Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903

Johann Sebastian Bach most likely composed the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue during his stay in Kothen between 1717 and 1723. Originally written for the harpsichord the work was duly recognized as a masterpiece within its ownera.Néstor Ausqui has taken extraordinary measures in creating a guitar transcription of this monumental piece. The fundamental tonality of D minor was retained to preserve the work?s sonority and the 6thstring of the guitar had to be lowered to D to expand the guitar?s range and adhere to the original key.The articulation of the piece often requires the use of the slur technique to maintain and enhance thelegato effect in the melodic line. As the guitar has a more percussive character than the harpsichord various inconveniences occur in the management or execution of the legato but the transcriber has done his best to preservethe character of the original piece.Ausqui admits that the most arduous task was the fingering of the piece. He had to familiarize himself with Bach?s intentions and avoid shortcuts and aberrations which wouldhave depleted the original harmonies and melodies. In the process he discovered that utilization of the open strings can subtly enhance the balance of right and left-hand duties to achieve the timbre the original scoremandates.Written in standard notation only with each line of music forming only one measure this piece is meant for the classical guitarist willing to accept an interpretive challenge to reap enormous musicalbenefits.

An extensive volume filled with fugues from the last 350 years! Beginning with works by Frescobaldi Scarlatti Giambattista and Handel this collection features several compositions by the fugue's most famous expositor Johann Sebastian Bach including many pieces from the Well-Tempered Clavier. Contributions from latter-day composers include works by Mozart Beethoven Mendelssohn Robert and Clara Schumann Brahms and Saint-Saëns.

This inexpensive compilation draws upon authoritative sources to present favorite Piano works of the Baroque era. Unlike many other anthologies of music from the era which vary widely in the quality of their content this collection comprises only the greatest works of the period. Intermediate and advanced Pianists will find these carefully chosen pieces a rewarding and satisfying reflection of the glories of the Baroque. Selections include Johann Sebastian Bach's Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue as well as the French Suite No. 5; Fantasia in C Minor BWV 906; and preludes and fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier. Other works byBach include the great composer's transcriptions for keyboard of five violin concertos by Vivaldi reprinted from the definitive Bach-Gesellschaft edition. Other selections include several pieces by Handel among them the popular Air and Variations known as The Harmonious Blacksmith; four sonatas by Scarlatti; and works by Telemann Rameau and Purcell.

This volume collects four of the most important keyboard masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach?the 'Goldberg' Variations Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue Fantasia Contrappuntistica and Concerto for Piano andOrchestra in D Minor?in arrangements by celebrated pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni for his 1919 Breitkopf & Härtel edition. Additional features include Busoni's original systemof keyboard notation demonstrated vis- -vis the Chromatic Fantasy. An important composer in his own right Busoni ranks among history's most celebrated pianists. His controversial 25-volume edition oftranscriptions of Bach's keyboard music includes side-by-side discussions of Bach's music with arrangements by Busoni and his pupil Egon Petri. Adapted for the modern resources of the grand piano thetranscriptions include plentiful doublings of voices for higher and lower ranges of the keyboard that did not exist on Bach's clavier in addition to analytical re-shapings of the music itself. This volume marks asignificant collection of rarities that merit greater attention among performers and listeners. Dover Original.