Bach, Johann Sebastian

Bach and Kuhnau, Erbarm dich mein (BWV 721) and Il tremore degl’Israliti

Posted on Feb 29th, 2020

One of the most unusual compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach, perhaps you might even call it unique, as it is literally one of a kind is the choral…

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Bach, Erstanden ist der heilig Christ, BWV Anh. II 51 (version D-LEb Rara Ib, 45)

Posted on Apr 16th, 2017

Bach's authorship of this piece is uncertain, hence its catalogisation in Anhang II of Schmieder's Bachwerke Verzeichnis. Two sources for this piece…

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Bach, Erstanden ist der heilig Christ, BWV Anh. II 51 (version Mus. Hs. 35149)

Posted on Apr 16th, 2017

Bach's authorship of this piece is uncertain, hence its catalogisation in Anhang II of Schmieder's Bachwerke Verzeichnis. Two sources for this piece…

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Bach, Herr Christ, der einig Gottes Sohn, BWV Anh. II 55

Posted on Apr 1st, 2016

The catalog of works by Bach (the Bach Werke Verzeichnis) has four appendices, Anhang I, Anhang II, Anhang III and Anhang N. The first lists the…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV Anh. II 48

Posted on Apr 21st, 2017

The second appendix of Schmieder's catalog of works by Bach contains the works of which Bach's authorship is uncertain. The choral prelude to "Allein…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund (Emans 48)

Posted on Mar 31st, 2018

Bach's authorship of the this choral prelude to "Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund" is doubted. It doesn't even appear in the annex (Anhang) to the…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV Anh. II 49

Posted on Jun 7th, 2017

The chorale prelude to "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott", BWV Anh. II 49 is another one of the works of which the authorship of Bach is uncertain. It…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Erhalt uns Herr bei deinem Wort, BWV Anh. II 50

Posted on May 1st, 2017

The chorale prelude to "Erhalt uns Herr bei deinem Wort", BWV Anh. II 50 sounds to me like it could have been composed by Bach. Other examples of…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Es spricht der unweisen mund (Emans 69)

Posted on Mar 4th, 2019

The list of possible or spurious Bach works extends beyond the BWV-catalogue. Reinmar Emans made a list (around 1997) of chorale preludes that could…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Freu dich sehr o meine Seele, BWV Anh. II 52

Posted on Jun 14th, 2017

Again a piece that may or may not have been composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is an elegant piece in which the chorale melody flows in long…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele, BWV Anh. II 53

Posted on Jun 16th, 2017

This is the twin prelude to the one I posted two days ago. And then only because it has the same choral melody as subject and it's possibly written…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Herr Christ, der einig Gottes Sohn (Emans 85)

Posted on Nov 22nd, 2019

Some of the spurious compositions attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, are not even included in the second appendix of Schmieder's catalogue of…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott (Emans 101)

Posted on Mar 20th, 2019

The list of possible or spurious Bach works extends beyond the BWV-catalogue. Reinmar Emans made a list (around 1997) of chorale preludes that could…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Jesu meine Freude (BWV Anh II 59)

Posted on Apr 25th, 2018

Bach's authorship of this chorale prelude on "Jese meine Freude" is doubted. And probably rightly so. The use of sequences is a bit bland and not as…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Jesu meine Freude, BWV Anh. II 58

Posted on Oct 1st, 2017

Since I started transcribing the works from BWV Anhang II (the list of works that are possibly composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, but the authorship…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Lobt Gott ihr Christen allzugleich (Emans 129)

Posted on Nov 26th, 2019

Some of the spurious compositions attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, are not even included in the second appendix of Schmieder's catalogue of…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (Emans 140)

Posted on Dec 17th, 2018

This piece is one of the many choral preludes of which the authorship of Johann Sebastian Bach is doubtfull. It did not get a BWV-number, but Emans…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Nun lob mein Seel den Herren, BWV Anh. II 60

Posted on Oct 4th, 2019

The Anhang II of Schmieder's catalogue of Bach's composition contains the spurious works. According to the manuscript sources they were composed by…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross, BWV Anh. II 61

Posted on Oct 26th, 2019

The Anhang II of Schmieder's catalogue of Bach's composition contains the spurious works. Number 61 of these is a chorale prelude on the melody of "O…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Sei Lob und Ehr mit hohem Preis, BWV Anh. II 62a

Posted on Nov 18th, 2019

The two choral preludes on the melody of "Sei Lob und Ehr und hohem Preis" BWV AnhII 62a and 62b appear in the same manuscript next to each other.…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Sei Lob und Ehr mit hohem Preis, BWV Anh. II 62b

Posted on Nov 20th, 2019

The two choral preludes on the melody of "Sei Lob und Ehr und hohem Preis" BWV AnhII 62a and 62b appear in the same manuscript next to each other.…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her, BWV Anh. II 63

Posted on Nov 7th, 2019

In the series of spurious works by (or not) Johann Sebastian Bach, I skip two compositions for now (BWV Anh. II 62a and 62b) to reach three choral…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her, BWV Anh. II 64

Posted on Nov 11th, 2019

The second of the three spurious chorale preludes to the Christmas choral "Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her" is the most virtuosic of the three. It…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her, BWV Anh. II 65

Posted on Nov 13th, 2019

The third and last of the three spurious chorale preludes to the Christmas choral "Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her" is a bicinium. The right hand…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Was Gott tut das ist wohlgetan (BWV Anh. II 67)

Posted on Feb 6th, 2022

Number 67 of the second appendix to Schmieder's catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach is still tentatively ascribed to Bach. And even…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten (BWV Anh. II 68)

Posted on Jun 25th, 2022

Manuscript Mus ms P285, Rara lb 36 contains two compositions that were presumably not written by Johann Sebastian Bach. Hence their inclusion in the…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Wir glauben all an einen Gott (BWV Anh. II 69)

Posted on Jul 17th, 2022

The second appendix to the catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, contains the works of which Bach's authorship is doubtful. Of some of…

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Johann Sebastian Bach (?), Wir glauben all an einen Gott (BWV Anh. II 70)

Posted on Jun 28th, 2023

It is already almost a year ago I published something in the series of spurious Bach compositions (see here: …

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Johann Sebastian Bach, Agnus Dei (Hohe Messe, BWV 232)

Posted on Mar 11th, 2022

A few days ago I stumbled upon a tanscription of Bach's Agnus Dei, from his Hohe Messe (BWV 232), for organ. And it was actually quite a bad…

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Johann Sebastian Bach, Helft mir Gottes Güte preisen, BWV Anh. II 54

Posted on Jul 6th, 2017

This prelude on "Helft mir Gottes Güte preisen" has an interesting feauture. The accompaniment to the choral melody is not written with a specific…

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Johann Sebastian Bach, Herr Jesu Christ wahr Mensch und Gott (Emans 100)

Posted on Mar 9th, 2019

The list of possible or spurious Bach works extends beyond the BWV-catalogue. Reinmar Emans made a list (around 1997) of chorale preludes that could…

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Johann Sebastian Bach, Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BWV 660b

Posted on Nov 12th, 2015

The chorale prelude on "Nun komm der heiden Heiland", BWV 660, is a well known part of the 18 Leipziger Choräle. BWV 660b is a variant of this well…

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Johann Sebastian Bach, Siciliano from Flute Sonata BWV 1031

Posted on May 8th, 2015

A very nice transcription of this Siciliano, made by Arno Rog. He kindly gave permission to make his transcription available on this website. The…

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Johann Sebastian Bach, Siciliano from Violin Sonata BWV 1017

Posted on Nov 7th, 2015

A while ago I posted a transcription by Arno Rog of the Siciliano from the flute sonata, BWV 1031. Today I made a transcription myself, of the…

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Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio d minor, BWV 583

Posted on Apr 23rd, 2020

There remains no autograph of this the Trio in d minor, BWV 583. All sources of this work are copies written somewhere after Bach's death. Though…

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Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio g moll, BWV 584

Posted on Apr 29th, 2018

Yesterday I stumbled by accident on a recording of an organ trio in g minor, by Bach, I had never heard before, with the BWV number 584. I remember…

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