On May 7, 1747, Bach, at the invitation of King Frederick II of Prussia, attended the royal palace in Potsdam (it is believed not to have been Sanssouci Palace, which was the summer residence. Currently, the Potsdam Stadtschloss, where this audience is said to have taken place, no longer exists. It was damaged during the war, and East Germany, for financial and political reasons, abandoned its reconstruction and demolished it in 1959. Since then, it has remained an empty lot with a sign marking the site). Frederick the Great, himself an accomplished musician, presented Bach with a fugue subject, which Bach then improvised upon, earning the applause of those present. After the audience, Bach printed a 3-voice ricercare and seven canons, dedicating them on July 7. By the end of September, he added two more canons, a 6-voice ricercare, and a 4-movement trio sonata featuring the flute, an instrument the King excelled at, publishing the collection under the title Musikalisches Opfer (A Musical Offering).

The published score, issued in separate parts, ultimately comprised 12 pieces, but there is no definitive conclusion regarding Bach's intended order. In fact, there is no firm evidence as to whether it was even conceived to be performed as a continuous whole. The New Bach Edition (VIII/1) considers the two ricercares (BWV 1079/1, 2) and the Trio Sonata (BWV 1079/3) as the pillars of this work, placing the group of canons after these three pieces. There are also few specifications regarding the instruments to be used or the instrumentation. Only four pieces—the two ricercares and two canons (BWV 1079/4a, 4i)—can certainly be performed on a single harpsichord. However, it would be premature to assume that these were written for the fortepiano, which was then the latest instrument. Indeed, contemporary records indicate that the King asked Bach to try out a Silbermann fortepiano. Yet, Carl Philipp Emanuel, who served as the King's court keyboardist for a long time, had already composed fortepiano works in the 1740s, which include numerous dynamics markings. In contrast, Bach included no dynamics markings whatsoever in A Musical Offering. Of course, if these four pieces are performed on a modern piano, there is no doubt that a richer effect can be achieved compared to a harpsichord or an ensemble of multiple instruments. Bach specified instruments only for the Canon at the Unison 'for two violins' (BWV 1079/4b) and the Trio Sonata 'for flute, violin, and basso continuo'. Furthermore, for the canons, there is no single, definitive solution; what is presented in the New Bach Edition is merely one possibility (it should be noted that the critical report of the New Bach Edition includes several previously proposed solutions, many of which are incorrect). This work leaves us with mysteries to explore on various levels. This, in turn, means that any form of realization is possible.

Ricercare a 3 (BWV 1079/1) in C minor, 4/4

Bach gave A Musical Offering an extremely elaborate subtitle: "Regis Iussu Cantio Et Reliqua Canonica Arte Resoluta" (The King's Command is a Song and the Remainder Resolved by Canonic Art). When the initial letters of these Latin words are combined, they spell "RICERCAR", which is to say, Ricercare. This is one of the older terms used for works written in strict counterpoint, but it could also refer to an improvisatory prelude akin to a toccata. This 3-voice ricercare is believed to be based on Bach's actual improvisation performed at Potsdam Palace. This is evident, for example, in the occasional rushing triplet counter-melodies and the somewhat monotonous frequent use of sequential progressions. Of course, it is not a complete transcription down to every detail. The symmetrical structure of the first half and the meticulously crafted details of the second half, employing strict motivic development and counterpoint, are likely the result of Bach's careful revisions after returning home.

Ricercare a 6 (BWV 1079/2) in C minor, 2/2

Bach was asked to improvise a 6-voice fugue but reportedly could not immediately accomplish it in the King's presence (similar accounts appear in Personal Anecdotes (1754) and J.N. Forkel's Biography of Bach (1802)). He therefore completed the task later. This movement, so to speak, is the fulfillment of that 'homework'. It is notated on a six-stave score, and while it may appear to be an abstract contrapuntal work, it can be performed on a single harpsichord. Furthermore, an autograph manuscript written on a grand staff for keyboard instruments, serving as a revised version after publication, has been preserved, indicating that Bach himself conceived it as a keyboard work.

It should be noted that the subtitle appended to the 3-voice ricercare in the printed score dedicated to the King was transferred to this 6-voice movement in the published edition. Moreover, A Musical Offering is the only work in which Bach himself used the title 'Ricercare'.

Canon Cancrizans (Retrograde Canon) in C minor, 2/2

It is written as a single melody on the soprano staff in the forward direction. However, in the final measure, an inverted C clef is placed on the fifth line, meaning it is designed to be played simultaneously from both the beginning and the end to form the music.

Canon 'Quaerendo invenietis' (Seek, and ye shall find) in C minor, 2/2

This is a so-called riddle canon, for which the solution is not provided. In the forward direction, it is a single melody on the alto staff, and an inverted bass clef is placed in the opening measure, indicating that the inversion begins from the last beat of the second measure.