J.S. Bach: Two-part Invention No. 1 in C Major BWV 772

The Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772-801, also known as the Two and Three Part Inventions, are a collection of thirty short keyboard compositions composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of fifteen inventions (two-part fugues) and fifteen sinfonias (three-part fugues). They were originally written by Bach as exercises for the musical education of his students.

It was given a title by Bach: "A faithful Guide, whereby admirers of the harpsichord are shown a plain Method of learning not only to play clean in two Parts, but likewise in further Progress to manage three obbligato Parts well and correctly, and at the same time not merely how to get good Inventions, but also how to develop the same well; but above all, to obtain a cantabile Style of playing, and together with this to get a strong Foretaste of Composition."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Johanne
• Sebastian
• Bach
• keyboard
• piano
• harpsichord
• clavecin
• klavier
• inventions
• sinfonias
• Clavier-Büchlein
• fugue
• Baroque

[Chaconne07]

To all of you who have left gracious comments, thank you and Happy New Year!

[LittleMountainLion]

@Chaconne07 - I liked the tempo in your rendition of Bach's Two Part Invention No.1, and would like to know what tempo you used. My sheet music shows Allegro, but, I am just learning to play this piece. I am beginning to see it is a song that is played with feeling, and thoughtfulness. Thank you for posting this on here.

[Chaconne07]

@LittleMountainLion Thanks for stopping by. Tempo chosen for Bach's music is subject to the performer's own interpretation. I don't believe Bach stipulated "Allegro" for his work. It's the editor's choice. You should play at a tempo you're comfortable with and for good reason. I don't think this first invention should be played too fast, despite the semiquavers that run throughout the piece. You might want to get familiar with world's renowned BAch scholar Rosalyn Tureck's renditions of Bach.

[adagio27sostenuto]

I love that it was a little slower than normal. Sometimes when people play Bach too fast it can go from beautiful to almost frantic. At this tempo you can really hear the counterpoint in the piece.

[akinderreality]

Bach never wrote tempo markings, it was common in the Baroque period that the performers decided the tempo.

[josedavms13]

@LittleMountainLion It says =120

[mapleleaf771]

I don't eat hay.

[MadCoSnareLine]

@akinderreality

Correct. Very well said. Some people, however, have come back and written in marking such as tempos and dynamics. I have some of both versions. I am not sure which on I like better, though: ones with or without markings.

[mikeisapro]

@agger382 Thank you for saying this! I have been playing the inventions and actually thought they were staccato! Now I know, portato has dots underneath slur marks, staccato has dots with separate notes.

[missmusiclover388]

Most baroque period music by bach is more majestic and deeper rather than at a fast tempo.

[ftwong1948]

鄭通兄:

非常意外，在這裡聽到您彈巴赫!

我也正在練此曲呢!

您彈得比我好得多!

[Alguemsemnome1]

i think you couls play a little faster, but you are the artist!

congratulations, nice work,

Alguemsemnome1

[agger382]

@ufespeter It is called portato. There was no staccato during the Baroque era!