J.S. Bach Pianoforte Music?

[keval]

Greetings.
Did JSB ever write music for the pianoforte?
Merry Christmas,
Kevin

[Philidor]

Possibly bits of the Musical Offering, BWV 1079

The collection has its roots in a meeting between Bach and Frederick II on May 7, 1747. The meeting, taking place at the king's residence in Potsdam, came about because Bach's son Carl Philipp Emanuel was employed there as court musician. Frederick wanted to show the elder Bach a novelty, the piano, which had been invented some years earlier. The king owned several of the experimental instruments being developed by Gottfried Silbermann...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Musical_Offering

But mostly Bach practised on a spinster in the attic!

[keval]

The incident between JSB and Frederick the Great is what started me thinking about this topic. He must have seen the musical possibilities in the pianoforte and would have been sorely tempted to write something for it. However, I can't find any information on whether he ever did.
BTW - there's a wonderful book on Bach's visit with Frederick entitled "Evening in the Palace of Reason." Aside from some wonderfully entertaining history, the author also suggests that the visit was a set-up by CPE Bach and Frederick to embarrass JSB. Lots of fun and highly recommended.
Still doesn't answer the pianoforte question, though.
Merry Christmas,
Kevin

[ImmortalBeloved]

Most articles I've read about Bach say he did not compose for the pianoforte. However, I have come across this CD that might prove otherwise.






1. Concerto in the Italian Style, BWV 971, "Italian Concerto": I. (Allegro) 3:45
2. Concerto in the Italian Style, BWV 971, "Italian Concerto": II. Andante 5:04
3. Concerto in the Italian Style, BWV 971, "Italian Concerto": III. Presto 3:50
4. Fantasia and Fugue in A minor, BWV 904: Fantasia 3:23
5. Fantasia and Fugue in A minor, BWV 904: Fugue 4:57
6. Prelude in C major, BWV 924: Praeambulum in C major, BWV 924 1:07
7. Prelude in C major, BWV 939 (use): Prelude in C major, BWV 939 0:32
8. Prelude in C minor, BWV 999 (use): Prelude in C minor, BWV 999 1:08
9. Prelude in D major, BWV 925 (use): Prelude in D major, BWV 925 1:08
10. Prelude in D minor, BWV 926 1:15
11. Prelude in D minor, BWV 940 0:49
12. Prelude in E minor, BWV 941 0:36
13. Praeambulum in F major, BWV 927 0:37
14. Prelude in F major, BWV 928 1:26
15. Trio in G minor, BWV 929 0:48
16. Prelude in G minor, BWV 930: Praeambulum in G minor, BWV 930 1:27
17. Prelude in A minor, BWV 942 0:43
18. 2 Part Invention in F major, BWV 779: Two-Part Invention in F major, BWV 779 0:52
19. Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906 4:41
20. Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E flat major, BWV 998 11:29 Album Only
21. Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903: Fantasia 6:47
22. Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903: Fugue 5:40

[keval]

Interesting. A bit of digging around the Internet indicates that the Italian concerto (BWV 971), one of the pieces on the CD, was written for the harpsichord (although apparently very popular in piano transcription). I would suppose that the others were also clavier works.
I'm starting to think that he didn't compose for the pianoforte. I wonder why.

[ImmortalBeloved]

I suspect most of these were probably composed for the harpsichord (or more likely the clavichord as this was Bach's favoured instrument), even though the CD says 'Piano Works'.

I asked this question of a friend of mine who's an organist and a Bach boff, and the very short and sweet answer of "No!" came back very quickly!

Even though Bach tried the piano in it's early days, he felt the clavichord was better at expressing his music than the piano ever would. That's possibly why he never wrote for it. Also, Bach was sixty when he first tried the piano. He died at 65. Not long enough to see the piano develop into the instrument we know today. Who knows...if he'd lived a bit longer??

In the same vein, Beethoven started off as church organist, but always favoured the piano. All down to personal preference I guess.

[chrisopera]

Historically J.S. Bach never wrote for the "Piano", mainly because the instrument was starting to be developed towards the end of his life and early "Fortepianos" or "Hammerklaviers" were very, very primitive. The majority of his keyboard works, excepting those specifically written for the Organ, are meant to be played on a Harpsichord. Some are suitable also for the Clavichord, an instrument JSB loved, and other plucked keyboard instruments of the time (eg. Clavicembalo). Some of his keyboard works were transcribed in his lifetime for the Lute (alongside works he specifically wrote for the Lute) or Archlute.

Although playing J.S. Bach keyboard works on the modern piano is completely unauthentic, the modern instrument is a perfectly valid instrument to use. Bach probably would have been overjoyed to hear a modern piano. He was - for a relatively conservative man - a pioneer himself (he pioneered well-tempered tuning, for example) and had the fortepiano been more advanced in his lifetime I am sure he would have had an interest in writing for it.