{"id":43704,"date":"2021-11-20T14:15:29","date_gmt":"2021-11-20T19:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/?p=43704"},"modified":"2024-08-25T17:32:04","modified_gmt":"2024-08-25T21:32:04","slug":"j-s-bach-on-the-guitar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/j-s-bach-on-the-guitar\/","title":{"rendered":"J.S. Bach on the Guitar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bach and the Guitar?<\/span><\/h2>\n

You may be surprised to learn that the great Johann Sebastian Bach<\/a> never wrote a note of music for the guitar. In fact, even the surviving music apparently written by Bach for the lute may have been originally conceived and written for the keyboard<\/a>. (At the very least some keyboard instrument, with “for the lute” being added by editors later.)

The reason this is so astounding is just how much Bach’s music has become an integral part of the classical guitar repertoire. We have arrangements and transcriptions of Bach’s cello suites, violin sonatas and partitas, lute suites, some of his chorales, keyboard suites, and more. College and graduate auditions for classical guitar programs often require music by Bach. Sometimes competitions require pieces by Bach. It is simply hard to play classical guitar and not at some point encounter Bach. So the fact that Bach never composed for the instrument is quite remarkable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Architectural Beauty<\/span><\/h2>\n

Nevertheless, Bach’s music is\u00a0<\/i>indeed a special part of the classical guitar repertoire and it offers so much richness to our musical palette. Part of what is so appealing about his music is the way that independent moving voices blend together to create complex structures that nonetheless together make sense and are beautiful. And the classical guitar itself is in part enchanting because of its ability to play this kind of complex polyphony<\/a> in a convincing way — done well, the classical guitar sounds like more than one instrument playing at the same time. Thus, Bach and classical guitar make a great fit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bach’s Music on Classical Guitar<\/span><\/h2>\n

The music of J.S. Bach has also been an important part of our curriculum at CGC Academy<\/a>. Beginning around Grade 4, around the intermediate stage of study, we incorporate Bach’s music into almost every grade. Below I’d like to share with you performances of these masterpieces from our Grades curriculum at Classical Guitar Corner Academy. Despite the fact that none of this music was actually written for the guitar, I think you’ll agree it fits so well on our quiet yet sonorous instrument. I hope you enjoy these performances of J.S. Bach’s music on classical guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Largo” (BWV 1056), Grade 4:<\/p>\n\n

\n
\n