Bach & The Well-Tempered Clavier Flashcards
1
Q
What year was Bach born? Which year did he pass away?
A
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)
2
Q
Family Life and Education
A
- born in Eisenach, Germany
- music was the family profession for five generations; father was a court trumpeter
- orphaned at age 10, eldest brother Johann Cristoph continued young Bach’s musical training
- studies included Greek, Latin, and Theology
- sang in choirs, became an accomplished violinist, and virtuoso organist.
- trained in instrument building and repair
3
Q
Arnstadt, Muhlhausen
A
- held a variety of positions: organist, court violinist, chamber musician
- was granted leave to meet the famous organist Buxtehude in Lubeck, and walked more than 200 miles each way. Inspired, Bach stayed three months extra without authorization.
- married Maria Barbara, a distant cousin, shortly upon arrival. Two of their children, CPE Bach and WF Bach became successful musicians.
4
Q
Weimar
A
- chamber musician and court organist to Wilhelm Ernst, the Duke of Weimar
- Enjoyed increasing fame as an organist in this period; composed many organ works, including The Little Organ Book of chorale preludes.
- Composed music for Lutheran church services – cantatas and chorale settings
- Accepted a salary advance for a new position at Cöthen. This angered the Duke of Weimar, which resulted in a month in jail.
5
Q
Cöthen
A
- Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold of Cöthen, an avid supporter of the arts
- Calvinist views of the court influenced musical activities: no music performed in churches
- Many solo and chamber works composed during this period: suites, concertos, sonatas, solo keyboard works, including The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1
- Sudden death of Maria Barbara
- Married court singer Anna Magdalena Wilcke; their sons Johann Cristoph and Johann Christian became successful musicians.
6
Q
Leipzig
A
- appointed cantor of St. Thomas School
- many responsibilities: teaching, composing, directing choirs, and supervising musical activities
- became director of the Collegium Musicum, a performing ensemble for university students
- important large scale works written in this period, such as the “Goldberg Variations” and “Art of Fugue”
- visited Frederick the Great at Potsdam, where son CPE was employed and wrote a contrapuntal work based on a theme provided by the king (The Musical Offering)
- died July 28, 1750; likely cause was a stroke.
7
Q
Musical Style & Contributions
A
- his music represents a high point in over 100 years of Baroque musical practice.
- personal style synthesized the leading musical developments of this era
- composed works in every genre of his day except opera
- personal faith was a source of inspiration for his creative works; as a devout Lutheran, Bach dedicated all his works “To the glory of God”
- master of the contrapuntal art, as demonstrated in the fugues of The Well-Tempered Clavier
- absorbed influences of international styles from countries such as Germany, Italy, and France.
- virtuoso organist as reflected in his organ and keyboard works
- perfected existing forms rather than creating new ones
8
Q
Composition Titles:
A
Sacred Vocal: - over 200 church cantatas (eg, A Mighty Fortress is Our God) - 7 motets - Magnificat Oratorios: - St John Passion - St Matthew Passion - Christmas Oratorio - Mass in B Minor Orchestral Music: - 4 orchestral suites - 6 Brandenburg Concertos - Concertos for 1 and 2 violins Concertos for 1, 2, 3, and 4 harpsichords Chamber music: - 6 sonatas and partitas for solo violin - 6 sonatas for violin and harpsichord - 6 suites for cello - The Musical Offering - Flute sonatas - Viola da gamba sonatas Keyboard music: - The Well-Tempered Clavier - The Art of Fugue - Goldberg Variations - Italian Concerto - 6 English Suites - 6 French Suites - Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue - Suites - Fugues - Capriccios - Concertos - Inventions - Sinfonia
9
Q
Provide the following information for the Prelude:
- key
- form
- tempo
- meter
- texture
A
Key: B-flat Major
Form: incorporates aspects of binary form
Tempo: no specific indication on the score
Meter: 4/4
Texture: homophonic and polyphonic
10
Q
Name three features of the Prelude in B-Flat Major
A
- broken-chord passages played in breathless thirty-second note runs and treated sequentially
- features frequent thirty-second note runs
- ends in F major and immediately proceeds to the next section
11
Q
Provide the following information for the Fugue:
- key
- tempo
- meter
- texture
- number of voices
- type of answer
- number of countersubjects and their use
A
Key: B-flat Major Tempo: moderately fast Meter: 3/4 Texture: Polyphonic Number of voices: 3 Type of answer: tonal Number of countersubjects: 2 Use of countersubjects: acts as accompanying figures to the statements of the subject or answer
12
Q
Name two features of the Fugual Exposition
A
- Subject is presented in an unusually long voice
- Comprises two motives:
- first is mainly disjunct, outlining the tonic-dominant seventh harmony
- second is conjunct, outlining the same harmonies
13
Q
Name the key features of the middle section
A
- the first episode leads to G minor
- subject appeared in G minor followed answer in C minor
- the second episode leads E-flat major
- a partial (two-measure) entry of the tonal answer in m. 35 is interrupted by a complete entry in E-flat major in measure
14
Q
Equal Temperament
A
- a method of tuning keyboard instruments
- the octave is divided into twelve equal half
- facilitated the composition and performance of music in all keys
15
Q
Clavier
A
- a German word for keyboard instruments other than the organ
