Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750)
Bach was most famous as a virtuoso player and improviser on the organ. All of his keyboard compositions were written either for the organ or the harpsichord. However, the music worked so well on any keyboard that it has become standard piano literature. In retrospect, Bach was the greatest composer of fugues who ever lived. All of his music can be described as either contrapuntal or broken chord harmony. The preludes are the main compositions that use mostly broken chord harmonies. The fugues and the inventions are completely contrapuntal. Other compositions such as the dance suites, sonatas and fantasies use a combination of counterpoint and broken chord harmony. For pianists his most famous work is the Well Tempered Clavier. This is 48 preludes and fugues with 2 in each key
Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080
- Contrapunctus XII
- Contrapunctus XIII
- Canon per Augmentationem in Contrario Motu: Canon in inverted motion
- Canon alla Ottava: Canon at the Octave
- Canon alla Decima in Contrapunto alla Terza: Canon at the tenth
- Canon alla Duodecima in Contrapunto alla Quinta: Canon at the twelfth
Goldberg Variations
Inventions
- Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772
- Invention No. 2 in C minor, BWV 773
- Invention No. 3 in D major, BWV 774
- Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775
- Invention No. 5 in E-flat major, BWV 776
- Invention No. 6 in E major, BWV 777
- Invention No. 7 in E minor, BWV 778
- Invention No. 8 in F major, BWV 779
- Invention No. 9 in F minor, BWV 780
- Invention No. 10 in G major, BWV 781
- Invention No. 11 in G minor, BWV 782
- Invention No. 12 in A major, BWV 783
- Invention No. 13 in A minor, BWV 784
- Invention No. 14 in B-flat major, BWV 785
- Invention No. 15 in B minor, BMV 786
Little Preludes
- Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 924
- Prelude No. 2 in D minor, BWV 926
- Prelude No. 3 in F major, BWV 927
- Prelude No. 4 in G minor, BWV 930
- Prelude No. 5 in F major, BWV 928
- Prelude No. 6 in D major, BWV 925
- Prelude No. 7 in C major, BWV 933
- Prelude No. 8 in C minor, BWV 934
- Prelude No. 9 in D minor, BWV 935
- Prelude No. 10 in D major, BWV 936
- Prelude No. 11 in E major, BWV 937
- Prelude No. 12 in E minor, BWV 938
- Prelude No. 13 in C major, BWV 939
- Prelude No. 14 in D minor, BWV 940
- Prelude No. 15 in E minor, BWV 941
- Prelude No. 16 in A minor, BWV 942
- Prelude No. 17 in C major, BWV 943
- Prelude No. 18 in C minor, BWV 999
Other Works
- Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, BWV 903
- Italian Concerto, BWV 971
- First Movement (without tempo indication)
- Andante
- Presto
- Fugue in C minor
- Fugue in D minor
- March in D major, BWV Anh. 122
- Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 114
- Musette in D major, BWV Anh. 126
- Prelude in C major, WTC Book 1 BWV 846
- Prelude in C minor, WTC Book 1 BWV 847
- Fugue in C minor, WTC Book 1 BWV 847
- Prelude in D minor, WTC Book 1 BWV 851
- Fugue in D minor, WTC Book 1 BWV 851
- Prelude and Fugue in F minor, WTC Book 2 BWV 881
- Concerto in Fm, BWV 1056
- Concerto in Gm, BWV 1058
