Bach, J.S.: Toccatas, Bwv 910-916

Description

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) Toccatas Toccata in F Sharp Minor, BWV 910 Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911 Toccata in D Major, BWV 912 Toccata in D Minor, BWV 913 Toccata in E Minor, BWV 914 Toccata in G Minor, BWV 915 Toccata in G Major, BWV 916 Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach in 1685, one of a large family of musicians. After the death of his parents he moved, at the age often, to Ohrdruf, with his 13-year-old brother Johann Jacob, to live with the eldest of their brothers, Johann Christoph, an organist. Bach's own early career was as an organist, from 1708 until 1717 in the service of Duke Wilhelm Ernst, eider of the two brothers ruling the duchy of Weimar. From 1717 until 1723 he was Court Kapellmeisterto Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen, with different musical responsibilities, largely secular. Thereafter he served as Thomas-Kantor in Leipzig, with responsibility for music in the principal city churches, continuing there until his death in 1750. This final period of his life involved him in activity with the Collegium musicum of the University, for which he arranged earlier instrumental concertos for solo harpsichord or harpsichords, and in the assembly and publication of a number of his compositions, in particular a series of four volumes of keyboard music, the Clavierübung. The word toccata first appears in a publication of 1536 in an Italian collection of lute music. It was not until the 1590s, however, that the term came into more general use to describe keyboard pieces that called for a measure of dexterity in per1ormance, involving, as they did, runs and arpeggios, decorating a basic chordal structure. By the time of Bach the toccata had come to encompass possible fugal movements, within its generally free structure, while still generally preserving the elaborate runs and arpeggios of earlier times. Bach's organ compositions include monumental use of the toccata, principally in compositions of his Weimar period. His seven toccatas for the harpsichord are variously dated between 1706 and 1717, but fall largely into the period of his service as court organist in Weimar. The Toccata in F sharp minor, BWV910, and the Toccata in C minor, BWV911, have been variously dated, but were probably written in Weimar, rather than during Bach's stay in Cöthen, as some have supposed. The first of these two works opens with the expected flourish, followed by the introduction of a measured descending chromatic figure, followed by a more rapid fugue. The final section, in 6/8 metre, makes use of the descending chromatic figure in a three- voice fugue. The C minor Toccata also opens with a brilliant prelude, leading to an Adagio and then a fugue, no won a much longer subject, interrupted briefly by the freer figuration of the opening, before the fugue resumes, now with a second theme added. The Toccata ends with the embellished chords linked by runs that provide a common feature of the form. The five toccatas, BWV 912-916, may have