Books, bibliography and recordings

 


Editions of the four part chorales.

The Complete Cantatas
by Johann Sebastian Bach, Barenreiter 2007; Catalog number TP 2004
Note: The complete NBA cantatas in an affordable, 19 volume paperback set. It is beautiful.
Each volume has its own ISMN number.
 
J.S. Bach Four Part Chorales
by Johann Sebastian Bach, Imre Sulyok (Editor), Editio Musica Budapest 1982
Note: Old Bach Work Edition
 
Bach Chorales from the C.P.E.Bach Collection
by Johann Sebastian Bach, Frieder Rempp (Editor), Barenreiter 2002; Catalog number 5237
Note: New Bach Work Edition of the 371. Written on grand staff for piano, much more readable than the Riemenschneider edition.
 
Bach 389 Chorales
by Johann Sebastian Bach, Kalmus Edition, Belwin Mills Publishing Corp. Kalmus Catalog K06002.
Note: Old Bach Work Edition, no errors
 
Bach 371 Harmonized Chorales
ed Riemenschneider, G. Schirmer 1941
Note: Old Bach Work Edition, many errors
 
J.S. Bach Complete Church Cantatas (PDFs on CD)
by Johann Sebastian Bach, CD Sheet Music.
Note: Old Bach Work Edition, vocal scores with piano reduction
 
J.S. Bach Complete Keyboard Music and 371 four part chorales (PDFs on CD).
by Johann Sebastian Bach, CD Sheet Music.
Note: This is a digitized Riemenschneider "371".
 


I recommend these recordings of the chorales.

The Complete Organ Music of Johann Sebastian Bach played by Christopher Herrick
Metzler Organs in Switzerland
Hyperion, 1975-1992.   CDS44121/36   (16 CDs).
 
Bach: The Complete Work
Brilliant Classics
2006 release
 

These books may be ordered on line.

 
The Cantatas of J.S. Bach.
Alfred Dürr, Oxford University Press 2005
 
The Organ Music of J.S. Bach, 2nd ed.
Peter Williams, Cambridge University Press 2003
 
Figured Harmony at the Keyboard Part One
by R.O. Morris, Oxford University Press 1968
 
Figured Harmony at the Keyboard Part Two
by R.O. Morris, Oxford University Press 1968
 
101 Chorales Harmonized by Johann Sebastian Bach
by Johann Sebastian Bach, Walter Buszin (Editor), Schmitt, Hall & McCreary, Belwin-Mills Publishing Corp., 1952, SCHBK 9065
 
Cantata No. 140
by Johann Sebastian Bach, Gerhard Herz (Editor), Norton Critical Scores 1972
 
Cantata No. Four
by Johann Sebastian Bach, Gerhard Herz (Editor), Norton Critical Scores 1967
 
The World of the Bach Cantatas: Early Sacred Cantatas
Christoph Wolff, W.W. Norton and Company, New York, NY 1995. ISBN 0-393-04106-9.
 
Analyzing Bach Cantatas
Eric Thomas Chafe, Oxford University Press 2000
 
The New Grove Bach Family
Christoff Wolff, Norton 1997. ISBN 0-393-30354-3.
 
Bach: Essays on His Life and Music
Christoph Wolff, Harvard University Press 1991
 
The New Bach Reader: A Life of Johann Sebastian Bach in Letters and Documents
Hans T. David, Arthur Mendel (Editor), Christoph Wolff (Editor), W W Norton & Co. 1998
 
J.S. Bach (Oxford Composer Companions)
Malcolm Boyd (Editor), John Butt (Editor), Oxford University Press 1999
 
The Cambridge Companion to Bach (Cambridge Companions to Music)
John Butt (Editor), Cambridge University Press 1997
 
The Sacred Choral Music of J.S. Bach: A Handbook
John Butt (Editor), Paraclete Press 1997
 
Bach's Works for Solo Violin: Style, Structure, Performance
Joel Lester, Oxford University Press 1999

 


This set of books may be ordered from the publisher.

Bach Compendium; Analytisch-bibliographisches Repertorium der Werke Johann Sebastian Bach
ed. Hans-Joachim Schulze and Christoph Wolff, Peters, Frankfurt, 1985-1998. ISBN 3-87626-130-9.
This is a newer catalog, in German. Volumes dealing with the vocal music are available now. Volumes related to the instrumental work are promised this year.
It is available from:

C.F. Peters Corporation
373 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
Sales: 212 686 4147
Ask for Frank Billack.



These books may be ordered from Breitkopf and Härtel.

Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Johann Sebastian Bach
ed. Wolfgang Schmieder, Breitkopf and Härtel, Wiesbaden. 1990 ISBN 3-7651-0255-5.
This is a complete catalog, in German, of every piece Bach wrote. The first few measures of each movement of every piece are shown, with words when applicable. Notes about all editions are included (in German), with some indication of origins of the texts.


Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis. Kleine Ausgabe. Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, 2a.)
ed. Wolfgang Schmieder, Breitkopf and Hartel, Wiesbaden. 1998 ISBN 3-7651-0249-0.
This is a complete catalog, in German, of every piece Bach wrote, with abbreviated information. The first few measures of each movement of every piece are shown, with words when applicable. It is updated to include the music added to the catalog since 1990.
 

These books are out of print; they may be found in some libraries.

J.S. Bach: Werke
ed. Bach-Gesellschaft, Leipzig, 1851-1899.
 
The Organ Music Of J.S. Bach, Vol. 1, 2, 3
Peter Williams, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1980.
 
Bach's Chorals Part I the Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Passions and Oratorios
Charles Terry, Cambridge University Press, 1915.
 
Bach's Chorals Part II the Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Cantatas and Motets
Charles Terry, Cambridge University Press, 1917.
 
Bach's Chorals Part III the Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Organ Works
Charles Terry, Cambridge University Press, 1921.
 
J.S. Bach's Four-Part Chorales
Charles Terry, Oxford University Press, 1929.
 
The Bach English-Title Index (Fallen Leaf Reference Books in Music, No 20)
Ray Reeder, Fallen Leaf Press 1993
 
The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide
W. Murray Young, MacFarland & Co., Inc., Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina, 1989. ISBN 0-89950-394-2.

This Website

This web site offers free midi, QT and PDF files of Bach's four-part harmonized chorales. They can be downloaded individually or in complete sets. Be aware that other sites offering files downloaded from this site in the past may not have current updates. Please see Chorale Editions, File Accuracy.

Revision

A new revision has begun. Tenor parts will have a new clef; please read.

The old list of updates and corrections can be found in the Corrections Archive.

 

 

 

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