Bach: Chromatic Fantasy

Featuring

Ignacio Prego
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Composer's Artistic Vision

The conceptual plan for the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue BWV 903 was to present a virtuosic piece of the highest level to professional musicians, including Bach himself.

Composition History

The Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor BWV 903 was likely composed in two phases, first around 1720 in Cöthen and then revised in 1730 in Leipzig.

Compositional Technique

The Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue BWV 903 is designed as a contrasting diptych, resolving through the dialectical confrontation between the freedom of the Fantasy and the structural inflexibility of the Fugue.

Composition History

Bach dedicated the Capriccio sopra la lontananza del fratello diletissimo BWV 992 to his older brother Johann Jacob, who was leaving to join the band of King Charles XII of Sweden.

Composition History

Bach's Clavierübung, containing the Partitas BWV 825-830, was published during his lifetime in 1731 as his Opus I, with individual partitas released between 1726 and 1730.

Composition History

Bach likely titled these works 'Partita' to honor Johann Kuhnau, his predecessor at St. Thomas Church, who had successfully published collections of 'partitas' in 1689 and 1692.

Composer's Artistic Vision

A substantial part of Bach's work focuses on harpsichord music, where he innovated the suite form while combining architectural elements like counterpoint with imaginative traits.