List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach

Canon triplex a 6: first printed in 1747 (below), it appears on both versions of the portrait Haussmann made of Bach (1746, 1748 – above). In the 19th-century Bach Gesellschaft edition the canon was published in Volume 45¹, p. 138. In 1950 the piece was assigned the number 1076 in Schmieder's catalogue of Bach's works (BWV). The 1998 edition of that catalogue (BWV^2a) mentions Haussmann's paintings as original sources for the work (p. 438), and likewise the Bach digital website gives a description of both paintings as sources for the piece (linked from Bach digital Work page 1262).

Johann Sebastian Bach's vocal music includes cantatas, motets, masses, Magnificats, Passions, oratorios, four-part chorales, songs and arias. His instrumental music includes concertos, suites, sonatas, fugues, and other works for organ, harpsichord, lute, violin, viola da gamba, cello, flute, chamber ensemble and orchestra.

There are over 1000 known compositions by Bach. Nearly all of them are listed in the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV), which is the best known and most widely used catalogue of Bach's compositions.

Listing Bach's compositions

Some of the early biographies of Johann Sebastian Bach contain lists of his compositions. For instance, his obituary contains a list of the instrumental compositions printed during the composer's lifetime, followed by an approximate list of his unpublished work. The first separately published biography of the composer, by Johann Nikolaus Forkel, follows the same approach: its ninth chapter first lists printed works (adding four-part chorales which had been published in the second half of the 18th century), followed by a rough overview of the unpublished ones. In the first half of the 19th century more works were published, so the next biographies (Schauer and Hilgenfeldt in 1850) had more elaborate appendices listing printed works, referring to these works by publisher, and the number or page number given to the works in these publications. So, for example, the Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major can be indicated as "C. F. Peters Vol. III No. 1", or any of the variants ("Griepenkerl and Roitzsch Vol. 3 p. 2", "Peters Book 242 p. 2", "P. S. V., Cah. 3 (242), No. 1", etc.)

BG

The Prelude in F minor of The Well-Tempered Clavier book 1, in the BGA known as Vol. 14, p. 44, over eighty years before it got the number 857 in the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis

In the second half of the 19th century the Bach-Gesellschaft (BG) published all of Bach's works in around 50 volumes, the so-called Bach Gesellschaft Ausgabe (BGA). This offered a unique identification of all of Bach's known works, a system that was quickly adopted, for instance by the biographers: Philipp Spitta used it complementarily to the Peters edition numbering for the BG volumes that had appeared when he was writing his Bach-biography in the second half of the 19th century (e.g. "B. G., III., p. 173" for the above-mentioned Prelude in E-flat major), and Terry used it in the third Appendix to his 20th-century translation of Forkel's biography.

But there was still a lot of confusion: some authors preferred to list Bach's works according to Novello's editions, or Augener's, or Schirmer's,... giving rise to various conversion tables at the end of books on Bach's compositions (e.g. Harvey Grace's in a 1922 book on Bach's organ compositions).

NBG

In 1900 the BG published its last volume, and dissolved itself, as its primary goal, publishing all of Bach's known works, was accomplished. The BG was succeeded by the Neue Bachgesellschaft (NBG), with a new set of goals (Bach yearbook, Bach festivals, and a Bach museum). Occasionally however the NBG published newly discovered works, or variants not published in the BGA. For instance the 1740s version of O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht was published in NBG XVII¹ in 1916 (the 1730s version of the same piece, with a different orchestration, had been published in BG 24, pp. 185–192).

BWV

See also: Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis

In 1950 the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis was published, allocating a unique number to every known composition by Bach. Wolfgang Schmieder, the editor of that catalogue, grouped the compositions by genre, largely following BG for the collation (e.g. BG cantata number = BWV number of the cantata):

The BWV is a thematic catalogue, thus it identifies every movement of every composition by its first measures, like the opening of BWV 1006, movement 2 (Loure) above.

1. Kantaten (Cantatas), BWV 1–224
2. Motetten (Motets), BWV 225–231
3. Messen, Messensätze, Magnificat (Masses, Mass movements, Magnificat), BWV 232–243
4. Passionen, Oratorien (Passions, Oratorios), BWV 244–249
5. Vierstimmige Choräle (Four-part chorales), BWV 250–438
6. Lieder, Arien, Quodlibet (Songs, Arias and Quodlibet), BWV 439–524
7. Werke für Orgel (Works for organ), BWV 525–771
8. Werke für Klavier (Keyboard compositions), BWV 772–994
9. Werke für Laute (Lute compositions), BWV 995–1000
10. Kammermusik (Chamber music), BWV 1001–1040
11. Orchesterwerke (Works for orchestra), BWV 1041–1071, originally in two separate chapters: Concertos (BWV 1041–1065) and Overtures (BWV 1066–1071)
12. Kanons (Canons), BWV 1072–1078
13. Musikalisches Opfer, Kunst der Fuge (Musical Offering, Art of the Fugue), BWV 1079–1080

For instance, the Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major now became BWV 552, situated in the range of the works for organ. In contrast to other catalogues such as the Köchel catalogue for Mozart's compositions there is no attempt at chronological organization in the BWV numbering, for instance BWV 992 is an early composition by Bach. Exceptionally BWV numbers are also indicated as Schmieder (S) numbers (e.g. S. 225 = BWV 225).

Another consequence of the ordering principles of the BWV was that it tore known collections apart, for instance Clavier-Übung III was partly in the organ compositions range (BWV 552 and 669–689), with the four duets listed among the keyboard compositions (BWV 802–805).

BWV Anh.

The Anhang (Anh.), i.e. Appendix, of the BWV listed works that were not suitable for the main catalogue, in three sections:

• I – lost works, or works of which only a tiny fraction had survived (Anh. 1–23)
• II – works of dubious authenticity (Anh. 24–155)
• III – works that were once attributed to Bach, but for which it had been established they were not composed by him (Anh. 156–189)

Within each section of the Anhang the works are sorted by genre, following the same sequence of genres as the main catalogue.

BWV² and BWV^2a

Schmieder published the BWV's second edition in 1990, with some modifications regarding authenticity discriminations, and more works added to the main catalogue and the Anhang. A strict numerical collation was abandoned to insert additions, or when for another reason compositions were regrouped. For example, BWV 11, formerly listed as a Cantata, was moved to the fourth chapter of the main catalogue as an Oratorio. Rather than renumbering a composition, an arrow indicated where the composition was inserted: "BWV 11/249b→" meaning "BWV 11, inserted after BWV 249b" (4th chapter). Similarly, BWV 1083/243a→ meant BWV 1083, inserted after BWV 243a (3rd chapter). Also authenticity discriminations, based on new research, could lead to such repositionings within the catalogue, e.g. "BWV Anh. II 114" became "Anh. II 114/Anh. III 183→ indicating it was now considered a spurious work.

In 1998 Alfred Dürr and Yoshitake Kobayashi published a small edition of the catalogue, based on the 1990 second edition. This edition, known as BWV^2a, contained a few further updates and collation rearrangements.

New additions (Nachträge) to BWV²/BWV^2a included:

• BWV 1081–1126
• BWV Anh. 190–213

A few exceptions to the principle that compositions weren't renumbered were when a composition from the Anhang could be recovered and/or authenticated as Bach's, so that it deserved a place in the main catalogue, in which case it was given a number above 1080. So, for example, BWV Anh. 205 (BWV²) → BWV 1121 (BWV^2a, where it is in section 7 as a work for organ).

Other renumberings and additional numbers involved alternative or earlier versions of basically the same composition, which were indicated by adding a lower case letter to the BWV number. Examples:

• BWV 243a: 1723 E♭ major version of the 1733 Magnificat in D major BWV 243
• BWV 1071 renumbered to BWV 1046a (early version of the first Brandenburg Concerto)
• BWV Anh. 198 renumbered to BWV 149/1a (earlier abandoned version of the opening movement of Cantata BWV 149)

Some versions were completely removed from the catalogue, e.g. BWV 655b and c.

Slashes indicate movements: e.g. BWV 149/1 indicates the first movement of the Cantata BWV 149. Another example: the Agnus Dei of the Mass in B minor can be indicated as BWV 232/22 (22nd movement of the composition), or alternatively as BWV 232^IV/4 (BWV 232, fourth movement of Part IV).

21st-century additions

Numbers above BWV 1126 were added in the 21st century.

Reconstructed versions

An upper case R added to a BWV number indicates a reconstructed version, that is a conjectured earlier version of a known composition. One of such reconstructions, the Concerto for oboe and violin, as published in NBA VII/7 (Supplement) p. 75, based on the double harpsichord concerto BWV 1060, is known as BWV 1060R.

BWV³

As of mid-2018 the Bach digital website started to implement the new numbers of the 3rd edition of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, which has been announced for publication in 2020. For example, the Leipzig version of the Christ lag in Todes Banden cantata used to be BWV 4 in previous versions of the catalogue, and, in BWV³, has become BWV 4.2.

NBA

The NBA illustrates its score editions with facsimiles from manuscripts or contemporary editions: for instance NBA Series IV Volume 4 (Clavier-Übung III) contains a facsimile of the title page of the 1739 first edition of that collection.

In the meantime, the New Bach Edition (Neue Bach-Ausgabe, abbreviated as NBA) was being published, offering a new system to refer to Bach's works, e.g. NBA IV/4: 2, 105, which is Series IV, Volume 4, p. 2 (Prelude) and p. 105 (Fugue), for BWV 552.

NBArev

See also: New Bach Edition § Revision

Some years after the completion of the NBA in 2007 its publisher Bärenreiter joined with the Bach Archive again to publish revised editions of some of Bach's scores. These revised editions, aligning with the NBA editions (format, layout), but outside that group of publications, were published under the name Johann Sebastian Bach: New Edition of the Complete Works – Revised Edition (Johann Sebastian Bach: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke – Revidierte Edition), in short: New Bach Edition – Revised (Neue Bach-Ausgabe – Revidierte Edition), abbreviated as NBArev. Where the original NBA editions were exclusively in German, the volumes of the Revised series have their introductions both in German and English. Its first volume, NBArev 1, was a new edition of the Mass in B minor, appearing in 2010.

BC

The Bach Compendium (BC), a catalogue covering Bach's vocal works was published in 1985. Occasionally works that have no BWV number can be identified by their BC number, e.g. BC C 8 for "Der Gerechte kömmt um" an arrangement attributed to Bach on stylistic grounds, however unmentioned in the BWV.

BNB

Bachs Notenbibliothek (BNB) is a list of works Bach had at his disposition. Works of other composers which were arranged by Bach and/or which he (had) copied for performance usually have a BNB number.

SBB

The Berlin State Library (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin = SBB) holds an important collection of composition manuscripts relating to Bach. Some versions of works are best known by their principal manuscript in the SBB, for instance BWV 525a = SBB St 345, or according to the abbreviations used at the Bach-digital website D-B Mus. ms. Bach St 345.

By opus number, and chronological lists

Title page of Bach's Opus 1 (Clavier-Übung I, 1731), the only time he seems to have used an opus number

Apart from indicating his first published keyboard composition as Opus 1, Bach did not use opus numbers. Lists following publication chronologies are for example implied in the first list in Bach's obituary, and BG numbers (within the BGA sequence of publication) – overall lists covering all of Bach's compositions in order of first publication are however not a way Bach's compositions are usually presented.

Listing Bach's works according to their time of composition cannot be done comprehensively: for many works the period in which they were composed is a very wide range. For Bach's larger vocal works (cantatas, Passions,...) research has led to some more or less generally accepted chronologies, covering most of these works: a catalogue in this sense is Philippe (and Gérard) Zwang's list giving a chronological number to the cantatas BWV 1–215 and 248–249. This list was published in 1982 as Guide pratique des cantates de Bach in Paris, ISBN 2-221-00749-2. A revised edition was published in 2005 (ISBN 2747598888).

Other composers

See also: Catalogues of classical compositions

Various catalogues with works by other composers have intersections with collections of works associated with Bach:

BR-WFB (or) BR 

Bach-Repertorium numbers for works by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, e.g. BWV 970 = BR A49

Other BRs:

• BR-CPEB: works by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (for this composer Helm and/or Wotquenne numbers are however more often used)
• BR-JCFB: works by Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach

Fk (or) F 

Falck catalogue numbers for works by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, e.g. BWV 970 = F 25/2

H 

Helm numbers for works by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, e.g. BWV 1036 = H 569

HWV 

Works by George Frideric Handel, e.g. BWV Anh. 106 = HWV 605

TWV 

Compositions by Georg Philipp Telemann, e.g. BWV 824 = TWV 32:14

Warb (or) W 

Warburton numbers for works by Johann Christian Bach, e.g. BWV Anh. II 131 = W A22 (or: Warb A 22)

Wq 

Wotquenne numbers for works by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, e.g. BWV 1036 = Wq 145

Works in Bach's catalogues and collections

There are over 1500 works that feature in a catalogue of works by Bach, like the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, and/or in a collection of works associated with Bach (e.g. in one of the Notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach). Of these around a thousand are original compositions by Bach, that is: more than a mere copy or transcription of an earlier work by himself or another composer.

Collections

Without resorting the table (i.e. collection kept together in BWV2a)
Cello Suites BWV 1007–1012 • Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 • Clavier-Übung IV = Goldberg Variations BWV 988 • Inventions BWV 772–786 • Sinfonias BWV 787–801 • Sonatas and partitas for solo violin BWV 1001–1006
Using the sort function (not available in all browsers)
Cantatas by function (Advent I → Trinity XXVII; other Feasts, celebrations and church services; Secular cantatas): sort by NBA → I/1 Clavier-Übung I (1731): sort by NBA → V/1 Clavier-Übung II (1735): sort by NBA → V/2 Clavier-Übung III (1739): sort by NBA → IV/4 Kirnberger collection of chorale preludes: sort by BWV → BWV 690 Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1720): sort by NBA → V/5 Twelve Little Preludes: sort by BG → 36: 118 Neumeister Chorales by J. S. Bach (without BWV 601, 639, 719, 723, 737 and 751): sort by NBA → IV/9 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1722): sort by Name → Notebook A. M. Bach (1722) Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725): sort by Name → Notebook A. M. Bach (1725) Vivaldi arrangements: sort by Additional info → after Vivaldi The Well-Tempered Clavier book I (1722): sort by BG → Vol. 14 The Well-Tempered Clavier book II (1739–1742): sort by NBA → V/6.2 The Well-Tempered Clavier book II (1744): sort by BG → 14: 91

Template:Bach's compositions (header) |- id="BWV Chapter 1" style="background: #D8D8D8;" | data-sort-value="0000.z99" | 1. | data-sort-value="001.001" colspan="8" | Cantatas (see also: List of Bach cantatas, Church cantata (Bach) and List of secular cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach) | data-sort-value="0000a" | Up ↑

Bach cantatas
BWV 1 to 224
by J. S. Bach
Autograph of a soprano aria in cantata Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht, BWV 105
Composed	1707 (1707) to 1745 (1745)

The cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Bachkantaten) are among his most significant and celebrated compositions. While many have been lost, at least 209 of the cantatas composed by Bach have survived.

As far as we know, Bach's earliest surviving cantatas date from 1707, the year he moved to Mühlhausen (although he may have begun composing them at his previous post at Arnstadt). Most of Bach's cantatas date from his first years as Thomaskantor, cantor of the main churches of Leipzig), which he took up in 1723. Working especially at the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche, it was part of his job to perform a church cantata every Sunday and Holiday, conducting soloists, the Thomanerchor and orchestra as part of the church service. In his first years in Leipzig, starting after Trinity of 1723, it was not unusual for him to compose a new work every week. Works from three annual cycles of cantatas for the liturgical calendar have survived. These relate to the readings prescribed by the Lutheran liturgy for the specific occasion. He composed his last cantata probably in 1745.

In addition to the church cantatas, Bach composed sacred cantatas for functions like weddings or Ratswahl (the inauguration of a new town council), music for academic functions of the University of Leipzig at the Paulinerkirche, and secular cantatas for anniversaries and entertainment in nobility and society, some of them Glückwunschkantaten (congratulatory cantatas) and Huldigungskantaten (homage cantatas).

His cantatas usually require four soloists and a four-part choir, but he also wrote solo cantatas for typically one soloist and dialogue cantatas for two singers. The words for many cantatas combine Bible quotes, contemporary poetry and chorale, but he also composed a cycle of chorale cantatas based exclusively on one chorale.

Name and titles

Although the term Bachkantate (Bach cantata) became very familiar, Bach himself used the title Cantata rarely in his manuscripts, but in Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56 he wrote Cantata à Voce Sola e Stromenti (Cantata for solo voice and instruments). Another cantata in which Bach used that term is Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke, BWV 84. Typically, he began a heading with the abbreviation J.J. (Jesu juva, "Jesus, help"), followed by the name of the celebration, the beginning of the words and the instrumentation, for example in Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191. Bach often signed his cantatas with SDG, short for Soli Deo Gloria ("glory to the only God" / "glory to God alone").

Bach often wrote a title page for the autograph score and copies of the original parts. For example, he titled the parts of Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 38, using a mix of languages to describe the occasion, the incipit, the precise scoring and his name: "Dominica 21. post Trinit / Aus tieffer Noth schrey ich zu dir. / â / 4. Voc. / 2. Hautbois. / 2. Violini. / Viola. / 4. Tromboni / e / Continuo. / di / Signore / J.S.Bach". The occasion for which the piece was performed is given first, in Latin: "Dominica 21. post Trinit" (Sunday 21 after Trinity Sunday, with Trinit short for Trinitatis). The title follows, given in German in the orthography of Bach's time. The scoring and finally his name appear in a mix of French and Italian, the common languages among musicians at the time, partly abbreviated.

BWV number

Bach wrote more than 200 cantatas, of which many have survived. In the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV), Wolfgang Schmieder assigned them each a number within groups: 1–200 (sacred cantatas), 201–216 (secular cantatas), 217–224 (cantatas where Bach's authorship is doubtful). Since Schmieder's designation, several of the cantatas he thought authentic have been redesignated "spurious." However, the spurious cantatas retain their BWV numbers. The List of Bach cantatas is organized by BWV number, but sortable by other criteria.

Structure of a Bach cantata

A typical Bach cantata of his first year in Leipzig follows the scheme:

1. Opening chorus
2. Recitative
3. Aria
4. Recitative (or Arioso)
5. Aria
6. Chorale

The opening chorus (Eingangschor) is usually a polyphonic setting, the orchestra presenting the themes or contrasting material first. Most arias follow the form of a da capo aria, repeating the first part after a middle section. The final chorale is typically a homophonic setting of a traditional melody.

Bach used an expanded structure to take up his position in Leipzig with the cantatas Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75, and Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76, both in two parts, to be performed before and after the sermon (post orationem) and during communion (sub communione), each part a sequence of opening movement, five movements alternating recitatives and arias, and chorale. In an exemplary way both cantatas cover the prescribed readings: starting with a related psalm from the Old Testament, Part I reflects the Gospel, Part II the Epistle.

Bach did not follow any scheme strictly, but composed as he wanted to express the words. A few cantatas are opened by an instrumental piece before the first chorus, such as the Sinfonia of Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29. A solo movement begins Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120, because its first words speak of silence. Many cantatas composed in Weimar are set like chamber music, mostly for soloists, with a four-part setting only in the closing chorale, which may have been sung by the soloists. In an early cantata Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! BWV 172, Bach marked a repeat of the opening chorus after the chorale.

The chorale can be as simple as a traditional four-part setting, or be accompanied by an obbligato instrument, or be accompanied by the instruments of the opening chorus or even expanded by interludes based on its themes, or have the homophonic vocal parts embedded in an instrumental concerto as in the familiar Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147, or have complex vocal parts embedded in the concerto as in Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186, in a form called Choralphantasie (chorale fantasia). In Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, for the 1st Sunday in Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year, he shaped the opening chorus as a French overture.

Singers and instrumentation

Schlosskirche in Weimar where Bach composed and performed church cantatas monthly from 1714 to 1717

Thomaskirche, one of the two Leipzig churches where Bach composed and performed church cantatas almost weekly from 1723 to 1726

Vocal

Typically Bach employs soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists and a four-part choir, also SATB. He sometimes assigns the voice parts to the dramatic situation, for example soprano for innocence or alto for motherly feelings. The bass is often the vox Christi, the voice of Jesus, when Jesus is quoted directly, as in Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187, or indirectly, as in O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 60.

In the absence of clear documentary evidence, there are different options as to how many singers to deploy per part in choral sections. This is reflected in the recordings discussed below. Ton Koopman, for example, is a conductor who has recorded a complete set of the cantatas and who favours a choir with four singers per part. On the other hand, some modern performances and recordings use one voice per part, although Bach would have had more singers available at Leipzig, for example, while the space in the court chapel in Weimar was limited. One size of choir probably does not fit all the cantatas.

Instrumental

The orchestra that Bach used is based on string instruments (violin, viola) and basso continuo, typically played by cello, double bass (an octave lower) and organ. A continuous bass is the rule in Baroque music; its absence is worth mentioning and has a reason, such as describing fragility.

The specific character of a cantata or a single movement is rather defined by wind instruments, such as oboe, oboe da caccia, oboe d'amore, flauto traverso, recorder, trumpet, horn, trombone, and timpani. In movements with winds, a bassoon usually joins the continuo group.

Festive occasions call for richer instrumentation. Some instruments also carry symbolic meaning such as a trumpet, the royal instrument of the Baroque, for divine majesty, and three trumpets for the Trinity. In an aria of BWV 172, addressing the Heiligste Dreifaltigkeit (Most holy Trinity), the bass is accompanied only by three trumpets and timpani.

In many arias Bach uses obbligato instruments, which correspond with the singer as an equal partner. These instrumental parts are frequently set in virtuoso repetitive patterns called figuration. Instruments include, in addition to the ones mentioned, flauto piccolo (sopranino recorder), violino piccolo, viola d'amore, violoncello piccolo (a smaller cello), tromba da tirarsi (slide trumpet), and corno da tirarsi.

In his early compositions Bach also used instruments that had become old-fashioned, such as viola da gamba and violone. Recorders (flauti dolci) are sometimes used to express humility or poverty, such as in the cantata Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39.

Solo cantata

Some cantatas are composed for only one solo singer (Solokantate), as Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51 for soprano, sometimes concluded by a chorale, as Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56 for bass.

Dialogue cantata

Some cantatas are structured as a dialogue, mostly for Jesus and the Soul (bass and soprano), set like miniature operas. Bach titled them for example Concerto in Dialogo, concerto in dialogue. An early example is Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152 (1714). He composed four such works in his third annual cycle, Selig ist der Mann, BWV 57 (1725), Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32, Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen, BWV 49, (both 1726), and Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 58 (1727).

Text of Bach's sacred cantatas

Within the Lutheran liturgy, certain readings from the Bible were prescribed for every event during the church year; specifically, it was expected that an Epistel from an Epistle and Evangelium from a Gospel would be read. Music was expected for all Sundays and Holidays except the quiet times (tempus clausum) of Advent and Lent; the cantatas were supposed to reflect the readings. Many opening movements are based on quotations from the Bible, such as Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65, from Isaiah 60:6. Ideally, a cantata text started with an Old Testament quotation related to the readings, and reflected both the Epistle and the Gospel, as in the exemplary Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76. Most of the solo movements are based on poetry of contemporary writers, such as court poet Salomon Franck in Weimar, or Georg Christian Lehms or Picander in Leipzig, with whom Bach collaborated. The final words were usually a stanza from a chorale. Bach's Chorale cantatas are based exclusively on one chorale, for example the early Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4, and most cantatas of his second annual cycle in Leipzig.

Periods of cantata composition

The following lists of works (some marked as questioned) relies mainly on Alfred Dürr's Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach. Usually the cantatas appear in the year of their first performance, sometimes also for later performances, then in brackets.

Mühlhausen

See also: Early cantata (Bach)

Bach moved to Mühlhausen in 1707 when he was 22 to take up an appointment as organist of St. Blasius church ("Divi Blasii"). There is evidence suggesting that he composed a cantata as an audition piece for Mühlhausen, and this may have been Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4. One or two more surviving cantatas may have been composed while Bach was at his previous post in Arnstadt, for example, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150.

A couple of the surviving cantatas can be firmly dated to his time in Mühlhausen. For example, Gott ist mein König, BWV 71, was composed for the inauguration of the town council in 1708. By Bach's own account Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131 was also composed at Mühlhausen. Other cantatas are assumed to date from this period:

• Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 143, related to Psalm 146, likely for New Year's Day
• Der Herr denket an uns, BMV 196, assumed to be a wedding cantata
• Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106, a funeral cantata

Weimar

Bach worked in Weimar from 1708. He composed a secular cantata Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd, BWV 208 in 1713. The composition of cantatas for the Schlosskirche (court chapel) on a regular monthly basis started with his promotion to Konzertmeister in March 1714. His goal was to compose a complete set of cantatas for the liturgical year within four years. Cantatas 54 and 199 were performed within the cycle but possibly composed earlier.

• 1713: Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18? * 63?
• 1714: Himmelskönig, sei willkommen, BWV 182 * Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12 * 172 * 21 * 54 * 199 * 61 * 152
• 1715: Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret, BWV 31 * 165 * 185 * 162 * 163 * 132
• 1716: Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange? BWV 155 * 161 * 80a *70a * 186a * 147a

Köthen

Bach worked in Köthen from 1717 to 1723, where he composed for example the Brandenburg concertos. He had no responsibility for church music, therefore only secular cantatas have survived. Later in Leipzig, he derived several church cantatas from congratulatory cantatas, such as Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen, BWV 66, for Easter from the birthday cantata Der Himmel dacht auf Anhalts Ruhm und Glück, BWV 66a. Even after he moved to Leipzig he could carry his title of Fürstlich Köthenischer Kapellmeister and continued to write secular cantatas for the court.

• 1717?: Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a (or between 1720 and 1722)
• 1718: Der Himmel dacht auf Anhalts Ruhm und Glück, BWV 66a
• 1719: Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a

Leipzig

In Leipzig Bach was responsible for the town's church music in the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche and was head of the Thomasschule. Church cantata performances alternated in the two churches for ordinary Sundays and took place in both churches on high holidays such as Christmas, then one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and again alternating for the three days such an occasion was celebrated. Academic functions took place at the Universitätskirche St. Pauli. There is debate whether Bach performed Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59 there a week before he began his cantorate. Bach started it on the first Sunday after Trinity of 1723 and wrote a first annual cycle. Bach's major works such as the Passions and the Mass in B minor are inserted in the listing for comparison.

• 1723: Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22 * Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23 (audition pieces)

First cantata cycle

• 1723: Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75 * 76 * (21) * 24 * 167 * 147 * Magnificat * 186 * 136 * 105 * 46 * 179 * (199) * 69a * 77 * 25 * 119 * 138 * 95 * 148 * (48) * (162) * 109 * 89 * (163?) * 60 * 90 * 70 * (61) * (63) * 40 * 64
• 1724: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190 * 153 * 65 * 154 * (155) * 73 * 81 * 83 * 144 * 181 + (18) * (22 23) * (182) * St John Passion * (4) * 66 * 134 * 67 * 104 * (12) * 166 * 86 * 37 * 44 * 59 * 173 * 184 * 194

Second cantata cycle

Main article: Bach's second cantata cycle

After Trinity of 1724 he started a second annual cycle of mainly chorale cantatas. The chorale was typically the chorale prescribed for that week (Hauptlied or Wochenlied). These cantatas were performed even after his death, according to Christoph Wolff probably because the well-known hymns were appealing to the audience.

• 1724: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 20 * 2 * 7 * 135 * 10 * 93 * 107 * 178 * 94 * 101 * 113 * 33 * 78 * 99 * 8 * 130 * 114 * 96 * 5 * 180 * 38 * 115 * 139 * 26 * 116 * 62 * 91 * 121 * 133 * 122
• 1725: Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 41 * 123 * 124 * 3 * 111 * 92 * 125 * 126 * 127 * 1

The new cantatas Bach composed for Easter of 1725 and afterwards were not chorale cantatas:

• 1725: BWV 249, early version (later versions known as the Easter Oratorio but the 1725 version was a cantata) * 6 * 42 * 85 * 103 * 108 * 87 * 128 * 183 * 74 * 68 * 175 * 176

Two of these, BWV 128 and BWV 68, both starting with a chorale fantasia, are sometimes seen as included in the chorale cantata cycle.

Other cantatas by Bach that are usually seen as belonging to the chorale cantata cycle:

• BWV 4 (version as restaged at Easter 1725, somewhat different from the early Mühlhausen version) * 137 (1725) * 58 (1727) * 129 (1727) * 80 (1727 or later, although an early version of this cantata, BWV 80b, may have been composed for or performed on Reformation Day in 1724) * 112 (1731) * 140 (1731) * 177 (1732) * 9 (1732) * 14 (1735)

For four further chorale cantatas it is unclear for which occasion they were composed, and whether they were intended to be added to the cycle:

• BWV 117 (1728–1731) * 192 (1730) * 100 (1732–1735) * 97 (1734?)

Third cantata cycle

After Trinity of 1725 Bach began a third annual cycle, but with less consistency. The first cantata iswritten for the ninth Sunday after Trinity, only the following year he added a substantial work for the first Sunday after Trinity. The cycle extends over several years. Cantatas for some occasions are not extant.

• 1725: Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168 * 164 * 79 * 110 * 57 * 151 * 28
• 1726: Herr Gott, dich loben wir, BWV 16 * 32 * 13 * 72 * 146? * (194) * 39 * 88 * 170 * 187 * 45 * 102 * 35 * 17 * 19 * 27 * 47 * 169 * 56 * 49 * 98 * 55 * 52

Other cantatas and church music

Not belonging to any of the first three cycles:

• 1727: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 58 * 82 * 84 * St Matthew Passion * 193a * 193
• 1728: 149 * 188 * 197a * 117
• 1729: Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm, BWV 171 * O angenehme Melodei, BWV 210a * Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt, BWV 244a * 156 * 159 * 145 * 174
• 1730: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51
• 1731: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29 * Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36
• 1732: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 177 * Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, BWV 100
• 1733: BWV 232^I, early version (later adopted as part I of the Mass in B minor) * Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen, BWV 213
• 1734: Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen, BWV 215 * Christmas Oratorio
• 1735: Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11 (Ascension Oratorio)
• 1738?: Kyrie–Gloria Masses, BWV 233–236
• 1742: Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120 * Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212
• 1744?: O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit, BWV 210
• 1745: Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191
• 1748?: Mass in B minor (largely a compilation of previously composed music)

Picander cycle of 1728–29

Main article: Picander cycle of 1728–29

There is some circumstantial evidence that a complete fourth cycle of Bach cantatas, in sholarship indicated as Picander-cycle, may have existed.

Parodies

Bach sometimes reused an earlier composition, typically revising and improving it in a process called parody. For example, a movement from a partita for violin, in ceaseless motion, was arranged as an orchestral sinfonia with the organ as solo instrument for the wedding cantata 120a and again in Cantata 29, this time the organ accompanied by a full orchestra dominated by trumpets. Not only a single movement but a complete cantata was reworked from the Shepherd cantata Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen, BWV 249a to become the Easter Oratorio. Bach used parody to be able to deliver cantatas for Christmas, Easter and Pentecost which were each celebrated for a period of three days. His Easter cantata Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß, BWV 134, is a parody of six of eight movements of the cantata for New Year's Day, Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a. Six movements of his congratulatory cantata Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a, form the cantata for Pentecost Monday of 1724, Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut, BWV 173; while a seventh movement was made part of the cantata for Pentecost Tuesday of 1725, Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV 175.

Bach's four short masses are parodies of cantata movements; he used several movements of Siehe zu, daß deine Gottesfurcht nicht Heuchelei sei, BWV 179 for two of them. When he compiled his Mass in B minor, he again used many cantata movements, such as a part of Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12, for the Crucifixus of the Credo.

Oratorios

Bach's oratorios can be considered as expanded cantatas. They were also meant to be performed during church services. Distinct from the cantatas, a narrator, the Evangelist, tells a story in the exact Bible wording, while soloists and the choir have "roles" such as Mary or "the shepherds", in addition to reflective chorales or arias commenting on the story. The St Matthew Passion and the St John Passion were intended to be performed on Good Friday, before and after the sermon. The six parts of the Christmas Oratorio were intended to be performed on six feast days of the Christmas season, each part composed as a cantata with an opening chorus (except in Part 2) and a closing chorale.

Performances by Bach

Bach composed the cantatas and performed them, conducting from the keyboard. The choir was the Thomanerchor, which also served the other main churches of Leipzig for which Bach was responsible. Cantatas, under his personal direction, were performed in the Nikolaikirche and in the Thomaskirche, alternating on ordinary Sundays. On high feast days, the same cantata was performed in the morning in one of these churches, in a vespers service in the other.

Later performances and recordings

After Bach's death the cantatas fell into obscurity even more than his oratorios. There is some evidence for the chorale cantatas being performed at Leipzig after Bach's death, but the cantatas were little known until a society called the Bach-Gesellschaft began to publish the composer's complete works starting in 1851. Only one of the cantatas, Gott ist mein König, BWV 71 had been published during Bach's lifetime. The cantata Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV1 was selected as the first work to appear in the Bach-Gesellschaft-Ausgabe, the first complete edition.

In 1928, The New York Times reported the presentation in Paris of two secular Bach cantatas by opera soprano Marguerite Bériza and her company in staged productions, The Peasant Cantata and The Coffee Cantata. In the early 1950s Fritz Lehmann recorded several cantatas with the Berliner Motettenchor and the Berlin Philharmonic. Karl Richter called his choir programmatically Münchener Bach-Chor in 1954 and recorded about a third of the cantatas.

Between 1958 and 1987, the London Bach Society, conducted by Paul Steinitz performed all the extant church and secular cantatas, 208 separate works, in various venues, mostly in the Church of St Bartholomew-the-Great, London. Diethard Hellmann called the Kantorei of the Christuskirche Bachchor Mainz in 1965 and produced more than 100 cantatas on a weekly basis with the Südwestrundfunk. Fritz Werner started recording with the Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn and the Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra a series that they called Les Grandes Cantates de J.S. Bach.

Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt were the first to begin recording the complete cantatas. This 20-year collaboration used historical instruments, with boys' choirs and boy soloists for most soprano and a few alto parts. Harnoncourt conducted the Wiener Sängerknaben or the Tölzer Knabenchor and the Concentus Musicus Wien. Leonhardt conducted the Tölzer Knabenchor, Knabenchor Hannover and the Collegium Vocale Gent, and the ensemble Leonhardt-Consort. Helmuth Rilling, Gächinger Kantorei, and the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart completed a recording of the sacred cantatas and oratorios on Bach's 300th birthday, 21 March 1985. Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir recorded all vocal works of Bach in 10 years starting in 1994, including the cantatas. Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his Monteverdi Choir undertook the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage, performing and recording in the year 2000 the sacred cantatas at churches all over Europe and in the United States. Sigiswald Kuijken has recorded Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year with La Petite Bande and the soloists forming the choir. Masaaki Suzuki commenced in 1995 a project to record the complete sacred cantatas with his Bach Collegium Japan for the Swedish label BIS; he completed the process in 2013. Pieter Jan Leusink recorded the complete cantatas in 15 months in 1999 and 2000 with the Holland Boys Choir and Netherlands Bach Collegium for Brilliant Classics.

The Thomanerchor has sung a weekly cantata during the evening service Motette on Saturday. The cantatas are also regularly performed on Sundays at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, New York City, under the direction of Cantor Rick Erickson.

The Fifth Gospel

In 1929 the Swedish bishop Nathan Söderblom, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, called Bach's cantatas the Fifth Gospel.

Further reading

• NBA Neue Bach-Ausgabe, Bärenreiter, 1954 to 2007
• BWV Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998
• Alfred Dürr: The Cantatas of J.S. Bach, Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-19-929776-2
• Christoph Wolff/Ton Koopman: Die Welt der Bach-Kantaten Verlag J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart, Weimar 2006 ISBN 978-3-476-02127-4 (in German)
• Werner Neumann: Handbuch der Kantaten J.S.Bachs, 1947, 5th ed. 1984, ISBN 3-7651-0054-4
• Hans-Joachim Schulze: Die Bach-Kantaten: Einführungen zu sämtlichen Kantaten Johann Sebastian Bachs Leipzig: Evangelische Verlags-Anstalt; Stuttgart: Carus-Verlag 2006 (Edition Bach-Archiv Leipzig) ISBN 3-374-02390-8 (EVA), ISBN 3-89948-073-2 (in German)
• Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini. Studi sui testi delle Cantate sacre di J. S. Bach. Università di Padova, pubblicazioni della Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia, vol. XXXI, Padova & Kassel, 1956, xv-291
• Geoffrey Turner. "Singing The Word: The Cantatas of J S Bach". New Blackfriars, volume 87, issue 1008, pp. 144–154
• J. C. J. Day. "The texts of Bach's Church cantatas: some observations". German Life and Letters, volume 13 (1960), num. 2, pp. 137–144
• Harald Streck. Die Verskunst in den poetischen Texten zu den Kantaten J. S. Bachs. Dissertation: Universität Hamburg 1971, 214 pages
• Walter F. Bischof. The Bach Cantatas University of Alberta 2003–2010
• Z. Philip Ambrose Texts of the Complete Vocal Works with English Translation and Commentary University of Vermont 2005–2011
• Robin Boyle. The Listener's Guide to the Bach Church Cantatas, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4716-6705-3
• Complete Bach Cantatas. 12 volumes. Tarnhelm Ed. 2010.http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Books/S0102.htm

Links are found for the individual cantatas:

• Craig Smith: programme notes, Emmanuel Music
• Walter F. Bischof: The Bach Cantatas, University of Alberta
• Z. Philip Ambrose: Texts of the Complete Vocal Works with English Translation and Commentary, University of Vermont

External links

• Bach Cantatas website, a link to information about works, translations to various languages, prescribed reading, commentaries, singers, ensembles, recordings
• Johann Sebastian Bach on "IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library, The free public domain sheet music library"
• Emmanuel Music notes and translations to English
• The cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach A listener and student guide, Julian Mincham, 2010
• Johann Sebastian Bach – A Listener's Guide to the Cantatas and a list of book and references by Simon Crouch on the Classical Net website

|- id="BWV Chapter 2" style="background: #D8D8D8;" | data-sort-value="0224.z99" | 2. | data-sort-value="228.001" colspan="8" | Motets (see also: List of motets by Johann Sebastian Bach) | data-sort-value="0281a" | Up ↑

Bach's autograph of the motet Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225

It is uncertain how many motets Johann Sebastian Bach composed, because some have been lost, and there are some doubtful attributions among the surviving ones associated with him. There are six authenticated motets catalogued BWV 225–230. BWV 228 appears to have been written at Weimar, between 1708 and 1717, and the other five in Leipzig, between 1723 and 1727. A seventh motet, Ich lasse dich nicht, BWV Anh. 159, which was formerly attributed to Bach's older cousin Johann Christoph Bach, appears to be one of Bach's earlier works, possibly composed during the Weimar period.

Several of the motets were written for funerals. There is some uncertainty as to the extent that motets would have been called for in normal church services - there is evidence that it was considered an archaic form. The text of Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt, BWV Anh. 160 (whether or not the piece is attributable to Bach) suggests a performance at Christmas. Another possible use is the suggestion of the scholar Christoph Wolff that some of the choral writing in the motets for example Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, would have been useful for training Bach's young singers.

Bach's motets are his only vocal works that kept repertoire without interruption between his death in 1750 and the 19th-century Bach Revival. In the early 19th century six motets (BWV 225, 228, Anh. 159, 229, 227, 226) were among Bach's first printed music, after the second half of the 18th century when the only vocal music by Bach that was printed were collections of his four-part chorales.

BWV 225–230

• Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (Sing unto the Lord a new song), BWV 225, is a motet in B-flat major scored for two four-part choirs (SATB) which was first performed in Leipzig around 1727. This motet uses Psalm 149:1–3 for its first movement, the third stanza of "Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren" (a 1530 hymn after Psalm 103 by Johann Gramann) for the second movement, and Psalm 150:2 and 6 for its third movement.
• Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf (The Spirit gives aid to our weakness), BWV 226, a motet in B-flat major scored for two four-part choirs, was performed in Leipzig in 1729 for the funeral of Johann Heinrich Ernesti. The text is taken from the Epistle to the Romans (Romans 8:26–27) and Martin Luther's third stanza to the hymn "Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott" (1524).
• Jesu, meine Freude (Jesus, my joy), BWV 227, is a motet in E minor for five vocal parts composed in 1723 for the funeral of Johanna Maria Käsin, the wife of the town's postmaster. It takes its title from the hymn "Jesu, meine Freude" by Johann Franck on which it is based. The stanzas of the chorale are interspersed with passages from the Epistle to the Romans. The chorale melody on which several movements are based was by Johann Crüger (1653). The German text is by Johann Franck, and dates from c. 1650.
• Fürchte dich nicht (Do not fear), BWV 228, is a motet in A major for a funeral, set for double chorus and unspecified instruments playing colla parte. The work in two movements draws its text from the Book of Isaiah and a hymn by Paul Gerhardt. Traditionally, scholars believed that Bach composed it in Leipzig in 1726, while more recent scholarship suggests for stylistic reasons that it was already composed during Bach's Weimar period. It has been compared to another motet for double choir Ich lasse dich nicht, BWV Anh. 159, which is possibly by Bach.
• Komm, Jesu, komm (Come, Jesus, come), BWV 229, is a motet in G minor composed in Leipzig, which received its first performance by 1731–1732.
• Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Praise the Lord, all ye heathen), BWV 230, is a motet in C major scored for four voices, which draws its text from Psalm 117:1–2. Although some scholars have expressed doubts about the attribution to Bach, the work is generally regarded as a surviving motet by Bach.

BWV 28/2a (231) and 118

• scores, originally BWV 231, later renumbered to BWV 28/2a, is the second movement of the motet Jauchzet dem Herrn alle Welt presented as a separate motet. Whether Bach extracted this motet (which is based on the second movement of the cantata BWV 28) from the three-movement motet or the cantata, and/or used it as a separate motet is not known.
• O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV 118: originally listed as a cantata, in BWV^2a listed as a (funeral) motet.

BWV Anh. 159–165

• Ich lasse dich nicht (I will not let you go [unless you bless me]), BWV Anh. 159, is a motet in F minor scored for double chorus, SATB—SATB and unspecified instruments playing colla parte. The motet, which was formerly attributed to Bach's older cousin Johann Christoph Bach, appears to be one of Bach's earlier works, possibly composed during his Weimar period around 1712. Consequently, the motet was moved from BWV Anh. III (spurious works) to BWV Anh. II (doubtful works) in BWV^2a. The final chorale of the motet is an adaptation of BWV 421, but that may also be a later addition to the motet. It draws its text from a verse taken from the Book of Genesis, from the scene of Jacob's Ladder (Genesis 32:27), combined with the third stanza of the hymn "Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz" by Erasmus Alberus.
• Jauchzet dem Herrn alle Welt, BWV Anh. 160 (=TWV 8:10) is a three-movement pasticcio motet for SATB—SATB attributed to, among others, Bach and Georg Philipp Telemann. All that is certain regarding Bach's participation in the work is that its second movement derives from the second movement of Bach's cantata BWV 28.
• Motet movement Kündlich groß ist das gottselige Geheimnis, BWV Anh. 161, in D major for SATB, strings(?) and continuo, by Graun (possibly Carl Heinrich Graun), precedes laudes A and B of Bach's Magnificat in a three-movement Christmas motet pasticcio.
• Lob und Ehre und Weisheit und Dank, BWV Anh. 162, for SATB—SATB, by Georg Gottfried Wagner.
• Merk auf, mein Herz, und sieh dorthin, BWV Anh. 163, for SATB—SATB, by Johann Bernhard or Johann Ernst Bach.
• Nun danket alle Gott, BWV Anh. 164, for SSATB, by Johann Christoph Altnickol, Bach's son-in-law.
• Unser Wandel ist im Himmel, BWV Anh. 165, for SATB, after movements 2, 4 and 6 of cantata Mein Odem ist schwach, BWV 222, by Johann Ernst Bach.

BWV deest

See also: The righteous perishes § In Lutheranism

• Der Gerechte kommt um, BWV deest, a chorale from a pasticcio passion oratorio, is a parody of the motet Tristis est anima mea which was likely composed by Johann Kuhnau. The arrangement is possibly Bach's, and possibly Bach used it as a separarate (funeral) motet.

Sources

• BWV^2a: Alfred Dürr, Yoshitake Kobayashi (eds.), Kirsten Beißwenger. Bach Werke Verzeichnis: Kleine Ausgabe, nach der von Wolfgang Schmieder vorgelegten 2. Ausgabe. Preface in English and German. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998. ISBN 3765102490 - ISBN 978-3765102493

External links

• Motets by Johan Sebastian Bach: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Johann Gottfried Schicht, editor. Joh. Seb. Bach's Motetten in Partitur. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Ha˜rtel. 1802 (Vol. 1: BWV 225, 228, Anh. 159); 1803 (Vol.2: BWV 229, 227, 226)

Masses, Passions, Oratorios is the subject of the second series of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA, New Bach Edition), a publication of Johann Sebastian Bach's music from 1954 to 2007. In the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, catalogue of Bach's compositions) masses, passions and oratorios refers to two chapters:

• Chapter 3: Messen, Messensätze, Magnificat (Masses, Mass movements, Magnificat), original range: BWV 232–243
• Chapter 4: Passionen, Oratorien (Passions, Oratorios), original range: BWV 244–249

In the BWV, as in Series II of the NBA, the group thus also includes Bach's Magnificat and separate mass movements.

Further the second series of the NBA, as well as the 1998 updated edition of the BWV (BWV^2a), group some new additions to the BWV catalogue with the masses, passions and oratorios (e.g. Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, BWV 1083, Bach's adaptation of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater), and regroup some compositions that were formerly associated with other genres in the masses, passions and oratorios group (e.g. BWV 11, published as a cantata in the 19th century, added to the group as an oratorio).

Also various items in the BWV Anhang (BWV Anh., appendix to the BWV), or even unmentioned in the BWV (BWV deest, lacking a BWV number) are associated with this group, for instance the motet Der Gerechte kömmt um, BC C 8, arranged, probably by Bach, from the Tristis est anima mea motet attributed to Johann Kuhnau. Such compositions or movements usually have a Bach Digital Work (BDW) page at the www.bach-digital.de website.

Masses, Mass movements and Magnificat

See also: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § BWV Chapter 3, and Bach's church music in Latin

Mass with all usual sections

• BWV 232 – Mass in B minor

Kyrie–Gloria Masses

• BWV 232^I, early version – Mass for the Dresden court (1733), re-used as part I of the Mass in B minor
• BWV 233 – Missa in F major
• BWV 234 – Missa in A major
• BWV 235 – Missa in G minor
• BWV 236 – Missa in G major

Cantata based on BWV 232^I

• BWV 191 – Cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo

Separate Mass movements

• BWV 232^II, early version – Credo in G major (1748–49?)
• BWV 232^III, early version – Sanctus for six vocal parts (1724)
• BWV 233a – Kyrie in F major (alternative version of Kyrie from BWV 233)
• BWV 237 – Sanctus in C major
• BWV 238 – Sanctus in D major
• BWV 239 – Sanctus in D minor (doubtful)
• BWV 240 – Sanctus in G major
• BWV 241 – Sanctus in D major (arrangement of Sanctus from Johann Caspar Kerll's Missa superba)
• BWV 242 – Christe eleison in G minor (composed by Bach for a mass by Francesco Durante, BWW Anh. 26)

Latin Magnificat

• BWV 243 – Magnificat in D major
• BWV 243a – Magnificat in E-flat major, early version of BWV 243, containing four Latin and German interpolations related to Christmas

German Magnificat cantatas

• BWV 10 – Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (German Magnificat)
• BWV 189 – Meine Seele rühmt und preist on a German paraphrase of the Magnificat text, attributed to Melchior Hoffmann.
• BWV Anh. 21 – Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (Kleine Magnificat), by Melchior Hoffmann.

Other

• BWV 1081 – Credo intonation in F major for a Mass by Giovanni Battista Bassani, BDW 1267
• BWV 1082 – Bach's copy of the Suscepit Israel of Antonio Caldara's Magnificat in C major.
• BWV 1083 – Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, Bach's adaptation of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater
• BWV Anh. 24 – Kyrie and Gloria in A minor from "Missa Sancti Lamberti" by Johann Christoph Pez; Bach copied its Kyrie in Weimar, adding a line different from the original continuo; Its Gloria was copied without modification in Leipzig.
• BWV Anh. 25 – Kyrie–Gloria Mass in C major (sometimes attributed to Johann Ludwig Bach, copied & performed by J. S. Bach c.1740-1742).
• BWV Anh. 26 – Mass in C minor: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project (by Francesco Durante; see above Christe eleison in G minor, BWV 242)
• BWV Anh. 27 – Sanctus in F major by Johann Ludwig Krebs.
• BWV Anh. 28 – Sanctus in B major (composer unknown).
• BWV Anh. 29 – continuo part for a Mass in C minor
• BWV Anh. 30 – Magnificat in C major for SSAATTBB choir and orchestra attributed to Antonio Lotti, and later to Pietro Torri (copied by Bach around 1742)
• BWV Anh. 166 – Missa super cantilena "Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr": Kyrie–Gloria Mass in E minor composed in 1716 by Johann Ludwig Bach, previously attributed to Johann Nicolaus Bach, with part scores written out by J. S. Bach and others for performance in 1729, and a small addition (5 bars) by J. S. Bach at the beginning of the Gloria. The text of the Gloria is partly in German: it intersperses the Latin text of the Gloria with, as cantus firmus, all four stanzas of "de" (which is itself a paraphrase of the Gloria), a Lutheran hymn by Nicolaus Decius and Joachim Slüter.
• BWV Anh. 167 – Kyrie–Gloria Mass in G major for double SATB choir and orchestra, possibly by Johann Ludwig Bach or Antonio Lotti. One of its 18th century manuscript copies is partially in J. S. Bach's handwriting. Published and performed as J. S. Bach's in 1805.
• BWV Anh. 168 – Kyrie (and German Gloria) composed by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, BDW 1479
• BWV deest – Bach's transposition from D minor to E minor and colla parte orchestration for the first two movements of Palestrina's Missa Sine nomine a 6, to be performed in Leipzig in the early 1740s as a Kyrie–Gloria Mass for SSATTB choir, and an orchestra consisting of cornets, trombones and continuo.

Passions and Oratorios

See also: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § BWV Chapter 4, and Passions (Bach)

Passions composed by Bach

• BWV 244 – St Matthew Passion (Matthäus-Passion)
  • BWV 244b – St Matthew Passion, early version(s)
• BWV 245 – St John Passion (Johannes-Passion), various versions, including:
  • St. John Passion, 2nd version, with opening chorus "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß" (1725), BDW 0308, containing:
    • BWV 245a – Aria "Himmel reiße, Welt erbebe"
    • BWV 245b – Aria "Zerschmettert mich, ihr Felsen und ihr Hügel"
    • BWV 245c – Aria "Ach, windet euch nicht so, geplagte Seelen"
  • St. John Passion, Bach's last revision (1749), BDW 0310
• BWV 247 – St Mark Passion (Markus-Passion) (libretto is extant; although the music is lost much of it is reconstructable based on associated compositions)
• BWV deest – Weimarer Passion (lost, music partially recuperated in other compositions), BDW 1533

Passions by other composers with movements by Bach

• BWV 246 – St Luke Passion (Lukas-Passion) by an unknown composer and librettist, includes one movement by Bach:
  • BWV 246/40a Chorale "Aus der Tiefen rufe ich", BDW 0312
• BWV deest – St Mark Passion (attributed to Keiser), surviving in various (pasticcio) versions, with three movements associated with Bach:
  • BWV 500a – Chorale "So gehst du nun, mein Jesu, hin", BDW 0571
  • BWV 1084 – Chorale "O hilf Christe, Gottes Sohn", BDW 1270, and earlier version BDW 1677
  • BWV deest – Chorale "O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid", BDW 1679, and earlier version BDW 1678
• BWV deest – Passion oratorio Wer ist der, so von Edom kömmt (pasticcio), with three movements associated with Bach:
  • BWV 127/1 (variant) – Chorus "Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott", BDW 0155
  • BWV 1088 – Arioso "So heb ich denn mein Auge sehnlich auf", BDW 1274
  • BWV deest – Chorus "Der Gerechte kömmt um", also as separate motet (BC C 8), BDW 1532

Other vocal compositions associated with Passion music

• BWV 244a – Trauermusik Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt (funeral cantata), music lost but largely reconstructable based on BWV 244b and 198
• BWV 200 – Aria "Bekennen will ich seinen Namen", arranged by Bach from a Passion oratorio by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel, BDW 0250

Spurious

• BWV Anh. 169 – Passion text Erbauliche Gedanken auf den Grünen Donnerstag und Charfreitag über den Leidenden Jesum by Picander, not set by Bach (apart from some movements of the St Matthew Passion)

Oratorios and associated cantatas

• BWV 248 – Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts-Oratorium), consisting of six cantatas composed for the Christmas season of 1734–1735:
  • BWV 248^I – Cantata Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage
  • BWV 248^II – Cantata Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend
  • BWV 248^III – Cantata Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen
  • BWV 248^IV – Cantata Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben
  • BWV 248^V – Cantata Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen
  • BWV 248^VI – Cantata Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben
• BWV 248^VIa – textless cantata, model for BWV 248^VI, BDW 0315
• BWV 249 – Easter Oratorio (Oster-Oratorium), also known by its incipit Kommt, eilet und laufet
  • BWV 249a – Secular cantata Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen
  • BWV 249b – Secular cantata Verjaget, zerstreuet, zerrüttet, ihr Sterne
• BWV 11 – Ascension Oratorio (Himmelfahrts-Oratorium), previously known as Cantata Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen

References

|- id="BWV Chapter 5" style="background: #D8D8D8;" | data-sort-value="0249.z99" | 5. | data-sort-value="284.001" colspan="8" | Four-part chorales (see also: List of chorale harmonisations by Johann Sebastian Bach) | data-sort-value="0319a" | Up ↑ |- id="Three wedding chorales" style="background: #E3F6CE;" | data-sort-value="0250.000" | 250 | data-sort-value="284.002" | 5. | data-sort-value="1736-07-01" | 1734–1738 | chorale setting "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" (Three wedding chorales No. 1) | | data-sort-value="SATB Hnx2 Ob Oba Str Bc" | SATB 2Hn Ob Oba Str Bc | data-sort-value="000.13 1: 147" | 13¹: 147 | data-sort-value="III/02 1: 000a" | III/2.1: 3 | text by Rodigast | 0320 |- style="background: #E3F6CE;" | data-sort-value="0251.000" | 251 | data-sort-value="284.003" | 5. | data-sort-value="1736-07-01" | 1734–1738 | chorale setting "Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut" (Three wedding chorales No. 2) | | data-sort-value="SATB Hnx2 Ob Oba Str Bc" | SATB 2Hn Ob Oba Str Bc | data-sort-value="000.13 1: 148" | 13¹: 148 | data-sort-value="III/02 1: 000b" | III/2.1: 4 | text by Schütz, J. J. | 0321 |- style="background: #E3F6CE;" | data-sort-value="0252.000" | 252 | data-sort-value="284.004" | 5. | data-sort-value="1736-07-01" | 1734–1738 | chorale setting "Nun danket alle Gott" (Three wedding chorales No. 3) | | data-sort-value="SATB Hnx2 Ob Oba Str Bc" | SATB 2Hn Ob Oba Str Bc | data-sort-value="000.13 1: 149" | 13¹: 149 | data-sort-value="III/02 1: 000c" | III/2.1: 5 | text by Rinkart | 0322 Template:Chorale harmonisations BWV 253–438 |- style="background: #E3F6CE;" | data-sort-value="0500.a00" | 500a | data-sort-value="302.003" | 5. | 1726-04-19 | chorale setting "So gehst du nun, mein Jesu, hin" (in Bach's Leipzig versions of St Mark Passion attributed to Keiser) | | SATB Str Bc | | data-sort-value="II/09: 075" | II/9: 75 | text by Nachtenhöfer; ↔ BWV 500 | 0571 |- style="background: #E3F6CE;" | data-sort-value="1084.000" | 1084 | data-sort-value="302.004" | 5. | 1726-04-19 | chorale setting "O hilf Christe, Gottes Sohn" (in Bach's Leipzig versions of St Mark Passion attributed to Keiser) | | SATB Str Bc | | data-sort-value="II/09: 076" | II/9: 76 | text by Weiße; after BC D 5a/14 | 1270 |- | data-sort-value="1089.000" | 1089 | data-sort-value="302.006" | 5. | | chorale setting "Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund" | | SATB | | data-sort-value="III/02 2: 216" | III/2.2: 216 | text by Lilius | 1275 |- style="background: #F6E3CE;" | data-sort-value="1122.000" | 1122 | data-sort-value="303.003" | 5. | data-sort-value="1730-01-01" | c. 1735 or earlier | chorale setting "Denket doch, ihr Menschenkinder" | F maj. | SATB | | data-sort-value="III/02 1: 038" | III/2.1: 31
III/2.2: 217 | text by Hübner? | 1720 |- style="background: #F6E3CE;" | data-sort-value="1123.000" | 1123 | data-sort-value="303.004" | 5. | data-sort-value="1730-01-01" | c. 1735 or earlier | chorale setting "Wo Gott zum Haus gibt nicht sein Gunst" | G maj. | SATB | | data-sort-value="III/02 1: 050" | III/2.1: 40 | data-sort-value="after Z 0305; text by Kolross" | after Z 305; text by Kolross | 1721 |- style="background: #F6E3CE;" | data-sort-value="1124.000" | 1124 | data-sort-value="303.005" | 5. | data-sort-value="1730-01-01" | c. 1735 or earlier | chorale setting "Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ" | E min. | SATB | | data-sort-value="III/02 1: 069" | III/2.1: 51 | after Z 7400; text by Agricola, J. | 1722 |- style="background: #F6E3CE;" | data-sort-value="1125.000" | 1125 | data-sort-value="303.006" | 5. | data-sort-value="1730-01-01" | c. 1735 or earlier | chorale setting "O Gott, du frommer Gott" | D maj. | SATB | | data-sort-value="III/02 1: 113" | III/2.1: 79 | after Z 5206b; text by Heermann | 1723 |- | data-sort-value="1126.000" | 1126 | data-sort-value="303.007" | 5. | | chorale setting "Lobet Gott, unsern Herren" | | SATB | | data-sort-value="III/02 2: 218" | III/2.2: 218 | | 1724 |- id="BWV Chapter 6" style="background: #D8D8D8;" | data-sort-value="0438.z99" | 6. | data-sort-value="304.001" colspan="8" | Songs, Arias and Quodlibet (see also: List of songs and arias of Johann Sebastian Bach) | data-sort-value="0508a" | Up ↑

See also: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § BWV Chapter 6

File:Schemelli Gesangbuch 1736 Titelblatt.png

Title page of Georg Christian Schemelli's 1736 Songbook, containing 69 melodies for which Bach provided a melody and/or (improved) accompaniment

Songs and arias by Johann Sebastian Bach are compositions listed in Chapter 6 of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV 439–524), which also includes the Quodlibet. Most of the songs and arias included in this list are set for voice and continuo. Most of them are also spiritual, i.e. hymn settings, although a few have a worldly theme. The best known of these, "Bist du bei mir", was however not composed by Bach.

An aria by Bach was rediscovered in the 21st century, and was assigned the number BWV 1127. Further hymn settings and arias by Bach are included in his cantatas, motets, masses, passions, oratorios and chorale harmonisations (BWV 1–438 and later additions). The second Anhang of the BWV catalogue also lists a few songs of doubtful authenticity.

Sacred songs and arias from Schemellis Songbook (BWV 439–507)

See also: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach printed during his lifetime § Spiritual songs and arias from Schemelli's Musicalisches Gesangbuch

The hymnal published 1736 in Leipzig by de contained 954 hymns; 69 of these, listed here, were accompanied by a melody and a figured bass.

• BWV 439 – Ach, dass nicht die letzte Stunde
• BWV 440 – Auf, auf! die rechte Zeit ist hier
• BWV 441 – commons
• BWV 442 – Beglückter Stand getreuer Seelen
• BWV 443 – Beschränkt, ihr Weisen dieser Welt
• BWV 444 – Brich entzwei, mein armes Herze
• BWV 445 – Brunnquell aller Güter
• BWV 446 – Der lieben Sonnen Licht und Pracht
• BWV 447 – Der Tag ist hin, die Sonne gehet nieder
• BWV 448 – Der Tag mit seinem Lichte
• BWV 449 – Dich bet' ich an, mein höchster Gott
• BWV 450 – Die bittre Leidenszeit beginnet abermal
• BWV 451 – Die goldne Sonne, voll Freud' und Wonne
• BWV 452 – Dir, dir Jehovah, will ich singen
• BWV 453 – Eins ist Not! ach Herr, dies Eine
• BWV 454 – Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist
• BWV 455 – Erwürgtes Lamm, das die verwahrten Siegel
• BWV 456 – Es glänzet der Christen
• BWV 457 – Es ist nun aus mit meinem Leben
• BWV 458 – Es ist vollbracht! vergiss ja nicht
• BWV 459 – Es kostet viel, ein Christ zu sein
• BWV 460 – Gib dich zufrieden und sei stille
• BWV 461 – Gott lebet noch; Seele, was verzagst du doch?
• BWV 462 – Gott, wie groß ist deine Güte
• BWV 463 – Herr, nicht schicke deine Rache
• BWV 464 – Ich bin ja, Herr, in deiner Macht
• BWV 465 – Ich freue mich in dir
• BWV 466 – Ich halte treulich still und liebe
• BWV 467 – Ich lass' dich nicht
• BWV 468 – Ich liebe Jesum alle Stund'
• BWV 469 – File
• BWV 470 – Jesu, Jesu, du bist mein
• BWV 471 – Jesu, deine Liebeswunden
• BWV 472 – Jesu, meines Glaubens Zier
• BWV 473 – Jesu, meines Herzens Freud
• BWV 474 – Jesus ist das schönste Licht
• BWV 475 – Jesus, unser Trost und Leben
• BWV 476 – Ihr Gestirn', ihr hohen Lufte
• BWV 477 – Kein Stündlein geht dahin
• BWV 478 – Komm, süßer Tod, komm, selge Ruh
• BWV 479 – Kommt, Seelen, dieser Tag
• BWV 480 – Kommt wieder aus der finstern Gruft
• BWV 481 – Lasset uns mit Jesu ziehen
• BWV 482 – Liebes Herz, bedenke doch
• BWV 483 – Liebster Gott, wann werd' ich sterben?
• BWV 484 – Liebster Herr Jesu! wo bleibest du so lange?
• BWV 485 – Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen
• BWV 486 – Mein Jesu, dem die Seraphinen
• BWV 487 – Mein Jesu! was für Seelenweh
• BWV 488 – Meines Lebens letzte Zeit
• BWV 489 – Nicht so traurig, nicht so sehr
• BWV 490 – Nur mein Jesus ist mein Leben
• BWV 491 – O du Liebe meiner Liebe
• BWV 492 – O finstre Nacht
• BWV 493 – O Jesulein süß, o Jesulein mild
• BWV 494 – O liebe Seele, zieh' die Sinnen
• BWV 495 – O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen
• BWV 496 – Seelen-Bräutigam, Jesu, Gottes Lamm
• BWV 497 – Seelenweide, meine Freude
• BWV 498 – Selig, wer an Jesum denkt
• BWV 499 – Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig
• BWV 500 – So gehst du nun, mein Jesu, hin
• BWV 501 – So giebst du nun, mein Jesu, gute Nacht
• BWV 502 – So wünsch' ich mir zu guter Letzt
• BWV 503 – Steh' ich bei meinem Gott
• BWV 504 – Vergiss mein nicht, dass ich dein nicht
• BWV 505 – Vergiss mein nicht, vergiss mein nicht
• BWV 506 – Was bist du doch, o Seele, so betrübet
• BWV 507 – Wo ist mein Schäflein, das ich liebe

Songs and arias from the second Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (BWV 508–518)

File:J.S.Bach-So oft ich meine Tobackspfeife.ogg

J.S.Bach. So oft ich meine Tobackspfeife, BWV 515 with Ukrainian words by M. Strikha.

See also: Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach § The 1725 notebook

• BWV 508 – Bist du bei mir (on a melody by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel)
• BWV 509 – Gedenke doch, mein Geist, aria
• BWV 510 – Gib dich zufrieden, chorale
• BWV 511 – Gib dich zufrieden, chorale
• BWV 512 – Gib dich zufrieden, chorale
• BWV 513 – O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, chorale
• BWV 514 – Schaffs mit mir, Gott, chorale
• BWV 515 – So oft ich meine Tobackspfeife, aria
• BWV 515a – So oft ich meine Tobackspfeife
• BWV 516 – Warum betrübst du dich, aria
• BWV 517 – Wie wohl ist mir, o Freund der Seelen
• BWV 518 – Willst du dein Herz mir schenken

Five hymns from a manuscript by Johann Ludwig Krebs (BWV 519–523)

Fünf geistliche Lieder are five hymns as collected by Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713–1780) and published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1917.

• BWV 519 – Hier lieg ich nun
• BWV 520 – Das walt' mein Gott
• BWV 521 – Gott mein Herz dir Dank
• BWV 522 – Meine Seele, lass es gehen
• BWV 523 – Ich gnüge mich an meinem Stande

Quodlibet (BWV 524)

• BWV 524 – Wedding Quodlibet (fragment)

Added to the BWV catalogue in the 21st century (BWV 1127)

• BWV 1127 – Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn' ihn (Strophic aria composed in Weimar in 1713, rediscovered in 2005)

Doubtful works from BWV Anh. II (BWV Anh. 32–41)

BWV Anh. II lists eight songs in Christian Hofmann von Hofmannswaldau's Deutsche Übersetzungen und Gedichte and two in Sperontes' Singende Muse an der Pleiße as possibly composed by Bach.

From Deutsche Übersetzungen und Gedichte

See also: Scores:7 Geistliche Oden und ein Gedicht, BWV Anh.32-39 (Bach, Johann Sebastian)

• BWV Anh. 32 – Sacred Song "Getrost mein Geist, wenn Wind und Wetter krachen" (doubtful)
• BWV Anh. 33 – Sacred song "Mein Jesus, spare nicht" (doubtful)
• BWV Anh. 34 – Sacred Song "Kann ich mit einem Tone" (doubtful)
• BWV Anh. 35 – Sacred Song "Meine Seele lass die Flügel" (doubtful)
• BWV Anh. 36 – Sacred song "Ich stimm' itzund ein Straff-Lied an" (doubtful)
• BWV Anh. 37 – Sacred song "Der schwarze Flügel trüber Nacht" (doubtful)
• BWV Anh. 38 – Sacred song "Das Finsterniß tritt ein" (doubtful)
• BWV Anh. 39 – Song "Ach was wollt ihr trüben Sinnen" (doubtful)

From Singende Muse an der Pleiße

• BWV Anh. 40 – Song scores (Text lost; doubtful)
• BWV Anh. 41 – Song scores (doubtful)

Spurious work from BWV Anh. III (BWV Anh. 158)

• BWV Anh. 158 – Aria "Andro dall' colle al prato", by Johann Christian Bach

External links

• Schemellis Gesangbuch BWV 439–507 with scores and videos for each song
• Songs and Arias (BWV 439–518): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

|- id="BWV Chapter 7" style="background: #D8D8D8;" | data-sort-value="0524.z99" | 7. | data-sort-value="311.001" colspan="8" | Works for organ (see also: List of organ compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach) | data-sort-value="0596a" | Up ↑ Organ compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach refers to the compositions in the seventh chapter of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, catalogue of Bach's compositions), or, in the New Bach Edition, the compositions in Series IV.

Trio sonatas (BWV 525–530)

• BWV 525 – Trio sonata in E-flat major
• BWV 526 – Trio sonata in C minor
• BWV 527 – Trio sonata in D minor
• BWV 528 – Trio sonata in E minor
• BWV 528a – Andante in D minor (alternative version of movement 2: Andante in B minor from BWV 528)
• BWV 529 – Trio sonata in C major
• BWV 530 – Trio sonata in G major

In the form of a Prelude, Toccata, Fantasia, Passacaglia, middle movement and/or Fugue (BWV 531–582)

• BWV 531 – Prelude and Fugue in C major
• BWV 532 – Prelude and Fugue in D major
• BWV 532a – Fugue in D major (alternative version of the fugue of BWV 532)
• BWV 533 – Prelude and Fugue in E minor ("Cathedral")
• BWV 533a – Prelude and Fugue in E minor (alternative version of BWV 533 without pedals)
• BWV 534 – Prelude and Fugue in F minor
• BWV 535 – Prelude and Fugue in G minor
• BWV 535a – Prelude and Fugue in G minor (alternative version of BWV 535)
• BWV 536 – Prelude and Fugue in A major
• BWV 536a – Prelude and Fugue in A major (alternative version of BWV 536, possibly based on the original manuscript)
• BWV 537 – Fantasia and Fugue in C minor
• BWV 538 – Toccata and Fugue in D minor ("Dorian")
• BWV 539 – Prelude and Fugue in D minor ("Fiddle")
• BWV 539a – Fugue in D minor (see BWV 1000 for the lute arrangement, movement 2 of BWV 1001 for the violin arrangement)
• BWV 540 – Toccata and Fugue in F major
• BWV 541 – Prelude and Fugue in G major
• BWV 542 – Fantasia and Fugue in G minor ("Great")
• BWV 542a – Fugue in G minor (alternative version of the fugue from BWV 542)
• BWV 543 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 544 – Prelude and Fugue in B minor
• BWV 545 – Prelude and Fugue in C major
• BWV 545a – Prelude and Fugue in C major (alternative version of BWV 545)
• BWV 545b – Prelude, Trio and Fugue in B-flat major (alternative version of BWV 545; the Trio is an arrangement of the finale of BWV 1029; some parts possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 546 – Prelude and Fugue in C minor
• BWV 547 – Prelude and Fugue in C major ("9/8")
• BWV 548 – Prelude and Fugue in E minor ("Wedge")
• BWV 549 – Prelude and Fugue in C minor
• BWV 550 – Prelude and Fugue in G major
• BWV 551 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 552 – Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major ("St. Anne") (part of Clavier-Übung III)
• BWV 553 – Eight Short Preludes and Fugues – Prelude and Fugue in C major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 554 – Eight Short Preludes and Fugues – Prelude and Fugue in D minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 555 – Eight Short Preludes and Fugues – Prelude and Fugue in E minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 556 – Eight Short Preludes and Fugues – Prelude and Fugue in F major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 557 – Eight Short Preludes and Fugues – Prelude and Fugue in G major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 558 – Eight Short Preludes and Fugues – Prelude and Fugue in G minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 559 – Eight Short Preludes and Fugues – Prelude and Fugue in A minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 560 – Eight Short Preludes and Fugues – Prelude and Fugue in B-flat major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 561 – Fantasia and Fugue in A minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Christian Kittel)
• BWV 562 – Fantasia and Fugue in C minor (fugue unfinished)
• BWV 563 – Fantasia in B minor (Fantasia and Imitatio) (spurious)
• BWV 564 – Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major
• BWV 565 – Toccata and Fugue in D minor (disputed, original manuscript not found)
• BWV 566 – Toccata and Fugue in E major (also published in C major)
• BWV 566a – Toccata in E major (earlier version of BWV 566)
• BWV 567 – Prelude in C major (doubtful, possibly by Johann Ludwig Krebs)
• BWV 568 – Prelude in G major (doubtful)
• BWV 569 – Prelude in A minor
• BWV 570 – Fantasia in C major
• BWV 571 – Fantasia (Concerto) in G major (spurious)
• BWV 572 – Fantasia in G major (Pièce d'Orgue)
• BWV 573 – Fantasia in C major (incomplete, from the 1722 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)
• BWV 574 – Fugue in C minor (on a theme of Legrenzi)
• BWV 574a – Fugue in C minor (alternative version of BWV 574)
• BWV 574b – Fugue in C minor (alternative version of BWV 574)
• BWV 575 – Fugue in C minor
• BWV 576 – Fugue in G major (doubtful)
• BWV 577 – Fugue in G major à la Gigue (doubtful)
• BWV 578 – Fugue in G minor ("Little")
• BWV 579 – Fugue in B minor (on a theme by Corelli, from Op. 3, No. 4)
• BWV 580 – Fugue in D major (doubtful)
• BWV 581 – Fugue in G major (not by Bach, composed by Gottfried August Homilius)
• BWV 582 – Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor

Trios (BWV 583–586)

• BWV 583 – Trio in D minor (spurious, possibly a transcription of a chamber trio by another composer)
• BWV 584 – Trio in G minor (spurious, a version of BWV 166/2 or another, lost, aria)
• BWV 585 – Trio in C minor (spurious, after Johann Friedrich Fasch)
• BWV 586 – Trio in G major (spurious, possibly after Georg Philipp Telemann)

Miscellaneous pieces (BWV 587–591)

• BWV 587 – Aria in F major (spurious, after François Couperin)
• BWV 588 – Canzona in D minor
• BWV 589 – Allabreve in D major
• BWV 590 – Pastorella in F major (first movement probably incomplete)
• BWV 591 – Little Harmonic Labyrinth (Kleines harmonisches Labyrinth) (spurious, possibly by Johann David Heinichen)

Concerti for organ (BWV 592–597)

• BWV 592 – Concerto in G major (after a concerto by Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar)
• BWV 592a – Concerto in G major (an arrangement of BWV 592 for harpsichord)
• BWV 593 – Concerto in A minor (after Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto Op. 3/8, RV 522 for two violins)
• BWV 594 – Concerto in C major (after Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto Op. 7ii/5, RV 208 'il grosso mogul' for violin)
• BWV 595 – Concerto in C major (after a concerto by Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar)
• BWV 596 – Concerto in D minor (after Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto grosso, Op. 3/11, RV 565; <phonos file="Largo spiccato Vivaldi BWV596.ogg">2. Largo, performed by Ulrich Metzner</phonos>)
• BWV 597 – Concerto in E-flat major (spurious, source unknown)

Pedal exercise (BWV 598)

• BWV 598 – Pedal-Exercitium ("Pedal Exercise") in G minor (fragment, authorship uncertain, presumably by C. P. E. Bach)

Chorale Preludes

Orgelbüchlein (Little Organ Book, BWV 599–644)

For the individual chorale prelude, please click on the BWV number. For the Lutheran hymn, please click on the title.

• Advent

1. BWV 599 – Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
2. BWV 600 – Gott, durch deine Güte, or: Gottes Sohn ist kommen
3. BWV 601 – Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn, or: Herr Gott, nun sei gepreiset (also in the Neumeister Collection)
4. BWV 602 – Lob sei dem allmächtigen Gott

• Christmas

5. BWV 603 – Puer natus in Bethlehem
6. BWV 604 – Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
7. BWV 605 – Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich
8. BWV 606 – Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her
9. BWV 607 – Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar
10. BWV 608 – In dulci jubilo
11. BWV 609 – Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich
12. BWV 610 – Jesu, meine Freude
13. BWV 611 – Christum wir sollen loben schon
14. BWV 612 – Wir Christenleut'

• New Year

15. BWV 613 – Helft mir Gottes Güte preisen
16. BWV 614 – Das alte Jahr vergangen ist
17. BWV 615 – In dir ist Freude

• Epiphany

18. BWV 616 – Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin
19. BWV 617 – Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf

• Lent

20. BWV 618 – de
21. BWV 619 – Christe, du Lamm Gottes
22. BWV 620 – Christus, der uns selig macht
    BWV 620a – Christus, der uns selig macht (older version)
23. BWV 621 – Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund
24. BWV 622 – O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß
25. BWV 623 – Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ
26. BWV 624 – Hilf Gott, daß mir's gelinge

• Easter

27. BWV 625 – Christ lag in Todesbanden
28. BWV 626 – Jesus Christus, unser Heiland
29. BWV 627 – Christ ist erstanden
30. BWV 628 – Erstanden ist der heil'ge Christ
31. BWV 629 – Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag
32. BWV 630 – Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn

• Pentecost

33. BWV 631 – Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist
    BWV 631a – Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist (older version)
34. BWV 632 – Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'
36. BWV 633 – Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
35. BWV 634 – Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier (earlier version of BWV 633)

• Catechism hymns

37. BWV 635 – Dies sind die heil'gen zehn Gebot'
38. BWV 636 – Vater unser im Himmelreich
39. BWV 637 – Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt
40. BWV 638 – Es ist das Heil uns kommen her

• Miscellaneous

41. BWV 639 – Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (also in the Neumeister Collection)
42. BWV 640 – In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr
43. BWV 641 – Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein
44. BWV 642 – Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten
45. BWV 643 – Alle Menschen müssen sterben
46. BWV 644 – Ach wie nichtig, ach wie flüchtig

Schübler Chorales (BWV 645–650)

• BWV 645 – Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
• BWV 646 – Wo soll ich fliehen hin (oder: Auf meinen lieben Gott)
• BWV 647 – Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten
• BWV 648 – Meine Seele erhebt den Herren
• BWV 649 – Ach, bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ
• BWV 650 – Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter

"Leipzig" Chorale Preludes ("The Great Eighteen" chorales) (BWV 651–668)

• BWV 651 – Fantasia super: Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott
• BWV 651a – Fantasia (Präludium) super: Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 652 – Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott
• BWV 652a – Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 653 – An Wasserflüssen Babylon
• BWV 653a – An Wasserflüssen Babylon alio modo a 4 (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 653b – An Wasserflüssen Babylon (Weimarer Urfassung)
• BWV 654 – Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele
• BWV 654a – Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 655 – Trio super: Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'
• BWV 655a – Trio super: Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend' (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 655b – Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'
• BWV 655c – Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'
• BWV 656 – O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
• BWV 656a – O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 657 – Nun danket alle Gott (Leuthen Chorale) (ältere Weimarer und Leipziger Fassung)
• BWV 658 – Von Gott will ich nicht lassen
• BWV 658a – Fantasia super: Von Gott will ich nicht lassen (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 659 – Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
• BWV 659a – Fantasia super: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 660 – Trio super: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
• BWV 660a – Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 660b – Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
• BWV 661 – Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
• BWV 661a – Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 662 – Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr'
• BWV 662a – Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr' (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 663 – Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr'
• BWV 663a – Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr' (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 664 – Trio super: Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr'
• BWV 664a/b – Trio super: Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr' (ältere Weimarer Fassung/Entwurf)
• BWV 665 – Jesus Christus, unser Heiland
• BWV 665a – Jesus Christus, unser Heiland (in organo pleno) (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 666 – Jesus Christus, unser Heiland (alio modo)
• BWV 666a – Jesus Christus, unser Heiland (ältere, Weimarer Fassung)
• BWV 667 – Komm, Gott Schöpfer, heiliger Geist
• BWV 667a/b – Komm, Gott Schöpfer, heiliger Geist (ältere, Weimarer Fassungen)
• BWV 668 – Vor deinen Thron tret' ich (Fragment)
• BWV 668a – Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein (Diktatschrift: Fragment)

"German Organ Mass", part of Clavier-Übung III (BWV 669–689)

• BWV 669 – Kyrie – Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit (large version [with pedal])
• BWV 670 – Christe – Christe, aller Welt Trost (large version)
• BWV 671 – Kyrie – Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist (large version)
• BWV 672 – Kyrie – Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit (small version [single keyboard])
• BWV 673 – Christe – Christe, aller Welt Trost (large version)
• BWV 674 – Kyrie – Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist (small version)
• BWV 675 – Gloria – Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr' (small version)
• BWV 676 – Gloria – Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr' (large version)
• BWV 677 – Gloria – Fughetta super: Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr' (small version)
• BWV 678 – The Ten Commandments – Dies sind die heil'gen zehn Gebot' (large version)
• BWV 679 – The Ten Commandments – Fughetta super: Dies sind die heil'gen zehn Gebot' (small version)
• BWV 680 – Credo – "de" (large version)
• BWV 681 – Credo – Fughetta super: Wir glauben all an einen Gott (small version)
• BWV 682 – The Lord's Prayer – Vater unser im Himmelreich (large version)
• BWV 683 – The Lord's Prayer – Vater unser im Himmelreich (small version)
• BWV 683a – The Lord's Prayer – Vater unser im Himmelreich (small version, variant of BWV 683)
• BWV 684 – The Baptism – Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam (large version)
• BWV 685 – The Baptism – Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam (small version) Alio modo
• BWV 686 – The Penitence – Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (large version)
• BWV 687 – The Penitence – Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (small version)
• BWV 688 – Communion – Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, der von uns den Zorn Gottes wandt (large version)
• BWV 689 – Communion – Fuga super: Jesus Christus, unser Heiland (small version)

Kirnberger chorale preludes (BWV 690–713)

• BWV 690 – Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten
• BWV 691 – Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten
• BWV 691a – Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten (spurious)
• BWV 692 – Ach, Gott und Herr (spurious, composed by Johann Gottfried Walther)
• BWV 692a – Ach, Gott und Herr (spurious, composed by Johann Gottfried Walther)
• BWV 693 – Ach, Gott und Herr (spurious, composed by Johann Gottfried Walther)
• BWV 694 – Wo soll ich fliehen hin
• BWV 695 – Fantasia super: Christ lag in Todesbanden
• BWV 695a – Fantasia super: Christ lag in Todesbanden
• BWV 696 – Fughetta: Christum wir sollen loben schon
• BWV 697 – Fughetta: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
• BWV 698 – Fughetta: Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes-Sohn
• BWV 699 – Fughetta: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
• BWV 700 – Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
• BWV 701 – Fughetta: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
• BWV 702 – [Fughetta:] Das Jesulein soll doch mein Trost (doubtful, possibly by Johann Ludwig Krebs)
• BWV 703 – Fughetta: Gottes-Sohn ist kommen
• BWV 704 – Fughetta: Lob sei dem allmächtigen Gott
• BWV 705 – Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt
• BWV 706 – Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
• BWV 707 – Ich hab' mein' Sach' Gott heimgestellt (doubtful)
• BWV 708 – Ich hab' mein' Sach' Gott heimgestellt (doubtful)
• BWV 708a – Ich hab' mein' Sach' Gott heimgestellt (doubtful)
• BWV 709 – Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'
• BWV 710 – Wir Christenleut'
• BWV 711 – Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr'
• BWV 712 In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr
  BWV 712 – In dich hab' ich gehoffet, Herr
• BWV 713 – Fantasia: Jesu, meine Freude
• BWV 713a – Fantasia super: Jesu, meine Freude

Miscellaneous chorale preludes (BWV 714–764)

• BWV 714 – Ach Gott und Herr (also in the Neumeister Collection)
• BWV 715 – Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr
• BWV 716 – Fuga super Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr
• BWV 717 – Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr'
• BWV 718 – Christ lag in Todesbanden
• BWV 719 – Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich (also in the Neumeister Collection)
• BWV 720 – Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
• BWV 721 – Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott
• BWV 722 – Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
• BWV 723 – Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
• BWV 724 – Gott, durch deine Güte (Gottes Sohn ist kommen)
• BWV 725 – Herr Gott, dich loben wir
• BWV 726 – Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend
• BWV 727 – Herzlich tut mich verlangen
• BWV 728 – Jesus, meine Zuversicht (from the 1722 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)
• BWV 729 – In dulci jubilo
• BWV 730 – Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
• BWV 731 – Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
• BWV 732 – Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich
• BWV 733 – Fuga sopra il Magnificat (Meine Seele erhebt den Herren, a.k.a. German Magnificat – possibly composed by Bach's pupil Johann Ludwig Krebs)
• BWV 734 – Nun freut euch, lieben Christen/Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit
• BWV 735 – Valet will ich dir geben
• BWV 736 – Valet will ich dir geben
• BWV 737 – Vater unser im Himmelreich (also in the Neumeister Collection)
• BWV 738 – Von Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
• BWV 738a – Von Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
• BWV 739 – Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
• BWV 740 – Wir glauben all' an einen Gott, Vater (spurious)
• BWV 741 – Ach Gott, von Himmel sieh' darein
• BWV 742 – Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder (also in the Neumeister Collection)
• BWV 743 – Ach, was ist doch unser Leben
• BWV 744 – Auf meinen lieben Gott (not by Bach, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 745 – Aus der Tiefe rufe ich (not by Bach, composed by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach)
• BWV 746 – Christ ist erstanden (not by Bach, composed by Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer)
• BWV 747 – Christus, der uns selig macht
• BWV 748 – Gott der Vater wohn' uns bei (not by Bach, composed by Johann Gottfried Walther)
• BWV 748a – Gott der Vater wohn' uns bei
• BWV 749 – Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'
• BWV 750 – Herr Jesu Christ, mein's Lebens Licht
• BWV 751 – In dulci jubilo (not by Bach, composed by Johann Michael Bach)
• BWV 752 – Jesu, der du meine Seele
• BWV 753 – Jesu, meine Freude (incomplete)
• BWV 754 – Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
• BWV 755 – Nun freut euch, lieben Christen
• BWV 756 – Nun ruhen alle Wälder
• BWV 757 – O Herre Gott, dein göttlich's Wort
• BWV 758 – O Vater, allmächtiger Gott
• BWV 759 – Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (not by Bach, composed by Gottfried August Homilius)
• BWV 760 – Vater unser im Himmelreich (not by Bach, composed by Georg Böhm)
• BWV 761 – Vater unser im Himmelreich (not by Bach, composed by Georg Böhm)
• BWV 762 – Vater unser im Himmelreich
• BWV 763 – Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
• BWV 764 – Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (incomplete)

Chorale partitas (BWV 765–768)

• BWV 765 – Chorale partita "Wir glauben all' an einen Gott" (spurious)
• BWV 766 – Chorale partita "Christ, der du bist der helle Tag"
• BWV 767 – Chorale partita "O Gott, du frommer Gott"
• BWV 768 – Chorale partita "Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig"

Chorale variations (BWV 769–771)

• BWV 769 – Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her"
• BWV 769a – Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her" (alternative version of BWV 769)
• BWV 770 – Chorale variations "Ach, was soll ich Sünder machen" (spurious)
• BWV 771 – Chorale variations "Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr'" (not by Bach, possibly by Andreas Nicolaus Vetter)

Later additions to the BWV catalogue

Various (BWV 1085–1087)

• BWV 1085 – O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig (chorale prelude)
• Canons, sometimes indicated as organ pieces:
  • BWV 1086 – Canon concordia discors
  • BWV 1087 – 14 canons on the First Eight Notes of Goldberg Variations Ground (discovered 1974)

Neumeister Chorales (BWV 1090–1120)

31 chorale preludes for organ, discovered 1985 in the archives of the Yale University library.

• BWV 1090 – Wir Christenleut
• BWV 1091 – Das alte Jahr vergangen ist
• BWV 1092 – Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf
• BWV 1093 – Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen
• BWV 1094 – O Jesu, wie ist dein Gestalt
• BWV 1095 – O Lamm Gottes unschuldig
• BWV 1096 – Christe, der du bist Tag und Licht (also known as "Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ"; doubtful, possibly by Johann Pachelbel)
• BWV 1097 – Ehre sei dir, Christe, der du leidest Not
• BWV 1098 – Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort
• BWV 1099 – Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
• BWV 1100 – Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ
• BWV 1101 – Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt
• BWV 1102 – Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ
• BWV 1103 – Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort
• BWV 1104 – Wenn dich Unglück tut greifen an
• BWV 1105 – Jesu, meine Freude
• BWV 1106 – Gott ist mein Heil, mein Hilf und Trost
• BWV 1107 – Jesu, meines Lebens Leben
• BWV 1108 – Als Jesus Christus in der Nacht
• BWV 1109 – Ach Gott, tu dich erbarmen
• BWV 1110 – O Herre Gott, dein göttlich Wort
• BWV 1111 – Nun lasset uns den Leib begrab'n
• BWV 1112 – Christus, der ist mein Leben
• BWV 1113 – Ich hab mein Sach Gott heimgestellt
• BWV 1114 – Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut
• BWV 1115 – Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr
• BWV 1116 – Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
• BWV 1117 – Alle Menschen müssen sterben
• BWV 1118 – Werde munter, mein Gemüte
• BWV 1119 – Wie nach einer Wasserquelle
• BWV 1120 – Christ, der du bist der helle Tag

Recovered from the Anhang (BWV 1121 and 1128)

• BWV 1121 (=BWV Anh. 205) – Fantasie in C minor (organ)
• BWV 1128 (previously BWV Anh. 71) – Organ chorale fantasia Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält (BWV Anh. II 71 was authenticated as a composition by Bach after Wilhelm Rust's 1877 copy was recovered in March 2008).

BWV Anhang

Various lost, doubtful and spurious organ works are included in the BWV Anhang:

• BWV Anh. 42–79
• BWV Anh. 171–178
• BWV Anh. 200, 206, 208, 213

Sources

• Jean M. Perreault, edited by and Donna K. Fitch. The Thematic Catalogue of the Musical Works of Johann Pachelbel. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8108-4970-4Template:Accessdate
• Peter Williams. The Organ Music of J.S. Bach (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-521-89115-9, ISBN 978-0-521-89115-8Template:Accessdate

External links

• scores and recordings by Organ Works by Johann Sebastian Bach at the International Music Score Library Project. Accessed: 09:23, 3 April 2016 (UTC).
• James Kibbie - Bach Organ Works: free downloads of the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach, recorded by Dr. James Kibbie on original baroque organs in Germany. Accessed: 09:23, 3 April 2016 (UTC).

Keyboard and Lute Works is the topic of the fifth series of the New Bach Edition.

Keyboard Works (Klavierwerke) by Johann Sebastian Bach traditionally refers to the Nos. 772 to 994, Chapter 8 in the BWV catalogue, listing compositions for a solo keyboard instrument like the harpsichord or the clavichord. Despite the fact that organ is also a keyboard instrument, and that in Bach's time the distinction wasn't always made whether a keyboard composition was for organ or another keyboard instrument, Wolfgang Schmieder ranged organ compositions in a separate section of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (Nos. 525-771). Also other compositions for keyboard, like compositions for lute-harpsichord and fortepiano were listed outside the "Klavierwerke" range by Schmieder. Lute works are in the range 995–1000, Chapter 9 in the BWV catalogue.

Bach was a prodigious talent at the keyboard, well known during his lifetime for both his technical and improvisational abilities. Many of Bach's keyboard works started out as improvisations. Bach wrote widely for the harpsichord, producing numerous inventions, suites, fugues, partitas, overtures, as well as keyboard arrangements of concerto music by his contemporaries. The fortepiano is an instrument Bach would have encountered once, by the end of his life when it was recently invented, while visiting his son in Potsdam. The visit resulted in Das Musikalische Opfer, parts of which may have been intended for the new instrument.

Several of Bach's works for keyboard were published in print in his own lifetime. Four such publications were given the name Clavier-Übung (Keyboard Practice) by the composer. Bach was not the first to use that name, for example Bach's Leipzig predecessor Johann Kuhnau had used it for two volumes published in the late 17th century. The first volume, Bach's Opus 1, was published in 1731, while the last was published a decade later. The first, second and last volume contain music written for harpsichord, while the third was mainly intended for performance on the organ, only four duets contained in that volume ending up in the BWV 772–994 range.

The Well-Tempered Clavier, a collection of forty-eight Preludes and Fugues, was not printed until half a century after Bach's death, although it had circulated in manuscript form before that. Before the extensive rediscovery of his works in the nineteenth century, Bach was known almost exclusively through his music for the keyboard, in particular his highly influential Well-Tempered Clavier, which were regularly assigned as part of musicians' training. Composers and performers such as Ludwig van Beethoven and Camille Saint-Saëns first showed off their skills as child prodigies playing the entire cycle of Bach's forty-eight Preludes and Fugues.

Modern composers have continued to draw inspiration from Bach's keyboard output. Dmitri Shostakovich, for example, wrote his own set of Preludes and Fugues after the Bach model. Jazz musicians and composers, in particular, have been drawn to the contrapuntal style, harmonic expansion and rhythmic expression of Bach's compositions, especially the works for keyboard.

The first section below lists all compositions in the BWV 772–994 range, then follows a section listing other compositions for non-organ keyboard instruments, as well compositions for a single keyboard instrument as compositions with a soloist role for the keyboard, alone or among other soloists. This includes keyboard concertos, but also sonatas where the keyboard is not part of the basso continuo but a cembalo obbligato.

After the composer's death most of his keyboard compositions, and many others, are, or were, often performed on the piano, played either directly from a score for the instruments as the composer knew them, or from a score that was a transcription for piano. The latter is sometimes needed even for harpsichord scores while for instance a composition intended for a two-manual harpsichord (like the Goldberg Variations) can present difficulties for the crossing of hands when performed on a single-keyboard instrument like the piano. Some of the transposers/arrangers of Bach's work added their own inspiration, like Busoni in his arrangement and expansion of Bach's Chromatische Fantasie und Fuge, BWV 903. The third section of this list refers to such transcriptions and arrangements for the piano.

Works for keyboard (BWV 772–994)

See also: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § BWV Chapter 8

Inventions and Sinfonias (772–801)

• BWV 772 – Invention No. 1 in C major
• BWV 772a – Invention No. 1 in C major (alternative version of BWV 772)
• BWV 773 – Invention No. 2 in C minor
• BWV 774 – Invention No. 3 in D major
• BWV 775 – Invention No. 4 in D minor, (audio excerpt)
• BWV 776 – Invention No. 5 in E-flat major
• BWV 777 – Invention No. 6 in E major
• BWV 778 – Invention No. 7 in E minor
• BWV 779 – Invention No. 8 in F major
• BWV 780 – Invention No. 9 in F minor
• BWV 781 – Invention No. 10 in G major
• BWV 782 – Invention No. 11 in G minor
• BWV 783 – Invention No. 12 in A major
• BWV 784 – Invention No. 13 in A minor
• BWV 785 – Invention No. 14 in B-flat major
• BWV 786 – Invention No. 15 in B minor
• BWV 787 – Sinfonia No. 1 in C major
• BWV 788 – Sinfonia No. 2 in C minor
• BWV 789 – Sinfonia No. 3 in D major
• BWV 790 – Sinfonia No. 4 in D minor
• BWV 791 – Sinfonia No. 5 in E-flat major
• BWV 792 – Sinfonia No. 6 in E major
• BWV 793 – Sinfonia No. 7 in E minor
• BWV 794 – Sinfonia No. 8 in F major
• BWV 795 – Sinfonia No. 9 in F minor
• BWV 796 – Sinfonia No. 10 in G major
• BWV 797 – Sinfonia No. 11 in G minor
• BWV 798 – Sinfonia No. 12 in A major
• BWV 799 – Sinfonia No. 13 in A minor
• BWV 800 – Sinfonia No. 14 in B-flat major
• BWV 801 – Sinfonia No. 15 in B minor

Four Duets from Clavier-Übung III (802–805)

• BWV 802 – Duet in E minor
• BWV 803 – Duet in F major
• BWV 804 – Duet in G major
• BWV 805 – Duet in A minor

English Suites (806–811)

• BWV 806 – English Suite No. 1 in A major
• BWV 807 – English Suite No. 2 in A minor
• BWV 808 – English Suite No. 3 in G minor
• BWV 809 – English Suite No. 4 in F major
• BWV 810 – English Suite No. 5 in E minor
• BWV 811 – English Suite No. 6 in D minor

French Suites (812–817)

• BWV 812 – French Suite No. 1 in D minor
• BWV 813 – French Suite No. 2 in C minor
• BWV 813a – French Suite No. 2 in C minor (alternative version of movement 5: Menuet)
• BWV 814 – French Suite No. 3 in B minor
• BWV 815 – French Suite No. 4 in E-flat major
• BWV 815a – French Suite No. 4 in E-flat major (alternative versions of several movements)
• BWV 816 – French Suite No. 5 in G major
• BWV 817 – French Suite No. 6 in E major

Miscellaneous suites (818–824)

• BWV 818 – Suite in A minor
• BWV 818a – Suite in A minor (alternative version of BWV 818)
• BWV 819 – Suite in E-flat major
• BWV 819a – Suite in E-flat major (alternative version of movement 1: Allemande from BWV 819)
• BWV 820 – Overture (Suite) in F major
• BWV 821 – Suite in B-flat major
• BWV 822 – Suite in G minor, <phonos file="Gavotte in G Minor.MID">play Gavotte in G Minor, simulating a viola</phonos>
• BWV 823 – Suite in F minor
• BWV 824 – Suite in A major (composed by Telemann, TWV 32:14)

Partitas for keyboard (published as Clavier-Übung I) (825–830)

• BWV 825 – Partita No. 1 in B-flat major
• BWV 826 – Partita No. 2 in C minor
• BWV 827 – Partita No. 3 in A minor
• BWV 828 – Partita No. 4 in D major
• BWV 829 – Partita No. 5 in G major
• BWV 830 – Partita No. 6 in E minor

French Overture, from Clavier-Übung II (831)

• BWV 831 – Overture in the French Style, in B minor
• BWV 831a – Earlier version in C minor

Suites and suite movements (832–845)

• BWV 832 – Suite in A major
• BWV 833 – Prelude and Partita in F major
• BWV 834 – Allemande in C minor
• BWV 835 – Allemande in A minor
• BWV 836 – Allemande in G minor
• BWV 837 – Allemande in G minor
• BWV 838 – Allemande and Courante in A major
• BWV 839 – Sarabande in G minor
• BWV 840 – Courante in G major (spurious, after the 2nd movement of Telemann's Ouverture in G major, TWV 32:13)
• BWV 841 – Minuet in G major (from the 1722 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)
• BWV 842 – Minuet in G minor
• BWV 843 – Minuet in G major
• BWV 844 – Scherzo in D minor
• BWV 844a – Scherzo in D minor (alternative version of BWV 844)
• BWV 845 – Gigue in F minor

The Well-Tempered Clavier (846–893)

• BWV 846 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major
• BWV 846a – Prelude in C major (alternative version of BWV 846, only Prelude)
• BWV 847 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C minor
• BWV 847a – Prelude in C minor (alternative version of BWV 847, only Prelude)
• BWV 848 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp major
• BWV 849 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp minor
• BWV 850 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in D major
• BWV 850a – Prelude in D major (alternative version of BWV 850, only Prelude)
• BWV 851 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in D minor
• BWV 851a – Prelude in D minor (alternative version of BWV 851, only Prelude)
• BWV 852 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 7 in E-flat major
• BWV 853 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in E-flat minor (The fugue of this work is actually in D-sharp minor, the enharmonic key of E-flat minor)
• BWV 854 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E major
• BWV 855 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 10 in E minor
• BWV 855a – Prelude in E minor (early version of the prelude of BWV 855) + Fughetta
• BWV 856 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in F major
• BWV 857 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 12 in F minor
• BWV 858 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp major
• BWV 859 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp minor
• BWV 860 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in G major
• BWV 861 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 16 in G minor
• BWV 862 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 17 in A-flat major
• BWV 863 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp minor
• BWV 864 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 19 in A major
• BWV 865 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 20 in A minor
• BWV 866 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 21 in B-flat major
• BWV 867 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 22 in B-flat minor
• BWV 868 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 23 in B major
• BWV 869 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B minor
• BWV 870 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major
• BWV 870a – Prelude and Fugue in C major (alternative version of BWV 870)
• BWV 870b – Prelude in C major (alternative version of BWV 870)
• BWV 871 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C minor
• BWV 872 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp major
• BWV 872a – Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp major (alternative version of BWV 872)
• BWV 873 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp minor
• BWV 874 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in D major
• BWV 875 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in D minor
• BWV 875a – Prelude in D minor (alternative version of BWV 875)
• BWV 876 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 7 in E-flat major
• BWV 877 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in D-sharp minor
• BWV 878 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E major
• BWV 879 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 10 in E minor
• BWV 880 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in F major
• BWV 881 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 12 in F minor
• BWV 882 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp major
• BWV 883 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp minor
• BWV 884 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in G major
• BWV 885 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 16 in G minor
• BWV 886 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 17 in A-flat major
• BWV 887 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp minor
• BWV 888 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 19 in A major
• BWV 889 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 20 in A minor
• BWV 890 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 21 in B-flat major
• BWV 891 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 22 in B-flat minor
• BWV 892 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 23 in B major
• BWV 893 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B minor

Preludes and fugues, toccatas and fantasias (894–923)

• BWV 894 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 895 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 896 – Prelude and Fugue in A major
• BWV 897 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 898 – Prelude and Fugue in B-flat major on the name B-A-C-H (doubtful)
• BWV 899 – Prelude and Fughetta in D minor
• BWV 900 – Prelude and Fughetta in E minor
• BWV 901 – Prelude and Fughetta in F major
• BWV 902 – Prelude and Fughetta in G major
• BWV 902a – Prelude in G major (alternative version of BWV 902)
• BWV 903 – Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor
• BWV 903a – Chromatic Fantasia in D minor (alternative version of BWV 903)
• BWV 904 – Fantasia and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 905 – Fantasia and Fugue in D minor
• BWV 906 – Fantasia and Fugue in C minor (fugue unfinished)
• BWV 907 – Fantasia and Fughetta in B-flat major
• BWV 908 – Fantasia and Fughetta in D major
• BWV 909 – Concerto and Fugue in C minor
• BWV 910 – Toccata in F-sharp minor
• BWV 911 – Toccata in C minor
• BWV 912 – Toccata in D major
• BWV 913 – Toccata in D minor
• BWV 914 – Toccata in E minor
• BWV 915 – Toccata in G minor
• BWV 916 – Toccata in G major
• BWV 917 – Fantasia in G minor
• BWV 918 – Fantasia in C minor
• BWV 919 – Fantasia in C minor
• BWV 920 – Fantasia in G minor
• BWV 921 – Prelude in C minor
• BWV 922 – Prelude in A minor
• BWV 923 – Prelude in B minor (spurious, possibly by Wilhelm Hieronymus Pachelbel)

Little Preludes from Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (924–932)

• BWV 924 – Prelude in C major
• BWV 924a – Prelude in C major (alternative version of BWV 924)
• BWV 925 – Prelude in D major
• BWV 926 – Prelude in D minor
• BWV 927 – Praeambulum in F major
• BWV 928 – Prelude in F major
• BWV 929 – Prelude in G minor
• BWV 930 – Prelude in G minor
• BWV 931 – Prelude in A minor
• BWV 932 – Prelude in E minor

Six Little Preludes (933–938)

• BWV 933 – Little Prelude in C major
• BWV 934 – Little Prelude in C minor
• BWV 935 – Little Prelude in D minor
• BWV 936 – Little Prelude in D major
• BWV 937 – Little Prelude in E major
• BWV 938 – Little Prelude in E minor

Five Preludes from the collection of Johann Peter Kellner (939–943)

• BWV 939 – Prelude in C major
• BWV 940 – Prelude in D minor
• BWV 941 – Prelude in E minor
• BWV 942 – Prelude in A minor
• BWV 943 – Prelude in C major

Fugues and fughettas (944–962)

• BWV 944 – Fantasia and Fugue in A minor (attribution doubted)
• BWV 945 – Fugue in E minor
• BWV 946 – Fugue in C major
• BWV 947 – Fugue in A minor
• BWV 948 – Fugue in D minor
• BWV 949 – Fugue in A major
• BWV 950 – Fugue in A major on a theme by Tomaso Albinoni
• BWV 951 – Fugue in B minor on a theme by Tomaso Albinoni
• BWV 951a – Fugue in B minor (alternative version of BWV 951)
• BWV 952 – Fugue in C major
• BWV 953 – Fugue in C major
• BWV 954 – Fugue in B-flat major on a theme by Johann Adam Reincken
• BWV 955 – Fugue in B-flat major
• BWV 956 – Fugue in E minor
• BWV 957 – Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt (chorale prelude for organ in the Neumeister Collection, previously listed as Fugue in G major)
• BWV 958 – Fugue in A minor
• BWV 959 – Fugue in A minor
• BWV 960 – Fugue in E minor
• BWV 961 – Fughetta in C minor
• BWV 962 – Fughetta in E minor, composed by Johann Georg Albrechtsberger

Sonatas and sonata movements (963–970)

• BWV 963 – Sonata in D major
• BWV 964 – Sonata in D minor (arrangement of Sonata No. 2 for solo violin, BWV 1003)
• BWV 965 – Sonata in A minor (after Johann Adam Reincken's Hortus Musicus, Nos. 1–5)
• BWV 966 – Sonata in C major (after Johann Adam Reincken's Hortus Musicus, Nos. 11–15)
• BWV 967 – Sonata in A minor (one movement only, arrangement of a chamber sonata by unknown composer)
• BWV 968 – Adagio in G major (after movement 1 of Sonata No. 3 for solo violin, BWV 1005)
• BWV 969 – Andante in G minor (doubtful)
• BWV 970 – Presto in D minor (spurious; composed by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach)

Italian Concerto, from Clavier-Übung II (971)

• BWV 971 – Italian Concerto, in F major

Keyboard arrangements of concerti by other composers (972–987)

• BWV 972 – Concerto in D major (arrangement of Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto Op. 3/9, RV230)
• BWV 973 – Concerto in G major (arrangement of Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto Op. 7/8, RV299)
• BWV 974 – Concerto in D minor (arrangement of Alessandro Marcello's Oboe Concerto in D minor)
• BWV 975 – Concerto in G minor (arrangement of Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto Op. 4/6, RV316a)
• BWV 976 – Concerto in C major (arrangement of Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto Op. 3/12, RV265)
• BWV 977 – Concerto in C major (source unknown, possibly a concerto by Benedetto Marcello)
• BWV 978 – Concerto in F major (arrangement of Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto Op. 3/3, RV310)
• BWV 979 – Concerto in B minor (recently identified as Vivaldi's Concerto RV Anh. 10, now RV 813)
• BWV 980 – Concerto in G major (arrangement of Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto Op. 4/1, RV383a)
• BWV 981 – Concerto in C minor (possibly an arrangement of Benedetto Marcello's concerto Op. 1/2)
• BWV 982 – Concerto in B-flat major (arrangement of Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar's concerto Op. 1/1)
• BWV 983 – Concerto in G minor (source unknown)
• BWV 984 – Concerto in C major (arrangement of a Prince Johann Ernst concerto) (see BWV 595 for organ version)
• BWV 985 – Concerto in G minor (arrangement of a Georg Philipp Telemann violin concerto)
• BWV 986 – Concerto in G major (arrangement of a concerto attributed to Georg Philipp Telemann)
• BWV 987 – Concerto in D minor (arrangement of Prince Johann Ernst's concerto Op. 1/4)

Variations and miscellaneous pieces for keyboard (988–994)

• BWV 988 – Goldberg Variations (published as Fourth Clavier-Übung)
• BWV 989 – Aria variata alla maniera italiana, in A minor
• BWV 990 – Sarabande con Partite in C major (loosely adapted from the overture for "Bellérophon" (1679) by Jean-Baptiste Lully)
• BWV 991 – Air with variations in C minor (unfinished, from the 1722 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)
• BWV 992 – Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo ("Capriccio on the departure of the Beloved Brother"), in B-flat major
• BWV 993 – Capriccio in E major
• BWV 994 – Applicatio in C major (from the Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach)

Works for solo lute (BWV 995–1000)

See also: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § BWV Chapter 9

• BWV 995 – Suite in G minor (transcription of Cello Suite No. 5, BWV 1011)
• BWV 996 – Suite in E minor (most probably intended for lute-harpsichord)
• BWV 997 – commons
• BWV 998 – Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-flat major
• BWV 999 – Prelude in C minor
• BWV 1000 – Fugue in G minor (transcription of Fuga (Allegro) from Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001)

Other keyboard and lute compositions

Concerti for solo organ (BWV 592–598)

Further information: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § Concerti for organ (592–598)

• BWV 592a – Concerto in G major (an arrangement of BWV 592 for harpsichord)

Works for solo lute (BWV 995–1000)

Further information: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § BWV995

• BWV 996 – Suite in E minor, most probably intended for lute-harpsichord.

Works for violin and keyboard instrument (BWV 1014–1026)

Further information: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § Works for violin and keyboard instrument (1014–1026), and 6 Sonatas for Harpsichord and Violin BWV 1014-1019 (Bach)

Sonatas for viola da gamba and keyboard instrument (BWV 1027–1029)

Further information: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § Sonatas for viola da gamba and keyboard instrument (1027–1029)

Sonatas for flute and keyboard instrument (BWV 1030–1035)

Further information: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § Sonatas for flute and keyboard instrument (1030–1035)

Trio sonatas (BWV 1036–1040)

Further information: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § Trio sonatas (1036–1040)

Brandenburg Concertos (BWV 1046–1051)

Further information: Brandenburg Concertos

• BWV 1050 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major for harpsichord, violin, flute and strings
• BWV 1050a – Concerto in D major for harpsichord, violin, flute and strings (earlier version of BWV 1050)

Keyboard concertos (BWV 1052–1065)

Further information: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § BWV1052, and Keyboard concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach

Canons (BWV 1072–1078)

Further information: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § Canons (1072–1078)

Late contrapuntal works (BWV 1079–1080)

See also: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § Late contrapuntal works (1079–1080)

• BWV 1079 – The Musical Offering (Musikalisches Opfer) – some pieces intended for fortepiano
• BWV 1080 – The Art of Fugue (Die Kunst der Fuge) - some pieces indicated as being for two harpsichords

Spurious and doubtful works in Anna Magdalena's Notebooks (BWV Anh. 113–132)

Further information: Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach

Piano transcriptions

Further information: List of transcriptions of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach

External links

• Free scores by Works for Keyboard at the International Music Score Library Project

|- id="BWV Chapter 10" style="background: #D8D8D8;" | data-sort-value="1000.z99" | 10. | data-sort-value="411.001" colspan="8" | Chamber music (see also: List of chamber music works by Johann Sebastian Bach) | data-sort-value="1178aa" | Up ↑ Chamber music by Johann Sebastian Bach refers to the compositions in the tenth chapter of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, catalogue of Bach's compositions), or, in the New Bach Edition, the compositions in Series VI. Chamber music is understood as containing:

• Works for solo violin, cello or flute (not including works for solo keyboard instruments or lute which are contained elsewhere in the BWV catalogue and the New Bach Edition);
• Chamber music works for two or more players (where concertos for multiple players, and orchestral suites also fall outside the chamber music designation)

Works for solo violin, cello or flute

Sonatas and partitas for solo violin (BWV 1001–1006)

See also: Sonatas and partitas for solo violin

• BWV 1001 – Sonata No. 1 in G minor
• BWV 1002 – Partita No. 1 in B minor
• BWV 1003 – Sonata No. 2 in A minor
• BWV 1004 – Partita No. 2 in D minor
• BWV 1005 – Sonata No. 3 in C major
• BWV 1006 – Partita No. 3 in E major
  • BWV 1006a – Suite in E major (transcription of Partita No. 3 for solo violin, BWV 1006)

Suites for solo cello (BWV 1007–1012)

See also: Cello Suites (Bach)

• BWV 1007 – Cello Suite No. 1 in G major
• BWV 1008 – Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor
• BWV 1009 – Cello Suite No. 3 in C major
• BWV 1010 – Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat major
• BWV 1011 – Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor
• BWV 1012 – Cello Suite No. 6 in D major

Partita for solo flute (BWV 1013)

• BWV 1013 – Partita in A minor for solo flute

Two or more instruments

Six sonatas for harpsichord and violin (BWV 1014–1019)

See also: 6 Sonatas for Harpsichord and Violin, BWV 1014–1019

• BWV 1014 – Sonata in B minor for violin and harpsichord
• BWV 1015 – Sonata in A major for violin and harpsichord
• BWV 1016 – Sonata in E major for violin and harpsichord
• BWV 1017 – Sonata in C minor for violin and harpsichord
• BWV 1018 – Sonata in F minor for violin and harpsichord
• BWV 1018a – Adagio in F minor for violin and harpsichord (early version of movement 3 from BWV 1018)
• BWV 1019 – Sonata in G major for violin and harpsichord
• BWV 1019a – Sonata in G major for violin and harpsichord (earlier version of BWV 1019)

Other works for accompanied violin (BWV 1020–1026)

• BWV 1020 – Sonata in G minor for violin (or flute/recorder) and harpsichord (now attributed to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – H 542.5)
• BWV 1021 – Sonata in G major for violin and basso continuo
• BWV 1022 – Sonata in F major for violin and harpsichord (doubtful, possibly by C. P. E. Bach)
• BWV 1023 – Sonata in E minor for violin and basso continuo
• BWV 1024 – Sonata in C minor for violin and basso continuo (doubtful)
• BWV 1025 – Suite in A major for violin and harpsichord (after a sonata by Sylvius Leopold Weiss) (doubtful, possibly by C. P. E. Bach)
• BWV 1026 – Fugue in G minor for violin and harpsichord

Sonatas for viola da gamba and keyboard instrument (BWV 1027–1029)

See also: Viola da Gamba Sonatas (Bach)

• BWV 1027 – Sonata No. 1 in G major for viola da gamba and harpsichord (arrangement of BWV 1039)
• BWV 1027a – Trio in G major for organ (arrangement of movement 4 from BWV 1027)
• BWV 1028 – Sonata No. 2 in D major for viola da gamba and harpsichord
• BWV 1029 – Sonata No. 3 in G minor for viola da gamba and harpsichord

Sonatas for flute and keyboard instrument (BWV 1030–1035)

• BWV 1030 – Sonata in B minor for flute or recorder and harpsichord
• BWV 1030b – Sonata in G minor for harpsichord and unknown instrument (oboe or viola da gamba conjectured) – earlier version of BWV 1030 of which only harpsichord part survives
• BWV 1031 – Sonata in E-flat major for flute or recorder and harpsichord (possibly by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach as H 545)
• BWV 1032 – Sonata in A major for flute or recorder and harpsichord
• BWV 1033 – Sonata in C major for flute or recorder and basso continuo (possibly by C. P. E. Bach)
• BWV 1034 – Sonata in E minor for flute or recorder and basso continuo
• BWV 1035 – Sonata in E major for flute or recorder and basso continuo

Trio sonatas (BWV 1036–1040)

• BWV 1036 – Sonata in D minor for 2 violins and keyboard (now attributed to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach)
• BWV 1037 – Sonata in C major for 2 violins and keyboard (now attributed to Johann Gottlieb Goldberg)
• BWV 1038 – Sonata in G major for flute, violin and keyboard (doubtful, possibly by C. P. E. Bach)
• BWV 1039 – Sonata in G major for 2 flutes and basso continuo
• BWV 1040 – Canonic sonata in F major for oboe, violin and basso continuo

References

|- id="BWV Chapter 11" style="background: #D8D8D8;" | data-sort-value="1040.z99" | 11. | data-sort-value="424.001" colspan="8" | Works for orchestra (see also: List of orchestral works by Johann Sebastian Bach) | data-sort-value="1222a" | Up ↑ Orchestral works by Johann Sebastian Bach refers to the compositions in the eleventh chapter of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, catalogue of Bach's compositions), or, in the New Bach Edition, the compositions in Series VII.

Concertos

Violin concertos (BWV 1041–1043)

• BWV 1041 – Violin Concerto in A minor
• BWV 1042 – Violin Concerto in E major
• BWV 1043 – Concerto for 2 violins in D minor ("Double Concerto")
• Trancribed from harpsichord concertos (see also below § Reconstructed concertos):
  • BWV 1052R – Concerto for violin in D minor (BWV 1052 is the concerto for harpsichord in D minor; it has been reconstructed for violin as the possible original instrument)
  • BWV 1056R – Concerto for violin in G minor (BWV 1056 is the concerto for harpsichord in F minor; it has been reconstructed for violin as the possible original instrument; it could also have been an oboe concerto)
  • BWV 1060R – Concerto for 2 violins, or violin and oboe and strings in C minor (BWV 1060 is the concerto for 2 harpsichords in C minor; it has been reconstructed for 2 violins or violin and oboe as the possible original instruments; some violin-oboe editions have been transposed to D minor)
  • BWV 1064R – Concerto for 3 violins and strings in D major (BWV 1064 is the concerto for 3 harpsichords in C major; it has been reconstructed for 3 violins as the possible original instruments)

Triple concerto (BWV 1044)

• BWV 1044 – Concerto for flute, violin and harpsichord in A minor (also known as "Triple Concerto")

Opening movement for a cantata, for violin and orchestra (BWV 1045)

• BWV 1045 – Violin Concerto movement in D major, abandoned opening movement (sinfonia) to a lost cantata (?)

Brandenburg concertos (BWV 1046–1051)

• BWV 1046 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major for violino piccolo, three oboes, bassoon, two corni da caccia, strings and continuo
• BWV 1046a, formerly BWV 1071 – Sinfonia in F major (earlier version of BWV 1046)
• BWV 1047 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major for trumpet, oboe, recorder, violin, strings and continuo
• BWV 1048 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major for three violins, three violas, three cellos and continuo
• BWV 1049 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major for violin, two fiauti d'echo (recorders), strings and continuo
• BWV 1050 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major for harpsichord, violin, flute and strings
• BWV 1050a – Concerto in D major for harpsichord, violin, flute and strings (earlier version of BWV 1050)
• BWV 1051 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major for two violas, two violas da gamba, cello and continuo

Keyboard concertos (BWV 1052–1065)

• BWV 1052 – Concerto for harpsichord and strings in D minor (after a lost violin concerto)
• BWV 1053 – Concerto for harpsichord and strings in E major (probably after a lost oboe concerto, also performed as "Concerto in F major for oboe, strings, and continuo")
• BWV 1054 – Concerto for harpsichord and strings in D major (after BWV 1042, Violin Concerto in E major)
• BWV 1055 – Concerto for harpsichord and strings in A major (after a lost oboe d'amore concerto)
• BWV 1056 – Concerto for harpsichord and strings in F minor (probably after a lost violin concerto – this is sometimes recorded as Concerto for violin in G minor)
• BWV 1057 – Concerto for harpsichord, 2 recorders and strings in F major (after BWV 1049, Brandenburg concerto No. 4 in G major)
• BWV 1058 – Concerto for harpsichord and strings in G minor (after BWV 1041, Violin Concerto in A minor)
• BWV 1059 – Concerto for harpsichord in D minor (an incomplete fragment of only 9 bars; various reconstructions have been made of harpsichord, organ and oboe concertos based on this by using cantata movements but they are almost entirely speculative)
• BWV 1060 – Concerto for 2 harpsichords and strings in C minor (after a lost violin and oboe concerto)
• BWV 1061 – Concerto for 2 harpsichords and strings in C major (original version for 2 harpsichords unaccompanied known as BWV 1061a)
• BWV 1062 – Concerto for 2 harpsichords and strings in C minor (after BWV 1043, Double Violin Concerto in D minor)
• BWV 1063 – Concerto for 3 harpsichords and strings in D minor
• BWV 1064 – Concerto for 3 harpsichords and strings in C major (after a lost triple violin concerto)
• BWV 1065 – Concerto for 4 harpsichords and strings in A minor (after Antonio Vivaldi's concerto for 4 violins in B minor, L'estro Armonico, Op. 3/10, RV 580)

Reconstructed concertos

Each reconstructed concerto is created after the harpsichord concerto for the presumed original instrument. Such reconstructions are commonly referred to as, for example, BWV 1052R (where the R stands for 'reconstructed').

• BWV 1052R – Violin Concerto in D minor (reconstructed from BWV 1052)
• BWV 1053R – Oboe d'amore Concerto in D major / Oboe Concerto in F major (reconstructed from BWV 1053)
• BWV 1055R – Oboe d'amore Concerto in A major (reconstructed from BWV 1055)
• BWV 1056R – Violin Concerto in G minor / Oboe Concerto in G minor (reconstructed from BWV 1056)
• BWV 1059R – Oboe Concerto in D minor (reconstructed from BWV 1059 and associated cantatas – the most spurious reconstruction, because there is no more than a 9-bar fragment of this piece surviving)
• BWV 1060R – Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor/D minor (reconstructed from BWV 1060)
• BWV 1064R – Concerto for Three Violins in D major (reconstructed from BWV 1064)

Other reconstructions and completions of BWV 1059 have for instance been indicated as BWV 1059, or BWV 1059a.

Suites (BWV 1066–1070)

Further information: Orchestral suites (Bach)

• BWV 1066 – Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major (for woodwinds, strings and continuo)
  • [Ouverture] (no description, two sections), Courante, Gavotte I & II, Forlane, Menuet I & II, Bourrée I & II, Passepied I & II.
• BWV 1067 – Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor (for flute, strings and continuo)
  • [Ouverture] (no description, two sections), Rondeau, Sarabande, Bourrée I & II, Polonaise & Double, Menuet, Badinerie.
• BWV 1068 – Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major (for oboes, trumpets, timpani, strings and continuo)
  • [Ouverture] (no description, two sections), Air, Gavotte I & II, Bourrée, Gigue.
• BWV 1069 – Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major (for oboes, bassoon, trumpets, timpani, strings and continuo)
  • [Ouverture] (no description, two sections), Bourrée I & II, Gavotte, Menuet I & II, Rejouissance.
• BWV 1070 – Orchestral Suite in G minor (spurious – W. F. Bach)

Sinfonia (BWV 1071)

• BWV 1071, renumbered as BWV 1064a: early version of the first Brandenburg Concerto.

Cantata sections gaining currency as a stand-alone orchestral piece

• BWV 29/1 – Sinfonia for organ and orchestra (3 trumpets, timpani, 2 oboes, strings and continuo), sometimes performed as stand-alone piece for organ and orchestra.
• BWV 35/1, (/2) and /5 – performed as a concerto for organ and orchestra (/2 as an arrangement of an alto aria), inspired by the abandoned sketch BWV 1059.
• BWV 146/1, (/2) and (188/1) – performed as a concerto for organ and orchestra (BWV 146/2 as an arrangement of a choral movement and/or of BWV 1052/2; for BWV 188/1 Bach's version doesn't survive, so the movement is arranged from BWV 1052/3): basically the same movements as BWV 1052, but as organ concerto instead of harpsichord concerto.
• BWV 169/1, (/5) and BWV 49/1 performed as a concerto for organ and orchestra (BWV 169/5 as an arrangement of an alto aria and/or of BWV 1053/2): basically the same movements as BWV 1053, but as organ concerto instead of harpsichord concerto.
• BWV 248^II/1 – Sinfonia opening the second part (cantata) of the Christmas Oratorio.
• BWV 1040, a.k.a. BWV 208/13a – Canonic sonata in F major for oboe(s), violin(s) and basso continuo, belongs to the Hunting Cantata
• BWV 1045 – Violin Concerto movement in D major, opening movement of a cantata that is otherwise lost
• BWV 1071, renumbered as BWV 1046a – Sinfonia in F major, possibly the opening movement of a cantata, e.g. BWV 208 (Hunting Cantata)
• BWV Anh. 198, renumbered as BWV 149/1a – Cantata opening: "Concerto" (incomplete; abandoned alternative start of BWV 149?)

Orchestrations

Further information: List of transcriptions of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach's orchestrations

Bach transformed pieces for solo instrument or chamber ensemble into orchestral pieces:

• BWV 1006/1 (solo violin), orchestrated as sinfonia BWV 120a/4, then arranged to BWV 29/1, sinfonia for organ and orchestra opening a cantata.
• BWV 1044 – Triple Concerto, adaptation of harpsichord prelude and fugue in A minor BWV 894 (movts. 1 and 3) and middle movement of organ sonata in D minor BWV 527 (movt. 2).
• BWV 1061a (piece for two harpsichords) → BWV 1061 ("orchestrated" version of the same, although there is some doubt Bach provided the strings and basso continuo accompaniment for this concerto for two harpsichords and orchestra)

Orchestrations of fugal works

Several of Bach's organ pieces and other fugal works were arranged for (symphonic) orchestra:

• BWV 537 – Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, orchestrated by Edward Elgar (Fantasia in 1921, Fugue in 1922).
• BWV 540 – Toccata and Fugue in F major, orchestrated by Heinrich Esser (19th century).
• BWV 565 – Toccata and Fugue in D minor, orchestrated by Leopold Stokowski (1927, appeared in Walt Disney's Fantasia in 1940), Stanisław Skrowaczewski (1928), Henry Wood (c.1929), Leonidas Leonardi (mid 1930s), Alois Melichar (1939), Eugene Ormandy (1947), Fabien Sevitzky, René Leibowitz (1958) and Lucien Cailliet (1967).
• BWV 582 – Passacaglia, orchestrated by Heinrich Esser (19th century).
• BWV 769 – Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her", orchestrated by Roger Vuataz (1951, 1958) and Igor Stravinsky (1956).
• BWV 894/2 orchestrated as BWV 1044/3 (second quarter of 18th century): see Bach's orchestrations above.
• BWV 1079/2 – "Fuga (Ricercata) a 6 voci" from The Musical Offering, orchestrated by Anton Webern (1934–35).

References

This page lists the fugal works of Johann Sebastian Bach, defined here as the fugues, fughettas, and canons, as well as other works containing fugal expositions but not denoted as fugues, such as some choral sections of the Mass in B minor, the St Matthew Passion, the St John Passion, and the cantatas.

This sub-list of the complete list of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach is intended to facilitate the study of Bach's counterpoint techniques. Each work cited in this list will be annotated with the fugal subject(s) and any countersubjects in musical notation.

Organ fugues

• BWV 531 – Prelude and Fugue in C major
• BWV 532 – Prelude and Fugue in D major
• BWV 532a – Fugue in D major (alternative version of BWV 532)
• BWV 533 – Prelude and Fugue in E minor
• BWV 534 – Prelude and Fugue in F minor
• BWV 535 – Prelude and Fugue in G minor
• BWV 535a – Prelude and Fugue in G minor (alternative, simplified version of BWV 535)
• BWV 536 – Prelude and Fugue in A major
• BWV 536a – Prelude and Fugue in A major (alternative version of BWV 536 based on the original manuscript)
• BWV 537 – Fantasia (Prelude) and Fugue in C minor
• BWV 538 – Toccata and Fugue in D minor ("Dorian")
• BWV 539 – Prelude and Fugue in D minor
• BWV 539a – Fugue in D minor (see BWV 1000 for the lute arrangement, movement 2 of BWV 1001 for the violin arrangement)
• BWV 540 – Toccata and Fugue in F major
• BWV 541 – Prelude and Fugue in G major
• BWV 542 – Fantasia and Fugue "Grand" in G minor
• BWV 542a – Fugue in G minor (alternative version of the fugue from BWV 542)
• BWV 543 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 544 – Prelude and Fugue in B minor
• BWV 545 – Prelude and Fugue in C major
• BWV 545a – Prelude and Fugue in C major (alternative version of BWV 545)
• BWV 545b – Prelude, Trio and Fugue in B-flat major (alternative version of BWV 545)
• BWV 546 – Prelude and Fugue in C minor
• BWV 547 – Prelude and Fugue in C major "9/8"
• BWV 548 – Prelude and Fugue in E minor "Wedge"
• BWV 549 – Prelude and Fugue in C minor
• BWV 550 – Prelude and Fugue in G major
• BWV 551 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 552 – Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major "St. Anne" (published in Clavier-Übung III)
• Eight Short Preludes and Fugues (553–560)
  • BWV 553 – Short Prelude and Fugue in C major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
  • BWV 554 – Short Prelude and Fugue in D minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
  • BWV 555 – Short Prelude and Fugue in E minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
  • BWV 556 – Short Prelude and Fugue in F major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
  • BWV 557 – Short Prelude and Fugue in G major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
  • BWV 558 – Short Prelude and Fugue in G minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
  • BWV 559 – Short Prelude and Fugue in A minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
  • BWV 560 – Short Prelude and Fugue in B-flat major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs)
• BWV 561 – Fantasia and Fugue in A minor (spurious)
• BWV 562 – Fantasia and Fugue in C minor (fugue unfinished)
• BWV 563 – Fantasia with imitation in B minor (spurious)
• BWV 564 – Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major
• BWV 565 – Toccata and Fugue in D minor (disputed)
• BWV 566 – Toccata and Fugue in E major (spurious)
• BWV 566a – Toccata in E major (earlier version of BWV 566)
• BWV 567 – Prelude in C major
• BWV 568 – Prelude in G major
• BWV 569 – Prelude in A minor
• BWV 570 – Fantasia in C major
• BWV 571 – Fantasia (Concerto) in G major (spurious)
• BWV 572 – Fantasia in G major
• BWV 573 – Fantasia in C major (incomplete, from the 1722 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)
• BWV 574 – Fugue in C minor
• BWV 574a – Fugue in C minor (alternative version of BWV 574)
• BWV 575 – Fugue in C minor
• BWV 576 – Fugue in G major
• BWV 577 – Fugue in G major "à la Gigue" (spurious)
• BWV 578 – Fugue in G minor "Little"
• BWV 579 – Fugue on a theme by Arcangelo Corelli (from Op. 3, No. 4); in B Minor
• BWV 580 – Fugue in D major (spurious)
• BWV 581 – Fugue in G major (not by Bach, composed by Gottfried August Homilius)
• BWV 581a – Fugue in G major (spurious)
• BWV 582 – Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor
• BWV 1086 – Canon concordia discors – organ
• BWV 1087 – 14 canons on the First Eight Notes of Goldberg Variations Ground – organ

Keyboard fugues

The Well-Tempered Clavier (846–893)

• BWV 846 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major
• BWV 846a – Prelude and Fugue in C major (alternative version of BWV 846)
• BWV 847 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C minor
• BWV 848 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp major
• BWV 849 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp minor
• BWV 850 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in D major
• BWV 851 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in D minor
• BWV 852 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 7 in E-flat major
• BWV 853 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in E-flat minor
• BWV 854 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E major
• BWV 855 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 10 in E minor
• BWV 855a – Prelude and Fugue in E minor (alternative version of BWV 855)
• BWV 856 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in F major
• BWV 857 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 12 in F minor
• BWV 858 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp major
• BWV 859 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp minor
• BWV 860 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in G major
• BWV 861 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 16 in G minor
• BWV 862 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 17 in A-flat major
• BWV 863 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp minor
• BWV 864 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 19 in A major
• BWV 865 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 20 in A minor
• BWV 866 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 21 in B-flat major
• BWV 867 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 22 in B-flat minor
• BWV 868 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 23 in B major
• BWV 869 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B minor
• BWV 870 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major
• BWV 870a – Prelude and Fugue in C major (alternative version of BWV 870)
• BWV 870b – Prelude in C major (alternative version of BWV 870)
• BWV 871 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C minor
• BWV 872 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp major
• BWV 872a – Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp major (alternative version of BWV 872)
• BWV 873 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp minor
• BWV 874 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in D major
• BWV 875 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in D minor
• BWV 875a – Prelude in D minor (alternative version of BWV 875)
• BWV 876 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 7 in E-flat major
• BWV 877 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in D-sharp minor
• BWV 878 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E major
• BWV 879 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 10 in E minor
• BWV 880 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in F major
• BWV 881 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 12 in F minor
• BWV 882 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp major
• BWV 883 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp minor
• BWV 884 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in G major
• BWV 885 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 16 in G minor
• BWV 886 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 17 in A-flat major
• BWV 887 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp minor
• BWV 888 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 19 in A major
• BWV 889 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 20 in A minor
• BWV 890 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 21 in B-flat major
• BWV 891 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 22 in B-flat minor
• BWV 892 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 23 in B major
• BWV 893 – Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2: Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B minor

Preludes and fugues, toccatas and fantasias (894–923)

• BWV 894 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 895 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 896 – Prelude and Fugue in A major
• BWV 897 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 898 – Prelude and Fugue in B-flat major on the name B-A-C-H (doubtful)
• BWV 899 – Prelude and Fughetta in D minor
• BWV 900 – Prelude and Fughetta in E minor
• BWV 901 – Prelude and Fughetta in F major
• BWV 902 – Prelude and Fughetta in G major
• BWV 902a – Prelude in G major (alternative version of BWV 902)
• BWV 903 – Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor
• BWV 903a – Chromatic Fantasia in D minor (alternative version of BWV 903)
• BWV 904 – Fantasia and Fugue in A minor
• BWV 905 – Fantasia and Fugue in D minor
• BWV 906 – Fantasia and Fugue in C minor
• BWV 907 – Fantasia and Fughetta in B-flat major
• BWV 908 – Fantasia and Fughetta in D major
• BWV 909 – Concerto and fugue in C minor
• BWV 910 – Toccata in F-sharp minor
• BWV 911 – Toccata in C minor
• BWV 912 – Toccata in D major
• BWV 913 – Toccata in D minor
• BWV 914 – Toccata in E minor
• BWV 915 – Toccata in G minor
• BWV 916 – Toccata in G major

Fugues and fughettas (944–962)

• BWV 944 – Fugue in A minor
• BWV 945 – Fugue in E minor
• BWV 946 – Fugue in C major
• BWV 947 – Fugue in A minor
• BWV 948 – Fugue in D minor
• BWV 949 – Fugue in A major
• BWV 950 – Fugue in A major on a theme by Tomaso Albinoni
• BWV 951 – Fugue in B minor on a theme by Tomaso Albinoni
• BWV 951a – Fugue in B minor (alternative version of BWV 951)
• BWV 952 – Fugue in C major
• BWV 953 – Fugue in C major
• BWV 954 – Fugue in B-flat major on a theme by Johann Adam Reincken
• BWV 955 – Fugue in B-flat major
• BWV 956 – Fugue in E minor
• BWV 957 – Fugue in G major
• BWV 958 – Fugue in A minor
• BWV 959 – Fugue in A minor
• BWV 960 – Fugue in E minor
• BWV 961 – Fughetta in C minor
• BWV 962 – Fughetta in E minor

Lute fugues

• BWV 997 – Lute Suite No. 2 in C minor (Fuge)
• BWV 998 – Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-flat major
• BWV 1000 – Fugue in G minor

Sonatas and partitas for solo violin

• BWV 1001 – Sonata No. 1 in G minor, Fuga (Allegro) – Transcribed for organ as BWV 539 and for lute as BWV 1000
• BWV 1003 – Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Fuga – Transcribed for harpsichord as BWV 964
• BWV 1005 – Sonata No. 3 in C major, Fuga (Alla breve)

Canons (1072–1078)

• BWV 1072 – Canon trias harmonica a 8
• BWV 1073 – Canon a 4 perpetuus
• BWV 1074 – Canon a 4
• BWV 1075 – Canon a 2 perpetuus
• BWV 1076 – Canon triplex a 6
• BWV 1077 – Canone doppio sopr'il soggetto
• BWV 1078 – Canon super fa mi a 7 post tempus musicum

Other contrapuntal works (1079–1080)

• BWV 1079 – The Musical Offering (Musikalisches Opfer)
• BWV 1080 – The Art of Fugue (Die Kunst der Fuge)

Doubtful fugues

• BWV 131a – Fugue in G minor, BWV 131a for organ. Doubtful arrangement of a choral fugue from BWV 131
• BWV 1026 – Fugue in G minor for violin and harpsichord. Once considered spurious, current thinking is that this is an early work by Bach.

Notes

|- id="BWV Later" style="background: #D8D8D8;" | data-sort-value="1080.z99" | Later | data-sort-value="442.010" colspan="8" | Later additions to the main catalogue (above BWV 1128: BWV³) | data-sort-value="1266a" | Up ↑

Canon triplex a 6: first printed in 1747 (below), it appears on both versions of the portrait Haussmann made of Bach (1746, 1748 – above). In the 19th-century Bach Gesellschaft edition the canon was published in Volume 45¹, p. 138. In 1950 the piece was assigned the number 1076 in Schmieder's catalogue of Bach's works (BWV). The 1998 edition of that catalogue (BWV^2a) mentions Haussmann's paintings as original sources for the work (p. 438), and likewise the Bach digital website gives a description of both paintings as sources for the piece (linked from Bach digital Work page 1262).

Johann Sebastian Bach's vocal music includes cantatas, motets, masses, Magnificats, Passions, oratorios, four-part chorales, songs and arias. His instrumental music includes concertos, suites, sonatas, fugues, and other works for organ, harpsichord, lute, violin, viola da gamba, cello, flute, chamber ensemble and orchestra.

There are over 1000 known compositions by Bach. Nearly all of them are listed in the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV), which is the best known and most widely used catalogue of Bach's compositions.

Listing Bach's compositions

Some of the early biographies of Johann Sebastian Bach contain lists of his compositions. For instance, his obituary contains a list of the instrumental compositions printed during the composer's lifetime, followed by an approximate list of his unpublished work. The first separately published biography of the composer, by Johann Nikolaus Forkel, follows the same approach: its ninth chapter first lists printed works (adding four-part chorales which had been published in the second half of the 18th century), followed by a rough overview of the unpublished ones. In the first half of the 19th century more works were published, so the next biographies (Schauer and Hilgenfeldt in 1850) had more elaborate appendices listing printed works, referring to these works by publisher, and the number or page number given to the works in these publications. So, for example, the Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major can be indicated as "C. F. Peters Vol. III No. 1", or any of the variants ("Griepenkerl and Roitzsch Vol. 3 p. 2", "Peters Book 242 p. 2", "P. S. V., Cah. 3 (242), No. 1", etc.)

BG

The Prelude in F minor of The Well-Tempered Clavier book 1, in the BGA known as Vol. 14, p. 44, over eighty years before it got the number 857 in the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis

In the second half of the 19th century the Bach-Gesellschaft (BG) published all of Bach's works in around 50 volumes, the so-called Bach Gesellschaft Ausgabe (BGA). This offered a unique identification of all of Bach's known works, a system that was quickly adopted, for instance by the biographers: Philipp Spitta used it complementarily to the Peters edition numbering for the BG volumes that had appeared when he was writing his Bach-biography in the second half of the 19th century (e.g. "B. G., III., p. 173" for the above-mentioned Prelude in E-flat major), and Terry used it in the third Appendix to his 20th-century translation of Forkel's biography.

But there was still a lot of confusion: some authors preferred to list Bach's works according to Novello's editions, or Augener's, or Schirmer's,... giving rise to various conversion tables at the end of books on Bach's compositions (e.g. Harvey Grace's in a 1922 book on Bach's organ compositions).

NBG

In 1900 the BG published its last volume, and dissolved itself, as its primary goal, publishing all of Bach's known works, was accomplished. The BG was succeeded by the Neue Bachgesellschaft (NBG), with a new set of goals (Bach yearbook, Bach festivals, and a Bach museum). Occasionally however the NBG published newly discovered works, or variants not published in the BGA. For instance the 1740s version of O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht was published in NBG XVII¹ in 1916 (the 1730s version of the same piece, with a different orchestration, had been published in BG 24, pp. 185–192).

BWV

See also: Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis

In 1950 the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis was published, allocating a unique number to every known composition by Bach. Wolfgang Schmieder, the editor of that catalogue, grouped the compositions by genre, largely following BG for the collation (e.g. BG cantata number = BWV number of the cantata):

The BWV is a thematic catalogue, thus it identifies every movement of every composition by its first measures, like the opening of BWV 1006, movement 2 (Loure) above.

1. Kantaten (Cantatas), BWV 1–224
2. Motetten (Motets), BWV 225–231
3. Messen, Messensätze, Magnificat (Masses, Mass movements, Magnificat), BWV 232–243
4. Passionen, Oratorien (Passions, Oratorios), BWV 244–249
5. Vierstimmige Choräle (Four-part chorales), BWV 250–438
6. Lieder, Arien, Quodlibet (Songs, Arias and Quodlibet), BWV 439–524
7. Werke für Orgel (Works for organ), BWV 525–771
8. Werke für Klavier (Keyboard compositions), BWV 772–994
9. Werke für Laute (Lute compositions), BWV 995–1000
10. Kammermusik (Chamber music), BWV 1001–1040
11. Orchesterwerke (Works for orchestra), BWV 1041–1071, originally in two separate chapters: Concertos (BWV 1041–1065) and Overtures (BWV 1066–1071)
12. Kanons (Canons), BWV 1072–1078
13. Musikalisches Opfer, Kunst der Fuge (Musical Offering, Art of the Fugue), BWV 1079–1080

For instance, the Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major now became BWV 552, situated in the range of the works for organ. In contrast to other catalogues such as the Köchel catalogue for Mozart's compositions there is no attempt at chronological organization in the BWV numbering, for instance BWV 992 is an early composition by Bach. Exceptionally BWV numbers are also indicated as Schmieder (S) numbers (e.g. S. 225 = BWV 225).

Another consequence of the ordering principles of the BWV was that it tore known collections apart, for instance Clavier-Übung III was partly in the organ compositions range (BWV 552 and 669–689), with the four duets listed among the keyboard compositions (BWV 802–805).

BWV Anh.

The Anhang (Anh.), i.e. Appendix, of the BWV listed works that were not suitable for the main catalogue, in three sections:

• I – lost works, or works of which only a tiny fraction had survived (Anh. 1–23)
• II – works of dubious authenticity (Anh. 24–155)
• III – works that were once attributed to Bach, but for which it had been established they were not composed by him (Anh. 156–189)

Within each section of the Anhang the works are sorted by genre, following the same sequence of genres as the main catalogue.

BWV² and BWV^2a

Schmieder published the BWV's second edition in 1990, with some modifications regarding authenticity discriminations, and more works added to the main catalogue and the Anhang. A strict numerical collation was abandoned to insert additions, or when for another reason compositions were regrouped. For example, BWV 11, formerly listed as a Cantata, was moved to the fourth chapter of the main catalogue as an Oratorio. Rather than renumbering a composition, an arrow indicated where the composition was inserted: "BWV 11/249b→" meaning "BWV 11, inserted after BWV 249b" (4th chapter). Similarly, BWV 1083/243a→ meant BWV 1083, inserted after BWV 243a (3rd chapter). Also authenticity discriminations, based on new research, could lead to such repositionings within the catalogue, e.g. "BWV Anh. II 114" became "Anh. II 114/Anh. III 183→ indicating it was now considered a spurious work.

In 1998 Alfred Dürr and Yoshitake Kobayashi published a small edition of the catalogue, based on the 1990 second edition. This edition, known as BWV^2a, contained a few further updates and collation rearrangements.

New additions (Nachträge) to BWV²/BWV^2a included:

• BWV 1081–1126
• BWV Anh. 190–213

A few exceptions to the principle that compositions weren't renumbered were when a composition from the Anhang could be recovered and/or authenticated as Bach's, so that it deserved a place in the main catalogue, in which case it was given a number above 1080. So, for example, BWV Anh. 205 (BWV²) → BWV 1121 (BWV^2a, where it is in section 7 as a work for organ).

Other renumberings and additional numbers involved alternative or earlier versions of basically the same composition, which were indicated by adding a lower case letter to the BWV number. Examples:

• BWV 243a: 1723 E♭ major version of the 1733 Magnificat in D major BWV 243
• BWV 1071 renumbered to BWV 1046a (early version of the first Brandenburg Concerto)
• BWV Anh. 198 renumbered to BWV 149/1a (earlier abandoned version of the opening movement of Cantata BWV 149)

Some versions were completely removed from the catalogue, e.g. BWV 655b and c.

Slashes indicate movements: e.g. BWV 149/1 indicates the first movement of the Cantata BWV 149. Another example: the Agnus Dei of the Mass in B minor can be indicated as BWV 232/22 (22nd movement of the composition), or alternatively as BWV 232^IV/4 (BWV 232, fourth movement of Part IV).

21st-century additions

Numbers above BWV 1126 were added in the 21st century.

Reconstructed versions

An upper case R added to a BWV number indicates a reconstructed version, that is a conjectured earlier version of a known composition. One of such reconstructions, the Concerto for oboe and violin, as published in NBA VII/7 (Supplement) p. 75, based on the double harpsichord concerto BWV 1060, is known as BWV 1060R.

BWV³

As of mid-2018 the Bach digital website started to implement the new numbers of the 3rd edition of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, which has been announced for publication in 2020. For example, the Leipzig version of the Christ lag in Todes Banden cantata used to be BWV 4 in previous versions of the catalogue, and, in BWV³, has become BWV 4.2.

NBA

The NBA illustrates its score editions with facsimiles from manuscripts or contemporary editions: for instance NBA Series IV Volume 4 (Clavier-Übung III) contains a facsimile of the title page of the 1739 first edition of that collection.

In the meantime, the New Bach Edition (Neue Bach-Ausgabe, abbreviated as NBA) was being published, offering a new system to refer to Bach's works, e.g. NBA IV/4: 2, 105, which is Series IV, Volume 4, p. 2 (Prelude) and p. 105 (Fugue), for BWV 552.

NBArev

See also: New Bach Edition § Revision

Some years after the completion of the NBA in 2007 its publisher Bärenreiter joined with the Bach Archive again to publish revised editions of some of Bach's scores. These revised editions, aligning with the NBA editions (format, layout), but outside that group of publications, were published under the name Johann Sebastian Bach: New Edition of the Complete Works – Revised Edition (Johann Sebastian Bach: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke – Revidierte Edition), in short: New Bach Edition – Revised (Neue Bach-Ausgabe – Revidierte Edition), abbreviated as NBArev. Where the original NBA editions were exclusively in German, the volumes of the Revised series have their introductions both in German and English. Its first volume, NBArev 1, was a new edition of the Mass in B minor, appearing in 2010.

BC

The Bach Compendium (BC), a catalogue covering Bach's vocal works was published in 1985. Occasionally works that have no BWV number can be identified by their BC number, e.g. BC C 8 for "Der Gerechte kömmt um" an arrangement attributed to Bach on stylistic grounds, however unmentioned in the BWV.

BNB

Bachs Notenbibliothek (BNB) is a list of works Bach had at his disposition. Works of other composers which were arranged by Bach and/or which he (had) copied for performance usually have a BNB number.

SBB

The Berlin State Library (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin = SBB) holds an important collection of composition manuscripts relating to Bach. Some versions of works are best known by their principal manuscript in the SBB, for instance BWV 525a = SBB St 345, or according to the abbreviations used at the Bach-digital website D-B Mus. ms. Bach St 345.

By opus number, and chronological lists

Title page of Bach's Opus 1 (Clavier-Übung I, 1731), the only time he seems to have used an opus number

Apart from indicating his first published keyboard composition as Opus 1, Bach did not use opus numbers. Lists following publication chronologies are for example implied in the first list in Bach's obituary, and BG numbers (within the BGA sequence of publication) – overall lists covering all of Bach's compositions in order of first publication are however not a way Bach's compositions are usually presented.

Listing Bach's works according to their time of composition cannot be done comprehensively: for many works the period in which they were composed is a very wide range. For Bach's larger vocal works (cantatas, Passions,...) research has led to some more or less generally accepted chronologies, covering most of these works: a catalogue in this sense is Philippe (and Gérard) Zwang's list giving a chronological number to the cantatas BWV 1–215 and 248–249. This list was published in 1982 as Guide pratique des cantates de Bach in Paris, ISBN 2-221-00749-2. A revised edition was published in 2005 (ISBN 2747598888).

Other composers

See also: Catalogues of classical compositions

Various catalogues with works by other composers have intersections with collections of works associated with Bach:

BR-WFB (or) BR 

Bach-Repertorium numbers for works by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, e.g. BWV 970 = BR A49

Other BRs:

• BR-CPEB: works by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (for this composer Helm and/or Wotquenne numbers are however more often used)
• BR-JCFB: works by Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach

Fk (or) F 

Falck catalogue numbers for works by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, e.g. BWV 970 = F 25/2

H 

Helm numbers for works by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, e.g. BWV 1036 = H 569

HWV 

Works by George Frideric Handel, e.g. BWV Anh. 106 = HWV 605

TWV 

Compositions by Georg Philipp Telemann, e.g. BWV 824 = TWV 32:14

Warb (or) W 

Warburton numbers for works by Johann Christian Bach, e.g. BWV Anh. II 131 = W A22 (or: Warb A 22)

Wq 

Wotquenne numbers for works by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, e.g. BWV 1036 = Wq 145

Works in Bach's catalogues and collections

There are over 1500 works that feature in a catalogue of works by Bach, like the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, and/or in a collection of works associated with Bach (e.g. in one of the Notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach). Of these around a thousand are original compositions by Bach, that is: more than a mere copy or transcription of an earlier work by himself or another composer.

Collections

Without resorting the table (i.e. collection kept together in BWV2a)
Cello Suites BWV 1007–1012 • Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 • Clavier-Übung IV = Goldberg Variations BWV 988 • Inventions BWV 772–786 • Sinfonias BWV 787–801 • Sonatas and partitas for solo violin BWV 1001–1006
Using the sort function (not available in all browsers)
Cantatas by function (Advent I → Trinity XXVII; other Feasts, celebrations and church services; Secular cantatas): sort by NBA → I/1 Clavier-Übung I (1731): sort by NBA → V/1 Clavier-Übung II (1735): sort by NBA → V/2 Clavier-Übung III (1739): sort by NBA → IV/4 Kirnberger collection of chorale preludes: sort by BWV → BWV 690 Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1720): sort by NBA → V/5 Twelve Little Preludes: sort by BG → 36: 118 Neumeister Chorales by J. S. Bach (without BWV 601, 639, 719, 723, 737 and 751): sort by NBA → IV/9 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1722): sort by Name → Notebook A. M. Bach (1722) Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725): sort by Name → Notebook A. M. Bach (1725) Vivaldi arrangements: sort by Additional info → after Vivaldi The Well-Tempered Clavier book I (1722): sort by BG → Vol. 14 The Well-Tempered Clavier book II (1739–1742): sort by NBA → V/6.2 The Well-Tempered Clavier book II (1744): sort by BG → 14: 91

Template:Bach's compositions (header) |- id="BWV Chapter 1" style="background: #D8D8D8;" | data-sort-value="0000.z99" | 1. | data-sort-value="001.001" colspan="8" | Cantatas (see also: List of Bach cantatas, Church cantata (Bach) and List of secular cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach) | data-sort-value="0000a" | Up ↑

Bach cantatas
BWV 1 to 224
by J. S. Bach
Autograph of a soprano aria in cantata Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht, BWV 105
Composed	1707 (1707) to 1745 (1745)

The cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Bachkantaten) are among his most significant and celebrated compositions. While many have been lost, at least 209 of the cantatas composed by Bach have survived.

As far as we know, Bach's earliest surviving cantatas date from 1707, the year he moved to Mühlhausen (although he may have begun composing them at his previous post at Arnstadt). Most of Bach's cantatas date from his first years as Thomaskantor, cantor of the main churches of Leipzig), which he took up in 1723. Working especially at the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche, it was part of his job to perform a church cantata every Sunday and Holiday, conducting soloists, the Thomanerchor and orchestra as part of the church service. In his first years in Leipzig, starting after Trinity of 1723, it was not unusual for him to compose a new work every week. Works from three annual cycles of cantatas for the liturgical calendar have survived. These relate to the readings prescribed by the Lutheran liturgy for the specific occasion. He composed his last cantata probably in 1745.

In addition to the church cantatas, Bach composed sacred cantatas for functions like weddings or Ratswahl (the inauguration of a new town council), music for academic functions of the University of Leipzig at the Paulinerkirche, and secular cantatas for anniversaries and entertainment in nobility and society, some of them Glückwunschkantaten (congratulatory cantatas) and Huldigungskantaten (homage cantatas).

His cantatas usually require four soloists and a four-part choir, but he also wrote solo cantatas for typically one soloist and dialogue cantatas for two singers. The words for many cantatas combine Bible quotes, contemporary poetry and chorale, but he also composed a cycle of chorale cantatas based exclusively on one chorale.

Name and titles

Although the term Bachkantate (Bach cantata) became very familiar, Bach himself used the title Cantata rarely in his manuscripts, but in Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56 he wrote Cantata à Voce Sola e Stromenti (Cantata for solo voice and instruments). Another cantata in which Bach used that term is Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke, BWV 84. Typically, he began a heading with the abbreviation J.J. (Jesu juva, "Jesus, help"), followed by the name of the celebration, the beginning of the words and the instrumentation, for example in Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191. Bach often signed his cantatas with SDG, short for Soli Deo Gloria ("glory to the only God" / "glory to God alone").

Bach often wrote a title page for the autograph score and copies of the original parts. For example, he titled the parts of Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 38, using a mix of languages to describe the occasion, the incipit, the precise scoring and his name: "Dominica 21. post Trinit / Aus tieffer Noth schrey ich zu dir. / â / 4. Voc. / 2. Hautbois. / 2. Violini. / Viola. / 4. Tromboni / e / Continuo. / di / Signore / J.S.Bach". The occasion for which the piece was performed is given first, in Latin: "Dominica 21. post Trinit" (Sunday 21 after Trinity Sunday, with Trinit short for Trinitatis). The title follows, given in German in the orthography of Bach's time. The scoring and finally his name appear in a mix of French and Italian, the common languages among musicians at the time, partly abbreviated.

BWV number

Bach wrote more than 200 cantatas, of which many have survived. In the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV), Wolfgang Schmieder assigned them each a number within groups: 1–200 (sacred cantatas), 201–216 (secular cantatas), 217–224 (cantatas where Bach's authorship is doubtful). Since Schmieder's designation, several of the cantatas he thought authentic have been redesignated "spurious." However, the spurious cantatas retain their BWV numbers. The List of Bach cantatas is organized by BWV number, but sortable by other criteria.

Structure of a Bach cantata

A typical Bach cantata of his first year in Leipzig follows the scheme:

1. Opening chorus
2. Recitative
3. Aria
4. Recitative (or Arioso)
5. Aria
6. Chorale

The opening chorus (Eingangschor) is usually a polyphonic setting, the orchestra presenting the themes or contrasting material first. Most arias follow the form of a da capo aria, repeating the first part after a middle section. The final chorale is typically a homophonic setting of a traditional melody.

Bach used an expanded structure to take up his position in Leipzig with the cantatas Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75, and Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76, both in two parts, to be performed before and after the sermon (post orationem) and during communion (sub communione), each part a sequence of opening movement, five movements alternating recitatives and arias, and chorale. In an exemplary way both cantatas cover the prescribed readings: starting with a related psalm from the Old Testament, Part I reflects the Gospel, Part II the Epistle.

Bach did not follow any scheme strictly, but composed as he wanted to express the words. A few cantatas are opened by an instrumental piece before the first chorus, such as the Sinfonia of Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29. A solo movement begins Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120, because its first words speak of silence. Many cantatas composed in Weimar are set like chamber music, mostly for soloists, with a four-part setting only in the closing chorale, which may have been sung by the soloists. In an early cantata Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! BWV 172, Bach marked a repeat of the opening chorus after the chorale.

The chorale can be as simple as a traditional four-part setting, or be accompanied by an obbligato instrument, or be accompanied by the instruments of the opening chorus or even expanded by interludes based on its themes, or have the homophonic vocal parts embedded in an instrumental concerto as in the familiar Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147, or have complex vocal parts embedded in the concerto as in Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186, in a form called Choralphantasie (chorale fantasia). In Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, for the 1st Sunday in Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year, he shaped the opening chorus as a French overture.

Singers and instrumentation

Schlosskirche in Weimar where Bach composed and performed church cantatas monthly from 1714 to 1717

Thomaskirche, one of the two Leipzig churches where Bach composed and performed church cantatas almost weekly from 1723 to 1726

Vocal

Typically Bach employs soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists and a four-part choir, also SATB. He sometimes assigns the voice parts to the dramatic situation, for example soprano for innocence or alto for motherly feelings. The bass is often the vox Christi, the voice of Jesus, when Jesus is quoted directly, as in Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187, or indirectly, as in O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 60.

In the absence of clear documentary evidence, there are different options as to how many singers to deploy per part in choral sections. This is reflected in the recordings discussed below. Ton Koopman, for example, is a conductor who has recorded a complete set of the cantatas and who favours a choir with four singers per part. On the other hand, some modern performances and recordings use one voice per part, although Bach would have had more singers available at Leipzig, for example, while the space in the court chapel in Weimar was limited. One size of choir probably does not fit all the cantatas.

Instrumental

The orchestra that Bach used is based on string instruments (violin, viola) and basso continuo, typically played by cello, double bass (an octave lower) and organ. A continuous bass is the rule in Baroque music; its absence is worth mentioning and has a reason, such as describing fragility.

The specific character of a cantata or a single movement is rather defined by wind instruments, such as oboe, oboe da caccia, oboe d'amore, flauto traverso, recorder, trumpet, horn, trombone, and timpani. In movements with winds, a bassoon usually joins the continuo group.

Festive occasions call for richer instrumentation. Some instruments also carry symbolic meaning such as a trumpet, the royal instrument of the Baroque, for divine majesty, and three trumpets for the Trinity. In an aria of BWV 172, addressing the Heiligste Dreifaltigkeit (Most holy Trinity), the bass is accompanied only by three trumpets and timpani.

In many arias Bach uses obbligato instruments, which correspond with the singer as an equal partner. These instrumental parts are frequently set in virtuoso repetitive patterns called figuration. Instruments include, in addition to the ones mentioned, flauto piccolo (sopranino recorder), violino piccolo, viola d'amore, violoncello piccolo (a smaller cello), tromba da tirarsi (slide trumpet), and corno da tirarsi.

In his early compositions Bach also used instruments that had become old-fashioned, such as viola da gamba and violone. Recorders (flauti dolci) are sometimes used to express humility or poverty, such as in the cantata Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39.

Solo cantata

Some cantatas are composed for only one solo singer (Solokantate), as Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51 for soprano, sometimes concluded by a chorale, as Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56 for bass.

Dialogue cantata

Some cantatas are structured as a dialogue, mostly for Jesus and the Soul (bass and soprano), set like miniature operas. Bach titled them for example Concerto in Dialogo, concerto in dialogue. An early example is Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152 (1714). He composed four such works in his third annual cycle, Selig ist der Mann, BWV 57 (1725), Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32, Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen, BWV 49, (both 1726), and Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 58 (1727).

Text of Bach's sacred cantatas

Within the Lutheran liturgy, certain readings from the Bible were prescribed for every event during the church year; specifically, it was expected that an Epistel from an Epistle and Evangelium from a Gospel would be read. Music was expected for all Sundays and Holidays except the quiet times (tempus clausum) of Advent and Lent; the cantatas were supposed to reflect the readings. Many opening movements are based on quotations from the Bible, such as Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65, from Isaiah 60:6. Ideally, a cantata text started with an Old Testament quotation related to the readings, and reflected both the Epistle and the Gospel, as in the exemplary Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76. Most of the solo movements are based on poetry of contemporary writers, such as court poet Salomon Franck in Weimar, or Georg Christian Lehms or Picander in Leipzig, with whom Bach collaborated. The final words were usually a stanza from a chorale. Bach's Chorale cantatas are based exclusively on one chorale, for example the early Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4, and most cantatas of his second annual cycle in Leipzig.

Periods of cantata composition

The following lists of works (some marked as questioned) relies mainly on Alfred Dürr's Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach. Usually the cantatas appear in the year of their first performance, sometimes also for later performances, then in brackets.

Mühlhausen

See also: Early cantata (Bach)

Bach moved to Mühlhausen in 1707 when he was 22 to take up an appointment as organist of St. Blasius church ("Divi Blasii"). There is evidence suggesting that he composed a cantata as an audition piece for Mühlhausen, and this may have been Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4. One or two more surviving cantatas may have been composed while Bach was at his previous post in Arnstadt, for example, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150.

A couple of the surviving cantatas can be firmly dated to his time in Mühlhausen. For example, Gott ist mein König, BWV 71, was composed for the inauguration of the town council in 1708. By Bach's own account Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131 was also composed at Mühlhausen. Other cantatas are assumed to date from this period:

• Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 143, related to Psalm 146, likely for New Year's Day
• Der Herr denket an uns, BMV 196, assumed to be a wedding cantata
• Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106, a funeral cantata

Weimar

Bach worked in Weimar from 1708. He composed a secular cantata Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd, BWV 208 in 1713. The composition of cantatas for the Schlosskirche (court chapel) on a regular monthly basis started with his promotion to Konzertmeister in March 1714. His goal was to compose a complete set of cantatas for the liturgical year within four years. Cantatas 54 and 199 were performed within the cycle but possibly composed earlier.

• 1713: Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18? * 63?
• 1714: Himmelskönig, sei willkommen, BWV 182 * Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12 * 172 * 21 * 54 * 199 * 61 * 152
• 1715: Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret, BWV 31 * 165 * 185 * 162 * 163 * 132
• 1716: Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange? BWV 155 * 161 * 80a *70a * 186a * 147a

Köthen

Bach worked in Köthen from 1717 to 1723, where he composed for example the Brandenburg concertos. He had no responsibility for church music, therefore only secular cantatas have survived. Later in Leipzig, he derived several church cantatas from congratulatory cantatas, such as Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen, BWV 66, for Easter from the birthday cantata Der Himmel dacht auf Anhalts Ruhm und Glück, BWV 66a. Even after he moved to Leipzig he could carry his title of Fürstlich Köthenischer Kapellmeister and continued to write secular cantatas for the court.

• 1717?: Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a (or between 1720 and 1722)
• 1718: Der Himmel dacht auf Anhalts Ruhm und Glück, BWV 66a
• 1719: Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a

Leipzig

In Leipzig Bach was responsible for the town's church music in the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche and was head of the Thomasschule. Church cantata performances alternated in the two churches for ordinary Sundays and took place in both churches on high holidays such as Christmas, then one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and again alternating for the three days such an occasion was celebrated. Academic functions took place at the Universitätskirche St. Pauli. There is debate whether Bach performed Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59 there a week before he began his cantorate. Bach started it on the first Sunday after Trinity of 1723 and wrote a first annual cycle. Bach's major works such as the Passions and the Mass in B minor are inserted in the listing for comparison.

• 1723: Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22 * Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23 (audition pieces)

First cantata cycle

• 1723: Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75 * 76 * (21) * 24 * 167 * 147 * Magnificat * 186 * 136 * 105 * 46 * 179 * (199) * 69a * 77 * 25 * 119 * 138 * 95 * 148 * (48) * (162) * 109 * 89 * (163?) * 60 * 90 * 70 * (61) * (63) * 40 * 64
• 1724: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190 * 153 * 65 * 154 * (155) * 73 * 81 * 83 * 144 * 181 + (18) * (22 23) * (182) * St John Passion * (4) * 66 * 134 * 67 * 104 * (12) * 166 * 86 * 37 * 44 * 59 * 173 * 184 * 194

Second cantata cycle

Main article: Bach's second cantata cycle

After Trinity of 1724 he started a second annual cycle of mainly chorale cantatas. The chorale was typically the chorale prescribed for that week (Hauptlied or Wochenlied). These cantatas were performed even after his death, according to Christoph Wolff probably because the well-known hymns were appealing to the audience.

• 1724: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 20 * 2 * 7 * 135 * 10 * 93 * 107 * 178 * 94 * 101 * 113 * 33 * 78 * 99 * 8 * 130 * 114 * 96 * 5 * 180 * 38 * 115 * 139 * 26 * 116 * 62 * 91 * 121 * 133 * 122
• 1725: Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 41 * 123 * 124 * 3 * 111 * 92 * 125 * 126 * 127 * 1

The new cantatas Bach composed for Easter of 1725 and afterwards were not chorale cantatas:

• 1725: BWV 249, early version (later versions known as the Easter Oratorio but the 1725 version was a cantata) * 6 * 42 * 85 * 103 * 108 * 87 * 128 * 183 * 74 * 68 * 175 * 176

Two of these, BWV 128 and BWV 68, both starting with a chorale fantasia, are sometimes seen as included in the chorale cantata cycle.

Other cantatas by Bach that are usually seen as belonging to the chorale cantata cycle:

• BWV 4 (version as restaged at Easter 1725, somewhat different from the early Mühlhausen version) * 137 (1725) * 58 (1727) * 129 (1727) * 80 (1727 or later, although an early version of this cantata, BWV 80b, may have been composed for or performed on Reformation Day in 1724) * 112 (1731) * 140 (1731) * 177 (1732) * 9 (1732) * 14 (1735)

For four further chorale cantatas it is unclear for which occasion they were composed, and whether they were intended to be added to the cycle:

• BWV 117 (1728–1731) * 192 (1730) * 100 (1732–1735) * 97 (1734?)

Third cantata cycle

After Trinity of 1725 Bach began a third annual cycle, but with less consistency. The first cantata iswritten for the ninth Sunday after Trinity, only the following year he added a substantial work for the first Sunday after Trinity. The cycle extends over several years. Cantatas for some occasions are not extant.

• 1725: Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168 * 164 * 79 * 110 * 57 * 151 * 28
• 1726: Herr Gott, dich loben wir, BWV 16 * 32 * 13 * 72 * 146? * (194) * 39 * 88 * 170 * 187 * 45 * 102 * 35 * 17 * 19 * 27 * 47 * 169 * 56 * 49 * 98 * 55 * 52

Other cantatas and church music

Not belonging to any of the first three cycles:

• 1727: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 58 * 82 * 84 * St Matthew Passion * 193a * 193
• 1728: 149 * 188 * 197a * 117
• 1729: Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm, BWV 171 * O angenehme Melodei, BWV 210a * Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt, BWV 244a * 156 * 159 * 145 * 174
• 1730: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51
• 1731: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29 * Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36
• 1732: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 177 * Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, BWV 100
• 1733: BWV 232^I, early version (later adopted as part I of the Mass in B minor) * Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen, BWV 213
• 1734: Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen, BWV 215 * Christmas Oratorio
• 1735: Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11 (Ascension Oratorio)
• 1738?: Kyrie–Gloria Masses, BWV 233–236
• 1742: Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120 * Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212
• 1744?: O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit, BWV 210
• 1745: Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191
• 1748?: Mass in B minor (largely a compilation of previously composed music)

Picander cycle of 1728–29

Main article: Picander cycle of 1728–29

There is some circumstantial evidence that a complete fourth cycle of Bach cantatas, in sholarship indicated as Picander-cycle, may have existed.

Parodies

Bach sometimes reused an earlier composition, typically revising and improving it in a process called parody. For example, a movement from a partita for violin, in ceaseless motion, was arranged as an orchestral sinfonia with the organ as solo instrument for the wedding cantata 120a and again in Cantata 29, this time the organ accompanied by a full orchestra dominated by trumpets. Not only a single movement but a complete cantata was reworked from the Shepherd cantata Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen, BWV 249a to become the Easter Oratorio. Bach used parody to be able to deliver cantatas for Christmas, Easter and Pentecost which were each celebrated for a period of three days. His Easter cantata Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß, BWV 134, is a parody of six of eight movements of the cantata for New Year's Day, Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a. Six movements of his congratulatory cantata Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a, form the cantata for Pentecost Monday of 1724, Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut, BWV 173; while a seventh movement was made part of the cantata for Pentecost Tuesday of 1725, Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV 175.

Bach's four short masses are parodies of cantata movements; he used several movements of Siehe zu, daß deine Gottesfurcht nicht Heuchelei sei, BWV 179 for two of them. When he compiled his Mass in B minor, he again used many cantata movements, such as a part of Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12, for the Crucifixus of the Credo.

Oratorios

Bach's oratorios can be considered as expanded cantatas. They were also meant to be performed during church services. Distinct from the cantatas, a narrator, the Evangelist, tells a story in the exact Bible wording, while soloists and the choir have "roles" such as Mary or "the shepherds", in addition to reflective chorales or arias commenting on the story. The St Matthew Passion and the St John Passion were intended to be performed on Good Friday, before and after the sermon. The six parts of the Christmas Oratorio were intended to be performed on six feast days of the Christmas season, each part composed as a cantata with an opening chorus (except in Part 2) and a closing chorale.

Performances by Bach

Bach composed the cantatas and performed them, conducting from the keyboard. The choir was the Thomanerchor, which also served the other main churches of Leipzig for which Bach was responsible. Cantatas, under his personal direction, were performed in the Nikolaikirche and in the Thomaskirche, alternating on ordinary Sundays. On high feast days, the same cantata was performed in the morning in one of these churches, in a vespers service in the other.

Later performances and recordings

After Bach's death the cantatas fell into obscurity even more than his oratorios. There is some evidence for the chorale cantatas being performed at Leipzig after Bach's death, but the cantatas were little known until a society called the Bach-Gesellschaft began to publish the composer's complete works starting in 1851. Only one of the cantatas, Gott ist mein König, BWV 71 had been published during Bach's lifetime. The cantata Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV1 was selected as the first work to appear in the Bach-Gesellschaft-Ausgabe, the first complete edition.

In 1928, The New York Times reported the presentation in Paris of two secular Bach cantatas by opera soprano Marguerite Bériza and her company in staged productions, The Peasant Cantata and The Coffee Cantata. In the early 1950s Fritz Lehmann recorded several cantatas with the Berliner Motettenchor and the Berlin Philharmonic. Karl Richter called his choir programmatically Münchener Bach-Chor in 1954 and recorded about a third of the cantatas.

Between 1958 and 1987, the London Bach Society, conducted by Paul Steinitz performed all the extant church and secular cantatas, 208 separate works, in various venues, mostly in the Church of St Bartholomew-the-Great, London. Diethard Hellmann called the Kantorei of the Christuskirche Bachchor Mainz in 1965 and produced more than 100 cantatas on a weekly basis with the Südwestrundfunk. Fritz Werner started recording with the Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn and the Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra a series that they called Les Grandes Cantates de J.S. Bach.

Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt were the first to begin recording the complete cantatas. This 20-year collaboration used historical instruments, with boys' choirs and boy soloists for most soprano and a few alto parts. Harnoncourt conducted the Wiener Sängerknaben or the Tölzer Knabenchor and the Concentus Musicus Wien. Leonhardt conducted the Tölzer Knabenchor, Knabenchor Hannover and the Collegium Vocale Gent, and the ensemble Leonhardt-Consort. Helmuth Rilling, Gächinger Kantorei, and the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart completed a recording of the sacred cantatas and oratorios on Bach's 300th birthday, 21 March 1985. Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir recorded all vocal works of Bach in 10 years starting in 1994, including the cantatas. Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his Monteverdi Choir undertook the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage, performing and recording in the year 2000 the sacred cantatas at churches all over Europe and in the United States. Sigiswald Kuijken has recorded Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year with La Petite Bande and the soloists forming the choir. Masaaki Suzuki commenced in 1995 a project to record the complete sacred cantatas with his Bach Collegium Japan for the Swedish label BIS; he completed the process in 2013. Pieter Jan Leusink recorded the complete cantatas in 15 months in 1999 and 2000 with the Holland Boys Choir and Netherlands Bach Collegium for Brilliant Classics.

The Thomanerchor has sung a weekly cantata during the evening service Motette on Saturday. The cantatas are also regularly performed on Sundays at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, New York City, under the direction of Cantor Rick Erickson.

The Fifth Gospel

In 1929 the Swedish bishop Nathan Söderblom, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, called Bach's cantatas the Fifth Gospel.

Further reading

• NBA Neue Bach-Ausgabe, Bärenreiter, 1954 to 2007
• BWV Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998
• Alfred Dürr: The Cantatas of J.S. Bach, Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-19-929776-2
• Christoph Wolff/Ton Koopman: Die Welt der Bach-Kantaten Verlag J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart, Weimar 2006 ISBN 978-3-476-02127-4 (in German)
• Werner Neumann: Handbuch der Kantaten J.S.Bachs, 1947, 5th ed. 1984, ISBN 3-7651-0054-4
• Hans-Joachim Schulze: Die Bach-Kantaten: Einführungen zu sämtlichen Kantaten Johann Sebastian Bachs Leipzig: Evangelische Verlags-Anstalt; Stuttgart: Carus-Verlag 2006 (Edition Bach-Archiv Leipzig) ISBN 3-374-02390-8 (EVA), ISBN 3-89948-073-2 (in German)
• Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini. Studi sui testi delle Cantate sacre di J. S. Bach. Università di Padova, pubblicazioni della Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia, vol. XXXI, Padova & Kassel, 1956, xv-291
• Geoffrey Turner. "Singing The Word: The Cantatas of J S Bach". New Blackfriars, volume 87, issue 1008, pp. 144–154
• J. C. J. Day. "The texts of Bach's Church cantatas: some observations". German Life and Letters, volume 13 (1960), num. 2, pp. 137–144
• Harald Streck. Die Verskunst in den poetischen Texten zu den Kantaten J. S. Bachs. Dissertation: Universität Hamburg 1971, 214 pages
• Walter F. Bischof. The Bach Cantatas University of Alberta 2003–2010
• Z. Philip Ambrose Texts of the Complete Vocal Works with English Translation and Commentary University of Vermont 2005–2011
• Robin Boyle. The Listener's Guide to the Bach Church Cantatas, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4716-6705-3
• Complete Bach Cantatas. 12 volumes. Tarnhelm Ed. 2010.http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Books/S0102.htm

Links are found for the individual cantatas:

• Craig Smith: programme notes, Emmanuel Music
• Walter F. Bischof: The Bach Cantatas, University of Alberta
• Z. Philip Ambrose: Texts of the Complete Vocal Works with English Translation and Commentary, University of Vermont

External links

• Bach Cantatas website, a link to information about works, translations to various languages, prescribed reading, commentaries, singers, ensembles, recordings
• Johann Sebastian Bach on "IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library, The free public domain sheet music library"
• Emmanuel Music notes and translations to English
• The cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach A listener and student guide, Julian Mincham, 2010
• Johann Sebastian Bach – A Listener's Guide to the Cantatas and a list of book and references by Simon Crouch on the Classical Net website

|- id="BWV Chapter 2" style="background: #D8D8D8;" | data-sort-value="0224.z99" | 2. | data-sort-value="228.001" colspan="8" | Motets (see also: List of motets by Johann Sebastian Bach) | data-sort-value="0281a" | Up ↑

Bach's autograph of the motet Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225

It is uncertain how many motets Johann Sebastian Bach composed, because some have been lost, and there are some doubtful attributions among the surviving ones associated with him. There are six authenticated motets catalogued BWV 225–230. BWV 228 appears to have been written at Weimar, between 1708 and 1717, and the other five in Leipzig, between 1723 and 1727. A seventh motet, Ich lasse dich nicht, BWV Anh. 159, which was formerly attributed to Bach's older cousin Johann Christoph Bach, appears to be one of Bach's earlier works, possibly composed during the Weimar period.

Several of the motets were written for funerals. There is some uncertainty as to the extent that motets would have been called for in normal church services - there is evidence that it was considered an archaic form. The text of Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt, BWV Anh. 160 (whether or not the piece is attributable to Bach) suggests a performance at Christmas. Another possible use is the suggestion of the scholar Christoph Wolff that some of the choral writing in the motets for example Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, would have been useful for training Bach's young singers.

Bach's motets are his only vocal works that kept repertoire without interruption between his death in 1750 and the 19th-century Bach Revival. In the early 19th century six motets (BWV 225, 228, Anh. 159, 229, 227, 226) were among Bach's first printed music, after the second half of the 18th century when the only vocal music by Bach that was printed were collections of his four-part chorales.

BWV 225–230

• Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (Sing unto the Lord a new song), BWV 225, is a motet in B-flat major scored for two four-part choirs (SATB) which was first performed in Leipzig around 1727. This motet uses Psalm 149:1–3 for its first movement, the third stanza of "Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren" (a 1530 hymn after Psalm 103 by Johann Gramann) for the second movement, and Psalm 150:2 and 6 for its third movement.
• Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf (The Spirit gives aid to our weakness), BWV 226, a motet in B-flat major scored for two four-part choirs, was performed in Leipzig in 1729 for the funeral of Johann Heinrich Ernesti. The text is taken from the Epistle to the Romans (Romans 8:26–27) and Martin Luther's third stanza to the hymn "Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott" (1524).
• Jesu, meine Freude (Jesus, my joy), BWV 227, is a motet in E minor for five vocal parts composed in 1723 for the funeral of Johanna Maria Käsin, the wife of the town's postmaster. It takes its title from the hymn "Jesu, meine Freude" by Johann Franck on which it is based. The stanzas of the chorale are interspersed with passages from the Epistle to the Romans. The chorale melody on which several movements are based was by Johann Crüger (1653). The German text is by Johann Franck, and dates from c. 1650.
• Fürchte dich nicht (Do not fear), BWV 228, is a motet in A major for a funeral, set for double chorus and unspecified instruments playing colla parte. The work in two movements draws its text from the Book of Isaiah and a hymn by Paul Gerhardt. Traditionally, scholars believed that Bach composed it in Leipzig in 1726, while more recent scholarship suggests for stylistic reasons that it was already composed during Bach's Weimar period. It has been compared to another motet for double choir Ich lasse dich nicht, BWV Anh. 159, which is possibly by Bach.
• Komm, Jesu, komm (Come, Jesus, come), BWV 229, is a motet in G minor composed in Leipzig, which received its first performance by 1731–1732.
• Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Praise the Lord, all ye heathen), BWV 230, is a motet in C major scored for four voices, which draws its text from Psalm 117:1–2. Although some scholars have expressed doubts about the attribution to Bach, the work is generally regarded as a surviving motet by Bach.

BWV 28/2a (231) and 118

• scores, originally BWV 231, later renumbered to BWV 28/2a, is the second movement of the motet Jauchzet dem Herrn alle Welt presented as a separate motet. Whether Bach extracted this motet (which is based on the second movement of the cantata BWV 28) from the three-movement motet or the cantata, and/or used it as a separate motet is not known.
• O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV 118: originally listed as a cantata, in BWV^2a listed as a (funeral) motet.

BWV Anh. 159–165

• Ich lasse dich nicht (I will not let you go [unless you bless me]), BWV Anh. 159, is a motet in F minor scored for double chorus, SATB—SATB and unspecified instruments playing colla parte. The motet, which was formerly attributed to Bach's older cousin Johann Christoph Bach, appears to be one of Bach's earlier works, possibly composed during his Weimar period around 1712. Consequently, the motet was moved from BWV Anh. III (spurious works) to BWV Anh. II (doubtful works) in BWV^2a. The final chorale of the motet is an adaptation of BWV 421, but that may also be a later addition to the motet. It draws its text from a verse taken from the Book of Genesis, from the scene of Jacob's Ladder (Genesis 32:27), combined with the third stanza of the hymn "Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz" by Erasmus Alberus.
• Jauchzet dem Herrn alle Welt, BWV Anh. 160 (=TWV 8:10) is a three-movement pasticcio motet for SATB—SATB attributed to, among others, Bach and Georg Philipp Telemann. All that is certain regarding Bach's participation in the work is that its second movement derives from the second movement of Bach's cantata BWV 28.
• Motet movement Kündlich groß ist das gottselige Geheimnis, BWV Anh. 161, in D major for SATB, strings(?) and continuo, by Graun (possibly Carl Heinrich Graun), precedes laudes A and B of Bach's Magnificat in a three-movement Christmas motet pasticcio.
• Lob und Ehre und Weisheit und Dank, BWV Anh. 162, for SATB—SATB, by Georg Gottfried Wagner.
• Merk auf, mein Herz, und sieh dorthin, BWV Anh. 163, for SATB—SATB, by Johann Bernhard or Johann Ernst Bach.
• Nun danket alle Gott, BWV Anh. 164, for SSATB, by Johann Christoph Altnickol, Bach's son-in-law.
• Unser Wandel ist im Himmel, BWV Anh. 165, for SATB, after movements 2, 4 and 6 of cantata Mein Odem ist schwach, BWV 222, by Johann Ernst Bach.

BWV deest

See also: The righteous perishes § In Lutheranism

• Der Gerechte kommt um, BWV deest, a chorale from a pasticcio passion oratorio, is a parody of the motet Tristis est anima mea which was likely composed by Johann Kuhnau. The arrangement is possibly Bach's, and possibly Bach used it as a separarate (funeral) motet.

Sources

• BWV^2a: Alfred Dürr, Yoshitake Kobayashi (eds.), Kirsten Beißwenger. Bach Werke Verzeichnis: Kleine Ausgabe, nach der von Wolfgang Schmieder vorgelegten 2. Ausgabe. Preface in English and German. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998. ISBN 3765102490 - ISBN 978-3765102493

External links

• Motets by Johan Sebastian Bach: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Johann Gottfried Schicht, editor. Joh. Seb. Bach's Motetten in Partitur. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Ha˜rtel. 1802 (Vol. 1: BWV 225, 228, Anh. 159); 1803 (Vol.2: BWV 229, 227, 226)

Masses, Passions, Oratorios is the subject of the second series of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA, New Bach Edition), a publication of Johann Sebastian Bach's music from 1954 to 2007. In the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, catalogue of Bach's compositions) masses, passions and oratorios refers to two chapters:

• Chapter 3: Messen, Messensätze, Magnificat (Masses, Mass movements, Magnificat), original range: BWV 232–243
• Chapter 4: Passionen, Oratorien (Passions, Oratorios), original range: BWV 244–249

In the BWV, as in Series II of the NBA, the group thus also includes Bach's Magnificat and separate mass movements.

Further the second series of the NBA, as well as the 1998 updated edition of the BWV (BWV^2a), group some new additions to the BWV catalogue with the masses, passions and oratorios (e.g. Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, BWV 1083, Bach's adaptation of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater), and regroup some compositions that were formerly associated with other genres in the masses, passions and oratorios group (e.g. BWV 11, published as a cantata in the 19th century, added to the group as an oratorio).

Also various items in the BWV Anhang (BWV Anh., appendix to the BWV), or even unmentioned in the BWV (BWV deest, lacking a BWV number) are associated with this group, for instance the motet Der Gerechte kömmt um, BC C 8, arranged, probably by Bach, from the Tristis est anima mea motet attributed to Johann Kuhnau. Such compositions or movements usually have a Bach Digital Work (BDW) page at the www.bach-digital.de website.

Masses, Mass movements and Magnificat

See also: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § BWV Chapter 3, and Bach's church music in Latin

Mass with all usual sections

• BWV 232 – Mass in B minor

Kyrie–Gloria Masses

• BWV 232^I, early version – Mass for the Dresden court (1733), re-used as part I of the Mass in B minor
• BWV 233 – Missa in F major
• BWV 234 – Missa in A major
• BWV 235 – Missa in G minor
• BWV 236 – Missa in G major

Cantata based on BWV 232^I

• BWV 191 – Cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo

Separate Mass movements

• BWV 232^II, early version – Credo in G major (1748–49?)
• BWV 232^III, early version – Sanctus for six vocal parts (1724)
• BWV 233a – Kyrie in F major (alternative version of Kyrie from BWV 233)
• BWV 237 – Sanctus in C major
• BWV 238 – Sanctus in D major
• BWV 239 – Sanctus in D minor (doubtful)
• BWV 240 – Sanctus in G major
• BWV 241 – Sanctus in D major (arrangement of Sanctus from Johann Caspar Kerll's Missa superba)
• BWV 242 – Christe eleison in G minor (composed by Bach for a mass by Francesco Durante, BWW Anh. 26)

Latin Magnificat

• BWV 243 – Magnificat in D major
• BWV 243a – Magnificat in E-flat major, early version of BWV 243, containing four Latin and German interpolations related to Christmas

German Magnificat cantatas

• BWV 10 – Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (German Magnificat)
• BWV 189 – Meine Seele rühmt und preist on a German paraphrase of the Magnificat text, attributed to Melchior Hoffmann.
• BWV Anh. 21 – Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (Kleine Magnificat), by Melchior Hoffmann.

Other

• BWV 1081 – Credo intonation in F major for a Mass by Giovanni Battista Bassani, BDW 1267
• BWV 1082 – Bach's copy of the Suscepit Israel of Antonio Caldara's Magnificat in C major.
• BWV 1083 – Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, Bach's adaptation of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater
• BWV Anh. 24 – Kyrie and Gloria in A minor from "Missa Sancti Lamberti" by Johann Christoph Pez; Bach copied its Kyrie in Weimar, adding a line different from the original continuo; Its Gloria was copied without modification in Leipzig.
• BWV Anh. 25 – Kyrie–Gloria Mass in C major (sometimes attributed to Johann Ludwig Bach, copied & performed by J. S. Bach c.1740-1742).
• BWV Anh. 26 – Mass in C minor: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project (by Francesco Durante; see above Christe eleison in G minor, BWV 242)
• BWV Anh. 27 – Sanctus in F major by Johann Ludwig Krebs.
• BWV Anh. 28 – Sanctus in B major (composer unknown).
• BWV Anh. 29 – continuo part for a Mass in C minor
• BWV Anh. 30 – Magnificat in C major for SSAATTBB choir and orchestra attributed to Antonio Lotti, and later to Pietro Torri (copied by Bach around 1742)
• BWV Anh. 166 – Missa super cantilena "Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr": Kyrie–Gloria Mass in E minor composed in 1716 by Johann Ludwig Bach, previously attributed to Johann Nicolaus Bach, with part scores written out by J. S. Bach and others for performance in 1729, and a small addition (5 bars) by J. S. Bach at the beginning of the Gloria. The text of the Gloria is partly in German: it intersperses the Latin text of the Gloria with, as cantus firmus, all four stanzas of "de" (which is itself a paraphrase of the Gloria), a Lutheran hymn by Nicolaus Decius and Joachim Slüter.
• BWV Anh. 167 – Kyrie–Gloria Mass in G major for double SATB choir and orchestra, possibly by Johann Ludwig Bach or Antonio Lotti. One of its 18th century manuscript copies is partially in J. S. Bach's handwriting. Published and performed as J. S. Bach's in 1805.
• BWV Anh. 168 – Kyrie (and German Gloria) composed by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, BDW 1479
• BWV deest – Bach's transposition from D minor to E minor and colla parte orchestration for the first two movements of Palestrina's Missa Sine nomine a 6, to be performed in Leipzig in the early 1740s as a Kyrie–Gloria Mass for SSATTB choir, and an orchestra consisting of cornets, trombones and continuo.

Passions and Oratorios

See also: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach § BWV Chapter 4, and Passions (Bach)

Passions composed by Bach

• BWV 244 – St Matthew Passion (Matthäus-Passion)
  • BWV 244b – St Matthew Passion, early version(s)
• BWV 245 – St John Passion (Johannes-Passion), various versions, including:
  • St. John Passion, 2nd version, with opening chorus "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß" (1725), BDW 0308, containing:
    • BWV 245a – Aria "Himmel reiße, Welt erbebe"
    • BWV 245b – Aria "Zerschmettert mich, ihr Felsen und ihr Hügel"
    • BWV 245c – Aria "Ach, windet euch nicht so, geplagte Seelen"
  • St. John Passion, Bach's last revision (1749), BDW 0310
• BWV 247 – St Mark Passion (Markus-Passion) (libretto is extant; although the music is lost much of it is reconstructable based on associated compositions)
• BWV deest – Weimarer Passion (lost, music partially recuperated in other compositions), BDW 1533

Passions by other composers with movements by Bach

• BWV 246 – St Luke Passion (Lukas-Passion) by an unknown composer and librettist, includes one movement by Bach:
  • BWV 246/40a Chorale "Aus der Tiefen rufe ich", BDW 0312
• BWV deest – St Mark Passion (attributed to Keiser), surviving in various (pasticcio) versions, with three movements associated with Bach:
  • BWV 500a – Chorale "So gehst du nun, mein Jesu, hin", BDW 0571
  • BWV 1084 – Chorale "O hilf Christe, Gottes Sohn", BDW 1270, and earlier version BDW 1677
  • BWV deest – Chorale "O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid", BDW 1679, and earlier version BDW 1678
• BWV deest – Passion oratorio Wer ist der, so von Edom kömmt (pasticcio), with three movements associated with Bach:
  • BWV 127/1 (variant) – Chorus "Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott", BDW 0155
  • BWV 1088 – Arioso "So heb ich denn mein Auge sehnlich auf", BDW 1274
  • BWV deest – Chorus "Der Gerechte kömmt um", also as separate motet (BC C 8), BDW 1532

Other vocal compositions associated with Passion music

• BWV 244a – Trauermusik Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt (funeral cantata), music lost but largely reconstructable based on BWV 244b and 198
• BWV 200 – Aria "Bekennen will ich seinen Namen", arranged by Bach from a Passion oratorio by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel, BDW 0250

Spurious

• BWV Anh. 169 – Passion text Erbauliche Gedanken auf den Grünen Donnerstag und Charfreitag über den Leidenden Jesum by Picander, not set by Bach (apart from some movements of the St Matthew Passion)

Oratorios and associated cantatas

• BWV 248 – Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts-Oratorium), consisting of six cantatas composed for the Christmas season of 1734–1735:
  • BWV 248^I – Cantata Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage
  • BWV 248^II – Cantata Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend
  • BWV 248^III – Cantata Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen
  • BWV 248^IV – Cantata Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben
  • BWV 248^V – Cantata Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen
  • BWV 248^VI – Cantata Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben
• BWV 248^VIa – textless cantata, model for BWV 248^VI, BDW 0315
• BWV 249 – Easter Oratorio (Oster-Oratorium), also known by its incipit Kommt, eilet und laufet
  • BWV 249a – Secular cantata Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen
  • BWV 249b – Secular cantata Verjaget, zerstreuet, zerrüttet, ihr Sterne
• BWV 11 – Ascension Oratorio (Himmelfahrts-Oratorium), previously known as Cantata Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen