Bach: Die Kunst der Fuge (2011)

Johann Sebastian Bach's supposed swan song, The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080, has always been a troublesome work to realize; it was printed in open score, with no indication of what instrument or instruments should be used, and it was apparently left unfinished, with a mighty quadruple fugue breaking off just as it approaches its climax. The complications only deepened with the examination of the work's autograph manuscript, housed in the Berlin State Library and here referred to by harpsichordist Fabio Bonizzoni as "P200" ... Read More

Johann Sebastian Bach's supposed swan song, The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080, has always been a troublesome work to realize; it was printed in open score, with no indication of what instrument or instruments should be used, and it was apparently left unfinished, with a mighty quadruple fugue breaking off just as it approaches its climax. The complications only deepened with the examination of the work's autograph manuscript, housed in the Berlin State Library and here referred to by harpsichordist Fabio Bonizzoni as "P200" after its catalog number there. This manuscript seems to demolish the legend surrounding The Art of the Fugue. It dates from the early 1740s, indicating that Bach did not in any way intend the work as his life's finale. And the ordering of pieces is different from the familiar one, which dates back to the printed version. Bach apparently intended to revise his manuscript for publication, but how much of the revision was his own work and how much that of his sons is under debate.... Read Less