Bach, Johann Sebastian : Fuge nach Reinken B-Dur BWV 954
Work Overview
First Publisher：Peters
Instrumentation：Piano Solo
Genre：fuga
Total Playing Time：5 min 10 sec
Copyright：Public Domain
Commentary (2)
Author : Asayama, Natsuko
Last Updated: October 1, 2007
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Author : Asayama, Natsuko
Jan Adam Reincken (1643-1722) was a church organist in Hamburg, renowned as a master of organ art during Bach's time. An anecdote relates that when Bach sought employment in Hamburg in 1720, Reincken heard his audition performance and highly praised Bach's mastery in freely handling traditional techniques.
The Fugue BWV 954 was composed slightly earlier, during Bach's period of studying past musical works in Weimar. The original piece is the second number from Reincken's instrumental ensemble collection Hortus musicus (1687, Hamburg). Originally conceived for four parts: two violins, viola da gamba, and harpsichord, it consists of 30 pieces, each set comprising a sonata and a dance suite. The dance movements are the four basic dances: allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue, while the sonata is divided into a slow introductory section, a fugue, and a free development section. Bach used the fugue subject from this sonata, which was originally played by the violin. Bach altered the repeated notes in the latter half of the subject to a turn (measures 3-4). This represents a transformation from violin idiom to keyboard idiom. The entire piece is spun from this subject material.
It is inaccurate to frequently refer to this piece as an "arrangement" in articles. Bach composed a new and original fugue based on the master's subject. In it, Bach's unique style, characterized by flexibility and clarity, is already emerging. The lowest voice not only presents the subject and sustains bass notes but also participates in the counterpoint by stringing together intricate figures. Monotonous sequential progressions and suspensions, often found in improvisatory styles, are largely excluded. The concluding section is neatly brought to a close after the subject's presentation in the lowest voice, without abrupt interruptions or arpeggiated figurations.
Among the clavier fugues from the Weimar period, there are works that clearly show a departure from his early style, and this piece is one of them.
Author : Ooi, Kazurou
Last Updated: November 20, 2023
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Author : Ooi, Kazurou
This is a fugue whose subject contains as many as 60 notes, spanning four measures. Bach's compositions in B-flat major often possess an air of nobility. While chromatic progressions appear mid-way, leading to powerful expressions, please envision a refined or elegant enjoyment. The treatment of sections where the subject is absent might be more challenging than that of the subject's entries in this fugue.
For instance, measures 13-15 lack the subject. These three measures can be considered a sequence. The bass line, progressing in sixteenth notes, is quite straightforward here, but the challenge lies with the soprano and alto.
When Bach uses notes of longer duration and connects them with ties, they often form highly lyrical lines. Try playing just the soprano line and then just the alto line for these three measures. Consider them as vocal parts. When combined, the soprano and alto should be thought of as a duet.
The following two performance pitfalls must be avoided:
- The timbre and volume of the soprano and alto being identical.
- Each voice part (soprano and alto) not being treated as a lyrical line.
Avoid any performance where the soprano and alto blend indistinguishably, resulting in a mechanical, rigid rendition devoid of any lyricism. While the subject entries themselves are instrumental in nature and can be treated as such, keep in mind that sections without the subject also contain lyrical lines.