for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach]

 

The "Little Clavier Book for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach" is a book of compositions for keyboard instruments compiled by Johann Sebastian Bach for his eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.

There are several significantly important pieces in it, both from a teaching and musical point of view, and they are presented here in their first draft. Subsequently J.S. Bach would edit and reorganize many of the pieces in the notebook thereby allowing us, by comparing the different versions, to observe the ‘evolutionary' process that he subjected much of his work to.

Not all the pieces in the notebook are by J.S. Bach, and compositions by other authors can also be found therein.  Consequently, doubts have often arisen concerning to whom to attribute authorship of some of the pieces which some critics consider to be compositions by his son, Wilhelm Friedemann.  It appears quite likely that these pieces may have been written by Wilhelm Friedemann with his father's help, considering that he was also an attentive mentor and his sons’ music teacher.

The compilation of this anthology dates from 22 January 1720, as noted in the beginning of the book, and then in the following pages,  an introduction to the reading of the keys and another with suggestions for possible resolutions of the embellishments can be found; what then follows are different compositions, sorted according to varying criteria, sometimes technical, sometimes tonal.

Interestingly, the book contains the only two surviving songs with the original fingering by Johann Sebastian; one being the Applicatio BWV 994 and the other, the small prelude in G Min. BWV 930. In the first, the fingering is built according to harpsichord criteria, with frequent overlappingof the long fingers and very little use of the passage of the thumb, which would later be widely adopted by J.S. Bach himself.

In the notebook, the compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach subsequently used in his other works are:

11 Preludes, listed below from 14 to 24, which would be reutilised in the first volume of "Wohltemperierten Klavier" [The Well-tempered clavier].

15 Praeambula, listed below from 32 to 46, then re-edited, later becoming the "Zweistimmige Inventionen" [Two part inventions]

15 Fantasies, listed below from 49 to 60, then re-edited and later becoming the "Dreistimmige Sinfonien" [Three part inventions]

 

 

"Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach"
[Little Clavier Book for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach]

To see the original manuscript:
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

"Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach"

 

 

 
01.  
Applicatio [Exercise] in C Maj.
BWV 994
 
 
02.
 
 
03.
 
 
04.
 
 
05.
"Jesu, meine Freude" Choral Prelude for organ in D Min.
[Jesus, my joy]
BWV 753
incomplete
 
06.
Allemande [German] in G Min.
BWV 836
 
07.
Allemande [German] in G Min.
BWV 837
Fragment.
Probably by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
 
08.
 
 
09. 
 
 
10.
Menuet [Minuet] 1 in G Maj. 
BWV 841
Different calligraphy, not J.S. Bach’s, perhaps by
Anna Magdalena Bach; also included in
"Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach".
 
11.
Menuet [Minuet] 2 in G Min.
BWV 842 
Different calligraphy.
 
12. 
Menuet [Minuet] 3 in G Maj.
BWV 843
 
 
14.
Præludium [Prelude] 1 in C Maj.
BWV 846a
1st version
 
15. 
Præludium [Prelude] 2 in C Min.
BWV 847
 
 
16.
Præludium [Prelude] 3 in D Min.
BWV 851
 
 
17. 
Præludium [Prelude] 4 in D Maj.
BWV 850 
 
 
18. 
Præludium [Prelude] 5 in E Min.
BWV 855a 
1st version
 
19. 
Præludium [Prelude] 6 in E Maj.
BWV 854
 
 
20. 
Præludium [Prelude] 7 in F Maj.
BWV 856 
 
 
21. 
Præludium [Prelude] in C sharp Maj.
BWV 848 
 
 
22. 
Præludium [Prelude] in C sharp Min.
BWV 849 
 
 
23. 
Præludium [Prelude] in E flat Min.
BWV 853 
 
 
24. 
Præludium [Prelude] in F Min.
BWV 857 
 
 
25.
"Piéce pour le Clavecin, composée par J. C. Richter"
[Piece for harpsichord, composed by Johann Christoph Richter]
 
Suite consists of an Allemande 
and an incomplete Courante 
 
26.
Different version of Prelude BWV 924
 
27. 
 
 
28. 
 
 
29. 
 
 
30.
A bass line of 10 bars, with no title.
 
Not included in the BWV catalogue 
 
31.
 
 
32. 
Later: two part invention n. 1
 
33. 
Later: two part invention n. 4 
 
34. 
Later: two part invention n. 7
 
35. 
Later: two part invention n. 8
 
36. 
Later: two part invention n. 10
 
37. 
Later: two part invention n. 13
 
38. 
Later: two part invention n. 15
 
39. 
Later: two part invention n. 14
 
40. 
Later: two part invention n. 12
 
41. 
Later: two part invention n. 11
 
42. 
Later: two part invention n. 9
 
43. 
Later: two part invention n. 6
 
44. 
Later: two part invention n. 5
 
45. 
Later: two part invention n. 3
 
46. 
Later: two part invention n. 2
 
47.
Three movements of suites:
Allemande, Courante, Gigue
BWV 824
TWV 32:14
From a Suite in A Maj. by Georg Philipp Telemann
 
48. 
"Partita di Signore Steltzeln", four movements:
Ouverture, Air Italien, Bourrée, Menuet, (with a trio of J.S. Bach)
[Overture, Italian Air, Bourrée, Minuet]
 
49. 
Fantasia [Fantasy]  1 in C Maj.
BWV 787
Later: Three part symphony n. 1 
 
50.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  2 in D Min.
BWV 790 
Later: Three part symphony n. 4
 
51.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  3 in E Min.
BWV 793
Later: Three part symphony n. 7
 
52.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  4 in F Maj.
BWV 794 
Later: Three part symphony n. 8
 
53.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  5 in G Maj.
BWV 796 
Later: Three part symphony n. 10
 
54.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  6 in A Min.
BWV 799 
Later: Three part symphony n. 13
 
55.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  7 in B Min.
BWV 801 
Later: Three part symphony n. 15
 
56.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  8 in B-flat Maj.
BWV 800 
Later: Three part symphony n. 14 
 
57.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  9 in A Maj.
BWV 798
Later: Three part symphony n. 12 
 
58.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  10 in G Min.
BWV 797 
Later: Three part symphony n. 11 
 
59.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  11 in F Min.
BWV 795
Later: Three part symphony n. 9 
 
60.
Fantasia [Fantasy]  12 in E Maj.
BWV 792 
Later: Three part symphony n. 6 
 
61. 
Fantasia [Fantasy]  13 in E-flat Maj. 
BWV 791 
Later: Three part symphony n. 5 
 
62. 
Fantasia [Fantasy]  14 in D Maj.
BWV 789 
Later: Three part symphony n. 3 
 
63. 
Fantasia [Fantasy]  15 in C Min.
BWV 788 
Later: Three part symphony n. 2
 
 

 

 

 

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