The Art of Fugue & A Musical Offering

Description

Among Bach's last instrumental compositions are two splendid works that reflect his genius for weaving complex contrapuntal figures into an expressive, apparently seamless musical texture. "The Art of Fugue", composed ca. 1745-1750, consists of nineteen canons and fugues that progressively illustrate the rich variety and complexity of fugal writing. This edition, reproduced directly from the authorative Breitkopf & Härtel score, includes a keyboard reproduction printed directly beneath the open score.

"A Musical Offering" (1747), composed for King Frederick the Great of Prussia, comprises a three-part ricercar and a six-part ricercar for keyboard, a famous trio sonata for flute, violin and continuo, and a set of canons, all based on a theme devised by the King himself. Solutions of the canons and a realization of the keyboard part are included in an appendix.