I just had an lesson devoted almost entirely to the articluation of Bach 2 part inventions. Quite a revelation and apparently applicable to almost all Baroque keyboard music:

Apparently the convention was that semiquavers are played legato but not quavers: Quavers are played not quite staccato but certainly abreviated and separated. I also learned a lot about the phrasing of Bach. Between them these two apparently simple techniques revolutionise the sound (to me): It's like turning a light on in a darkened room.

Just thought I'd let you know!!

Strictly speaking its the shortest note lengths that are legato, and the next shortest which are detached. So for example, in a Presto movement where the shortest notes are quavers, they would be the legato ones and the crotchets lightly detached.

J J Quantz On Playing the Flute is used as a source by musicologists studying performance practice for all instruments, not just woodwind. It's well worth a read.

For the 2 part inventions imagine a flute or oboe in the treble and a cello in the bass. Both lines are melodic and need individual shaping. At times they play together whilst at others they have the solo line.

Then imagine the pair playing Bach like Glenn Gould - they'd be rather worn out from all that staccato!

The treble line really must sing - Bach was a great vocal composer and the Clavichord is a very melodic instrument. But don't just play the left hand staccato - a cellist puts alot of expression into a single line of quavers and varies the degree of in many different ways.

The Andante of the Sinfonia from Bach's Partita no. 2 in C minor is a fantastic example of a soaring melodic line held together by a constant line of quavers.

If you're interested in reading further on this matter, try and get a hold of 'The harpsichord: an introduction to technique, style and the historical sources' by Eta Harich Schneider. It's out of print, but one can find a copy second hand for not too much money. As andante says, Quantz wrote a lot of material on performance, and Schneider refers to this throughout the work.

Another valuable resource that I read and reread several times beofre my LRSM is:

Playing Bach on the Keyboard: A practical guide by Richard Troeger

It has chapters on

Instruments
Genres and styles
Accounts of Bach's playing style
Dynamics
Articulation
Phrasing and accent
Meter, Tempo and Time Words
Rhythmic elements
Ornamentation
Keyboard fingering
Musical Rhetoric
Temperament
Editions and Facsimiles

That should just about answer any questions you may be faced with up to LRSM level. Of course, you don't have to agree with what Richard says and there may be arguments against just about everything in regards to Bachs keyboard music. That's part of the fun!

Hi Robodoc

I'm working on the Bach Invention in F, my first. What a superb piece of music. I'm loving it and I think it is good for technique. Which one are you playing?

Lostchord

I agree with most comments here. The 2 part, then 3 part Inventions are excellent for developing contrapuntal technique, and preparation for the '48' and more demanding Bach. Not that the three part ones are particularly easy !
As far as shorter notes legato and longer notes detached goes, yes this can be a general rule, but I think there are exceptions where its not always appropriate or sounding 'right'

I know what you mean, both about "not always appropriate" and " not particularly easy".

I have a suplementary question: When my old copy of the 2 & 3 part inventions fell to pieces from excessive use, I replaced it. My replacement copy is called "Inventions and Sinfonietta". When did the 3 part inventions stop being 3 part inventions?



numbers 1 (C maj), 8 (F maj), 10 (G maj), 13 (A min) and 14 (B flat maj).

I'm doing them because a) They are superb pieces of music and b) they are good for technique. I'm doing several in order to cover a variety of techniques within counterpoint, with a view to starting the P&F no. 17 from Bk 1 of TWTC for Grade 8