Johann Sebastian Bach

(1685-1750)

Life and Training

Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the most significant composers of the Baroque period, was born
into a family of musicians in the Protestant part of northern Germany. He received early
training in harpsichord, organ and violin, and at the age of 15 became a paid chorister at St
Michael’s church in Lüneburg, followed by various other positions as violinist and organist.

In 1708, Bach was appointed Court Organist to Duke Ernst of Weimar. He was also a member
of the court orchestra, and composed many of his great organ works, as well as cantatas and
other instrumental music, at this time.

In 1717 he became conductor of the court orchestra of Prince Leopold of Cöthen. The Prince
was a keen amateur musician (he played the viola da gamba), and maintained a fine orchestra of
approximately 18 members for his own entertainment and the esteem of his court. Bach wrote
many of his great instrumental pieces specifically for these musicians.

From 1723 until his death, Bach was Cantor (singing master) at St Thomas’ Church, Leipzig.
This church had a well established and quite elaborate instrumental and choral tradition; in his
first few years there he wrote an astounding number of new cantatas for use in the church
services - sometimes as frequently as one each week. The Passions and other monumental
religious works were performed in this church. He continued to compose instrumental music,
including The Musical Offering and The Art of Fugue (which was unfinished when he died).

Musical Style
Bach’s music belongs to the late Baroque period. He was a supreme master of counterpoint,
and much of his music is highly complex. His harmony is unambiguously tonal, and his works
tend to be monothematic (i.e. have one main theme throughout).

Historical Position
Throughout his life, Bach was appreciated more for his brilliant organ playing and
improvisatory skill than for his compositions. By the end of his life, his music was regarded as
decidedly old-fashioned, as a simpler, more superficially elegant (galant) style was in vogue.
After his death, his music was largely ignored until well into the nineteenth century. Felix
Mendelssohn was among those responsible for the renewed interest in Bach’s music. Today it
is considered to be one of the cornerstones of Western music.

Contemporaries
German: G. F. Handel, Johann Quantz, G. P. Telemann.
Other: Jean Philippe Rameau, Domenico Scarlatti, Antonio Vivaldi.

Compositions
Church music: Over 200 Cantatas, St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Mass in B minor,
Magnificat, Christmas Oratorio.
Choral music: Secular Cantatas, including “Peasant” and “Coffee”.
Chamber music: The Musical Offering, Sonatas and Partitas for violin, etc.
Orchestral: Suites, Violin Concertos, 6 “Brandenburg” Concertos.
Organ music: Chorale Preludes, Toccata and Fugue in D minor.
Harpsichord: 6 Partitas, 6 French Suites, 6 English Suites, Goldberg Variations, Italian
Concerto, The Well-tempered Clavier (“The 48”).

Copyright © 2008 by R. A. Hamilton. These notes may not be photocopied. www.rosshamilton.com.au

Prepared for Shen Rong. Order: 48972

 Toccata in D major BWV 912
(Johann Sebastian Bach)

A toccata is a fast piece for a keyboard instrument, which displays the performer’s (or the
instrument’s) touch. The name comes from an Italian word meaning “to touch”. Early
composers of toccatas include Frescobaldi, Froberger and Buxtehude. Bach would sometimes
improvise a toccata when trying out a new organ or harpsichord. His seven toccatas for
harpsichord are among his earlier works for keyboard, and were composed between 1708 and
1710, during his time at Weimar. They are examples of the German style of toccata, in which
rhapsodic (quasi-improvisatory) passages alternate with fugal sections. Bach also composed
Toccatas for organ, which were generally followed by a fugue. Another style of toccata,
associated with certain Italian composers, was characterised by greater rhythmic regularity
(moto perpetuo), and this style became the model for most toccatas written during the 19th and
20th Centuries.
The baroque characteristics of this piece include:
• complex, elaborate style.
• imitative counterpoint.
• modulations to closely related keys, but using a high degree of chromaticism.
• ornamentation and embellishment of melodies, especially at cadence points.
• use of one main theme for each movement/section (monothematic).
• tierce de Picardie endings in minor keys.
• strong, constant pulse (particularly in the fugato sections).

Introduction
Scales and tonic chords in continuous semiquaver rhythm. Modulates to A major (dominant).
Allegro
Fugal in style, though the number of voices is not strictly maintained throughout.
b.1-4 Four subject entries, each at a higher pitch, alternating dominant and tonic keys.
5-7 Sequence based on subject, moving through B minor, A major, G major.
8-13 Sequence based on a melodic variant of the subject, A major, D major, F# minor,
D major.
14-22 Sequence based on a combination of the previous two sections, moving through
A major, E minor, B minor, F# minor.
23-28 Sequence based on new melodic ideas but maintaining the rhythm of the previous
section, moving through E major/minor to D major.
29-32 Four subject entries, moving through D major, A major, F# minor.
33-43 Episode, modulating from F# minor to B minor.
43-45 Three subject entries, moving from B minor to D major.
46-53 Episode, moving from D major to D minor.
54-57 Codetta, D major, with tonic pedal for last two bars.

Copyright © 2008 by R. A. Hamilton. These notes may not be photocopied. www.rosshamilton.com.au

Prepared for Shen Rong. Order: 48972

Adagio
In the style of a French Overture - solemn opening featuring dotted rhythms, then fugal section.
b.1-13 First half in B minor (briefly in G major and E minor), second half in F# minor.
Each half ends with a tierce de Picardie (b. 7, 13).
13-44 Double fugue. The two subjects are introduced in F# minor in b.13-14. The answer
is heard in C# minor in b.14-15, with a counterubject in the soprano. There are
further entries of the subjects and countersubject in F# minor (b.17), C# minor (b.24),
A major (b.27) and F# minor (beginning of Subject 1 only, in mock stretto, b.37).
44-59 Free fantasia section. Rhythmically irregular, and some use of chromatic harmony.
The main keys are B minor (to b.47), E minor (to b.55) and D major. The rhythm of
the Fuga is anticipated in b.55-56.
Fuga
b.1-4 Subject, rising and falling 3rds in continuous semiquavers, in alto, D major.
5-8 Answer in soprano, countersubject in alto, A major.
9-12 Codetta, featuring sequences and imitation between parts, returning to D major.
13-16 Subject in bass, countersubject in soprano, D major, with G# used to form secondary
dominant harmony.
17-23 Episode, containing a sequence but remaining mostly in D major.
24-35 Subject in soprano, countersubject in bass, in D major then E minor (b.28-31)
and G major (b.32-35).
35-37 Episode, extending the subject and modulating to A major.
38-45 Subject in bass, countersubject in soprano, in A major then B minor (b.42-45).
46-49 Episode, remaining in B minor.
50-57 Subject in soprano, countersubject in bass, in B minor then D major (b.54-57).
58-70 Episode, modulating to A major, with passing suggestions of B minor. There are V-I
progressions in bars 66-67 and 70-71, providing important structural landmarks.
71-78 Subject in soprano, countersubject in bass, in A major then E minor (b.75-78,
with the subject inverted in these bars).
79-86 Subject and countersubject, alternating between bass and soprano, in G major
then B minor (b.83-86).
87-89 Episode, modulating to F# minor.
90-93 Subject in soprano, countersubject in bass, F# minor.
94-97 Subject in bass, C# minor.
98-126 Episode, an extended passage based on the subject or its inversion, with frequent
use of sequence. It passes through G# minor (b.99-101), F# minor (b.102-114)
and B minor (b.115-126).
127-134 Variant of the subject (in double 3rds) in alto, with countersubject in bass, in B minor
then D major (b.131-134).
135-138 Variant of the subject in double 3rds in soprano, D minor (the tonic minor key).
138-151 Coda, moving from D minor via A major (b.142) to D major. A dominant pedal with
trill in b.146-147 leads to a strong V-I cadence in b.150-151.

Copyright © 2008 by R. A. Hamilton. These notes may not be photocopied. www.rosshamilton.com.au

Prepared for Shen Rong. Order: 48972