Bach, Johann Sebastian : Allemande c-moll BWV 834
Work Overview
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:allemande
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Asayama, Natsuko
Last Updated: April 1, 2008
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Author : Asayama, Natsuko
Currently considered a spurious work. It is transmitted solely through the document (P 314) housed in the Berlin State Library, alongside the Gigue in F minor (BWV 845). The critical report of the Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (old complete edition) already states, "a relatively new manuscript, careless and not very reliable." However, the true composer remains unknown.
The piece opens with a three-octave arpeggiated descent played by both hands. Such toccata-like passagework is a style Bach did not employ in his allemandes. While this descending figuration is appealing, the subsequent sections are simple, or rather somewhat monotonous, consisting of conventional phrases that follow one another with little connection. The overall length of nearly 70 measures does not lead to a sufficiently satisfying development, and unfortunately, an impression of redundancy is undeniable.
It is not included in the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (new complete edition), and there are not many critical editions. A reliable score is provided in the Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe, Volume 42, pages 259-262.