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The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach
The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach provides an introduction to and comprehensive discussion of all the music for harpsichord and other stringed keyboard instruments by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Often played today on the modern piano, these works are central not only to the Western concert repertory but to musical pedagogy and study throughout the world.
Intended as both a practical guide and an interpretive study, the book consists of three introductory chapters on general matters of historical context, style, and performance practice, followed by fifteen chapters on the individual works, treated in roughly chronological order. The works discussed include all of Bach's individual keyboard compositions as well as those comprising his famous collections, such as the Well-Tempered Clavier , the English and French Suites , and the Art of Fugue .
Intended as both a practical guide and an interpretive study, the book consists of three introductory chapters on general matters of historical context, style, and performance practice, followed by fifteen chapters on the individual works, treated in roughly chronological order. The works discussed include all of Bach's individual keyboard compositions as well as those comprising his famous collections, such as the Well-Tempered Clavier , the English and French Suites , and the Art of Fugue .
- GenresMusicNonfiction
544 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 8, 2019
An unfinished journey.
A well-written and informed study. As expected, the greater the reader's familiarity with the body of Bach's keyboard music the more that can be taken away. I started this book almost 10 months ago. Given my rudimentary knowledge, my progress was slow and relied on Apple Music a lot! For advanced musicologists or Bach devotees, the book can be navigated more quickly and delivers more. In the case of readers like me, who are still climbing the hill, it might be seen more as a reference book, to which the reader returns when combining (vastly enjoyable) listening and reading.
The book is on my library shelf and will be reopened.
A well-written and informed study. As expected, the greater the reader's familiarity with the body of Bach's keyboard music the more that can be taken away. I started this book almost 10 months ago. Given my rudimentary knowledge, my progress was slow and relied on Apple Music a lot! For advanced musicologists or Bach devotees, the book can be navigated more quickly and delivers more. In the case of readers like me, who are still climbing the hill, it might be seen more as a reference book, to which the reader returns when combining (vastly enjoyable) listening and reading.
The book is on my library shelf and will be reopened.
June 6, 2016
Indispensable as reference material
Only recently have I begun to think of music as a subject worthy of critical study (as opposed to mere entertainment), concurrent with my own desire to compose more frequently. For a crash course in Bach, this book and BACH: MUSIC IN THE CASTLE OF HEAVEN have proven to be invaluable resources that deepened my understanding of Bach as a person and consummate musician. In particular, this book was helpful by providing some analysis that will be important in preparation for my senior recital next year, but it also contains some useful information on performance practice. It's very well organized and thorough, although the Kindle edition has some awkward word-spacing issues, and there was one passage that was mistakenly repeated in the middle of another word. In other words, there are some minor editing problems. Beyond that, though, I see no reason why this shouldn't be in a musician's library, even if only as a reference volume.
Only recently have I begun to think of music as a subject worthy of critical study (as opposed to mere entertainment), concurrent with my own desire to compose more frequently. For a crash course in Bach, this book and BACH: MUSIC IN THE CASTLE OF HEAVEN have proven to be invaluable resources that deepened my understanding of Bach as a person and consummate musician. In particular, this book was helpful by providing some analysis that will be important in preparation for my senior recital next year, but it also contains some useful information on performance practice. It's very well organized and thorough, although the Kindle edition has some awkward word-spacing issues, and there was one passage that was mistakenly repeated in the middle of another word. In other words, there are some minor editing problems. Beyond that, though, I see no reason why this shouldn't be in a musician's library, even if only as a reference volume.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews