Book for Analyzing Inventions

[ridr27]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a book on Analyzing Inventions?

Preferably something basic to give students?

Thank you all in advance......!!

ridr27

[bernhard]

The only book I know that analyses the inventions is:

An Analytical survey of the fifteen two-part inventions by JS Bach
Theodore O. Johnson

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0819125830/qid=1109180070/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-7060963-7179306?v=glance&s=books


It is not exactly basic but it is not terribly advanced either.

See replies # 17, #29, and #57 on this thread:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2714.msg23310.html#msg23310
(how to teach invention no. 1)


And these threads may also interest you:
 

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4736.0.html
(invention 4 – comparison with chess game and Escher)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,1911.msg14853.html#msg14853
(Invention no. 8 – relative difficulty of the inventions – progressive order of Bach’s keyboard works – CD  recommendations)


https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,3187.msg27993.html#msg27993
(order of difficulty of the inventions)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4736.msg44774.html#msg44774
(how to play inventions – Escher picture – Example: Invention 4 – Analogy with the game of chess)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5055.msg48120.html#msg48120
(fingering for sinfonia no. 9)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5143.msg49995.html#msg49995
(Inventions and sinfonias: Bach’s pedagogical order of difficulty)

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,7857.msg78912.html#msg78912
(ornamentation and inventions – general discussion on ornamentation)

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,7246.msg72307.html#msg72307
(how to outline invention 14)

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,8015.msg81149.html#msg81149
(ornamentation of invention no. 1)

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,10304.msg106137.html#msg106137
(Analysis of invention no. 10)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[robertp]

You and your students will learn far more from Bernhard's links than from that book. It is more about fine structure, with very little on harmonic analysis.  Same author also did one of the 3 Part Inventions. Same comments apply. There's a general dearth of writing on the works. Any number of books and articles will mention them, but I've yet to find a book or article that really gets into all of them. Pity.

[ridr27]

Bernhard:  Thank you and double thank you!

Robertp I agree with you.  There seems to be a great lack of information available.
I hope Bernhard eventually will publish some books.
Bernhard  you can make money!

Meantime I am going to read those links.

ridr27

[kazoo]

Kent Kennan´s book "Counterpoint"

[wenat]

Thanks to Bernhard too!  Was browsing through and looking for help on teaching the inventions as well.  I agree with ridr27 you should publish a book.  I've been through a number of your threads and found them enlightening.