BACH motif

In western and western way of music BACH is a sequence of tone letters, the sound to the name "Bach" and are mostly used since the 18th century as a reminiscence and homage to the composer Johann Sebastian Bach. The meaning reveals itself but only in German and Scandinavian speaking countries, since the relevant notes are referred to in other languages ​​in a way different (eg, English or French B flat si bémol for German B).

Special features of the musical motif B-A -C -H

The fact that a name can be fully implemented in tone letters and to a certain extent made ​​to sound, is a rarity. The notes BACH moreover form a cross motif ( see figure at left ).

Bach's music was often referred to by contemporaries as being too complicated and mathematical. In fact, fall on both complex harmonies as well as complex polyphonic voice leading in Bach's compositions. Chromatic tuner Leadership plays a special role, but it is among the most difficult musical and compositional tasks that Bach is not retreated, but he challenged outright. That the motive BACH consists of four successive stored semitones, thus represents a particularly high demands on the compositional implementation.

Bach devoted much of his work in church music. To him, the statement is attributed, music should " be but for God's glory and Recreation of mind. Where this is not taken in night, there it no real music but a diabolical Geplerr and Geleyr. " He used in countless places of his compositions musical symbols. The musical symbol par excellence of the Christian faith is found the cross motif, consisting of at least four notes, two and two connected to each other, a cross. B-A -C -H is such a musical cross motif.

Bach's musical dealing with his name

It was common until the 18th century, for the recent use to edit and adapt the works of other composers. The example at left shows a section of the Leipzig composer Johann Kuhnau attributed motet tristis est anima mea (upper graph).

In the arrangement of Johann Sebastian Bach ( The righteous comes to ) the piece of f - minor to E minor is transposed and expanded with an orchestral accompaniment. Bach added the motive BACH in a contralto (lower graph) and edited the harmonic set. He is the Old as the only voice at this point a syncopated rhythm. Shortly thereafter, the alto voice goes with the words " and no one pays attention on it" continues - an ironic allusion and an example of Bach's subtle work.

In other edits compositions Bach used his name often in this way, to provide them with his " signature". In most cases the subject is so inserted that it is difficult to detect just by listening, but is better seen in the score.

Even in Bach's own compositions appeared on the subject now and then, sometimes transposed. Best known is the involvement of BACH in the last, unfinished Contrapunctus from his Art of the Fugue.

Works by other composers B-A -C -H

Ulrich Prinz lists in the catalog of the exhibition "300 years of Johann Sebastian Bach " of the International Bach Academy in 1985 (ISBN 3-7952-0459-3 ) a total of 409 works on BACH 330 different composers from the 17th to the 20th century on, among other things,:

  • Menachem Avidom: Suite on BACH for woodwinds, strings, piano and percussion ( 1964)
  • Alfred Tree: Fantasy for Organ on B A C H
  • Alban Berg: Violin Concerto
  • Arnold Schoenberg: Variations for Orchestra, Op 31
  • Anton Webern: Six Bagatelles for String Quartet, Op 9
  • Rudolf Brucci: Metamorphosis BACH for strings
  • Ferruccio Busoni: Fantasia for Piano Contrappuntistica
  • Luigi Dallapiccola: Quaderno musicale di Anna Libera
  • Johann Nepomuk David: Partita
  • Paul Dessau: piano piece on B-A -C -H
  • Hanns Eisler: Prelude and Fugue on BACH for string trio, Op 46
  • Sofia Gubaidulina: Reflections on the theme BACH
  • Arthur Honegger: Prelude, Arioso, Fughette for piano (arranged for orchestra)
  • Sigfrid Karg- Elert: Passacaglia and Fugue, Op 150
  • Charles Koechlin: Offrande musicale sur le nom de BACH, Op 187
  • Ernest Majo: Rhapsodische sequences
  • Ron Nelson: Passacaglia
  • Carl Nielsen: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (op. 33/FS 61)
  • Arvo Pärt: Collage for strings, oboe, harpsichord and piano
  • Francis Poulenc: Valse - improvisation sur le nom Bach for Piano
  • Jean -Philippe Rameau: L' Enharmonique (from: Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de clavecin )
  • Nikolai Rimsky -Korsakov: Variations for Piano
  • Christian Heinrich Rinck Prelude and Fugue in B flat major on BACH
  • Julius Röntgen: Symphony on BACH C minor ( comp. 1931)
  • Alfred Schnittke: Concerto Grosso No.. 3
  • Georg Schumann: Passacaglia and Finale on BACH, for organ, Op 39, Verlag FEC Leuckart, Leipzig 1905 ( first edition )
  • Robert Schumann: 6 Fugues for Organ or Pedal Piano, op 60
  • Milos Sokola: Passacaglia quasi Toccata for Organ
  • Steven Tailor: Thunderstorm flowers, iris and marsh clover, pop - jazzy brass Variations on BACH
  • Anton Webern: String Quartet, Op 28
  • Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck: Fantasia 5
  • Ede Terényi: B- A-C -H
  • Zoltán Gárdonyi: Prelude et Fugue in memoriam JS Bach

Repurposing

  • The symbol of the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart also makes itself the Vertonbarkeit of Bach's name advantage: it consists of a single note, which is four pages assigned by different clef contain a different pitch - just BACH.
  • The City Radio Leipzig used the motif in homage to the former Leipzig cantor announcing his broadcasts.
  • Max Reger was in 1906 in a strain carrying a confession:
Chromatic scale Word painting Syncopation Transposition (music) Alfred Baum (composer) Violin Concerto (Berg) Variation (music) Jean-Philippe Rameau Georg Schumann (composer) Georg Andreas Sorge Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart Soggetto cavato
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