further reading for Bach's Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor

[mlckitt]

I'm working on Bach's BWV 903, memorize all the notes now, but need to write a program note and prepare for the LRSM. It seems that our history didn't say much about the background about this piece and why it was called a 'chromatic fantasy'--at least I haven't found the source....


is there anyone who can suggest some readings for me?  Just a few pages in a huge book is helpful enough.


Thanks!!   

[ramseytheii]

Usually biographies of a composer will have discussion on the origin and context of their well-known pieces.  Just get a bunch of biographies of Bach and look in the index.

Walter Ramsey

[mlckitt]

thanks.

I'm reading Peter Williams, J.S. Bach A Life in Music, but I couldn't find anything concreted about the BWV 903. There are words like 'Chromatic Fantasia' in the index but those aren't the right thing I was looking for. I've read the Preface of the Wiener Urtext of the Chromatic Fantasia, though. It helps a bit, but I think I need to know more.


Is it really difficult to look for background information for this piece?

[dana_minmin]

It happened to me that I have a copy of master thesis relating to this piece.

 

[perfect_pitch]

DAMNIT - I could have used that a year ago... Thanks for the upload though.

Good to read...

[mlckitt]

that's very helpful. i got a better view of the fugue after reading it.

[richard black]

Well, why do _you_ think it's called 'Chromatic' Fantasy and Fugue?

[etude12]

I'm sorry to state the obvious, but LOOK AT THE BLOODY THEMES! Your own analysis should be much more impressive than quotes from other people's texts; point out the themes, talk about chromatic scales then chromaticism in general. Examiners want you to prove that you are a wise musician, not a good researcher. This will aid in the way you play the piece, too, making for a much more mature performance.
After the opening two bars of the fantasia, play each note which falls on a beat (l.h quaver)from bar 7: there you find chromaticism. Look all the way through, look at the chordal/arpeggio progressions: there you find chromaticism. Think of the meaning of "chromatic", think about the relatively mercurial and *hint* COLOURFUL way in which the fantasia was written. Look at the chromatic subject of the fugue. If you really want to impress them, go on about the promotion of equal temperament which was a passion of Bach's, and the innovative use of chromaticism which was still new (due to tuning) and therefore a real shock to the ears at that time.
Basically, "Chromatic" is in the title because it is a very dominant feature of the piece; many pieces have tags due to an aural likeness to another feature, such as selected etudes by Chopin being tagged "Harp", "Sunlight" and "Winter Wind", which have been coined anonymously, and eventually become increasingly common.