A major work by Bach

[steinwayguy]

I need a major work by Bach, excluding the Well-Tempered Clavier, for a competition in April. I will have extremely limited time to prepare it, so it needs to be on the easier side, and I don't really know anything about the French Suites, English Suites, partitas etc. Thanks!

[Goldberg]

Look into the French Suites for sure! Personally, I recommend the Eb major one (no. 4) or the G major one (no. 5). I think the first two, in D and C minor respectively, are probably the most popular, not like that makes much difference.

There is also a very wicked piece I have which may or may not be accepted as Bach, called "Concerto in D minor after Alessandro Marcello." It happens to be on the first volume of Gould's recording of the Bach keyboard concerti, and really is a fantastic, and amazingly obscure (as far as I can tell) piece--and, yes, it's a "concerto" but for solo keyboard, similar to the Italian Concerto.

There is also the famous e minor toccata, which is always a great one to hear.

[contrapunctus]

Contrapunctus I of the Art of the Fugue

[pianonut]

bach-busoni organ transcriptions are beautiful, but not sure if you can have a transcription in a competition.  i like to hear the fuller bass sounds coming from the piano, and not just middle range of keyboard.

[pseudopianist]

Contrapunctus I of the Art of the Fugue

I agree to the fullest.

Otherwise I would like mentioned before recomend the forth and the fifth french suites and maybe the first english suite <3

[teresa_b]

What about the Italian Concerto?

Teresa

[iceman]

I personally wouldn't say that the Italian Concerto is a "major work". But i guess if its played well it should be good!

[sharon_f]

I personally wouldn't say that the Italian Concerto is a "major work". But i guess if its played well it should be good!

Actually the Italian Concerto is generally considered a "major work" of Bach, along with the Toccattas, Partitas, French Overture, Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue and Goldberg Variations. The suites are usually grouped by themselves, with the French considered lesser (at least in terms of difficulty) than the English. If you are going to learn one of the suites, my favorite is the French Sixth Suite in E major.

[musicsdarkangel]

I personally would learn the Italian Concerto.


It's one of his best IMO, and a blast to play.


I did the first movement when I was younger, it wasn't bad at all.

[vaiva]

hm... i suggest the first partita in B, but actually it would be easier to advise if you would tell the duration of the piece you need.

good luck:)

[aajjmb]

iw as about to say chromatic fantasy and fuge...

[dancingfingers]

2nd partita is beautiful (and more concise than the others)

[mlsmithz]

The Italian Concerto is a wonderful piece, and rather accessible (although most performers take the first and third movements too quickly, be wary of that if you try this one - there's a lot going on in those movements that gets lost in a fast performance).  The English Suites are, by and large, longer and perhaps more substantial than the French Suites, but both are terrific sets of pieces.  The English Suite No.5, in E minor, is probably my personal favourite, but No.2 in A minor is perhaps the most popular (if only because of its prelude with its spiky main subject - that said, the E minor suite also has a prelude with a spiky main subject).  Hard to go wrong with any of those; you could learn any of them by April (though with the English Suites be prepared to spend almost as much time on the Preludes as on the other movements put together!).

[danyal]

2nd partita is beautiful (and more concise than the others)

I entirely agree... (although I've been told that the Simfonia out of it, is one of Bach's hardest keyboard works). Otherwise go for the English suite no 2. Easier than the Partita and very very beautiful.

[nanabush]

Italian Concerto or Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, both sound incredible and ya are considered major works.