12035 – Fugue in G Minor

J. S. Bach (1685-1750)

Arranged by Roger Harvey for 10 trombones

Difficulty: Medium

Price: £20.00

Programme notes:

This fugue was written in 1707 while Bach was working in Arnstadt, a position he attained not only because of his evident skill as an organist but also because of the expertise he had already acquired, by the age of 18, in organ maintenance. In 1703 he was called to Arnstadt to perform a test on the new organ of the Church of St. Boniface.

The three churches in Arnstadt already had an organist, Andreas Börner, when Bach arrived to test the organ. However, the town's authorities were sufficiently impressed with Bach's playing that they offered him the position at St Boniface, leaving Börner with the other two churches. Bach's duties at Arnstadt were to accompany the services at the Neuekirche and to maintain the new organ but with no requirement that he compose.  In exchange his salary was fixed at 50 Florins per year, plus 30 Thaler for room and board. This was an excellent rate considering that the church was very poor, Bach was very young, and his duties very light.

In the autumn of 1705 Bach requested a leave of absence to visit Lübeck, home of the brilliant organist Dietrich Buxtehude. Upon being granted four weeks, Bach walked to Lübeck, covering the 250 miles in about ten days. When it came time to return to Arnstadt Bach lingered in Lübeck for a full three months without consulting his employers. It is possible that Bach left Arnstadt intending full well to overstay his leave so that he might attend Buxtehude's upcoming Abendmusiken, an Advent event of some renown in northern Germany. Certainly Bach's compositions from this time show a heavy influence of Buxtehude's style. In this year of 1707 he produced a number of keyboard works and the first of his many cantatas.

Performance notes:

The editorial suggestions are for a majestic but vocal style. There are other perfectly acceptable styles of performance that may be adopted if preferred.

Try to match the volume between the voices and where the instruments pass the line from part to part.

Mordents were originally trills. Players may attempt to sustain an unobtrusive trill through these pedal notes but if this proves impractical a simple mordent is sufficient.