Tilman Hoppstock

Bach’s lute worksfrom the guitarist’s view

Vol. 1

Suites BWV 995 / 996

Dear Mr. Hoppstock,

I read your text on Bach’s music for lute with great interest. I wish your

publication all the success it deserves and hope that numerous guitarists

will occupy themselves with the content of this meticulously written book.

With admiration for your accomplished effort and best wishes,

Yours

Gustav Leonhardt Amsterdam, 2nd April 2009

Comment by Gustav Leonhardt

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Note from Gustav Leonhardt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Brief digression on Bach’s ornamentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Tempo relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

SUITE BWV 995

History of origins - General remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43The model: version for cello - The lute version - The lute tablature -Instrumentation - The suite on the guitar - Musical editions - Further arrangements

Prélude (first part) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Short summary - The bass notes - Verticalisation of thirds - Slurs or campanella - What is the correct

tempo? - Ornamentation and rhythmic notation - rests - Final chord/ initial chord?

Prélude (Tres Viste) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62The theme - A fugue or not a fugue?/ Polyphony - The cello version -Brief analysis - Attempt at a Fugue - Rhythmic deviation

Allemande . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Charakter/rhythm/cello version - The dramaturgy in harmony and structure -Allemande as recitative - Polyphony - Articulation/Legato playing - Questions of transcription

Courante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104The Harmony - Melody and articulation - The cello version - The Tablature - Charakter and tempo - Ornaments

Sarabande . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Types of Sarabande - A harmonic cosmos - Movement structure and notation - Dynamic and legato playing - The rests - Articulation - Fingerings

Gavotte I & II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126General remarks - Pairung - Character and tempo -

Gavotte I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Harmony and structure - Articulation and polyphony - The Cello version - Transcription and reading - ornaments

Gavotte II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Charakter - Technique of structure/articulation/cello version - Harmony - Transcription/Fingings - ornaments

Gigue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144Harmony and segmentation - The cello version - Articulation and tempo -Polyphony - The Tablature - Transcription and reading

Tempo relations (BWV 995) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

CONTENTS4

Appoggiaturas (passing notes) with falling thirds

In all Baroque instructive textbooks, the possibility of filling the space between falling thirds orsequences of thirds with appoggiaturas is frequently mentioned. Passing notes can also be insertedbetween individual thirds for a more expressive character. The execution of the rhythmical insertiondepends on the context of the melody notes. In his book “Bach Interpretation” (5, p. 438), Paul Badu-ra-Skoda illustrates a wonderful example of Bach’s fantasy and flexibility with the aid of two versi-ons of the well-known Invention BWV 772:

Invention C major BWV 772 (early version):

Invention C major BWV 772a (last version):

Bar 23 in the intabulated version of the Sarabande from the Suite BWV 997 displays a similar variant:

(copy by Kirnberger + Agricola): (Intabulation by Weyrauch):

In bar 91 of the Gavotte en Rondeaux from the Suite BWV 1006a, the composer notates instead ofa simple version...

...a ‘tripletisation’ of the thirds:

The bars 1 to 8 (i.e. the rondo theme) – occasionally slightly varied – appear a total of six times. There isno reason why a little imagination would be out of place here.

Gavotte en Rondeaux from BWV 1006a, bar 3 (autograph):

Possible variants:

V # c ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œm œ

Ó ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

m œœ œ Œ ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

V # c ≈ œ œ œ3œ œ œ 3œ œ œ œ œ œ

m œÓ ≈ œ œ œ

3

œ œ œ3

œ œ œœ œ œ œ

3œ œ œ 3œ œ œ œ œ œm œ

œ œ Œ ≈ œ œ œ3

œ œ œ3

œ œ œ

œ œ# œ# œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœœœœ

œ œ# œ# œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ(8)

œ(8)

œ(8)

œŒœ

œ œ# œ œ‹ œ œ œ œ œ#œ Œ œ Œ jœ# ˙̇

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ˙ œ œœ œ˙

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ3œ œ œ 3œ œ œ˙ œ œ

œ œ# œ œ‹ œ 3œ œ œ 3œ œ œ#œ Œ œ Œ jœ# ˙̇

Bach’s ornamentation34

BWV 995 - Prélude52

V

V

c

C

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ˙ ˙̇#

œ œ œ œ# œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .œ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ

œœ œ œ œ œ#˙̇ œœœ# œœœn

˙ œ œ œ œ œ .œ Jœ ˙#

V

V

3 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ#˙̇̇ ˙̇˙ .œ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ .œ œ .œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ˙̇̇ œœ œœ#˙ œ œ œ œ œ .œ œ ..œœ# œ œ .œ œ .œ œ

V

V

5 œ œ œ œœ# œ# œ œ˙̇̇ ˙̇.œ œ œ œ œ .œ Jœ œ œ œ œ# œ# œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ# œ œ œ œ# œ˙

œœ

œœ

.œ Jœ .œ œ œ .œ# œ ..œœ# œ œ .œ œ .œ œ

Prélude - Linear Structure

d A d E

a E e H E a

a E a E A

A minor

(D minor) A minor

E major/E minor

additional tension because of change between E major and E minor

HARMONIC FIELDS

SEQUENCE FIELD

chords:

5

9

E major/E minor

1

BWV 995 - Prélude 61

instrument through greater attention to the damping of the bass notes. As an exercise, I recommendimagining the movement at double the speed. If the bass notes are sung in accompaniment, thepulse-like structure of the movement becomes clear; emphases on the relevant first beats of the barare more perceptible, above all if there is a delayed bass note in the lower octave on the secondcrotchet beat of a bar (bars 7, 9, 10, 12-14, 16-19, 21 and 22). The prolongation of the note (seeabove example, bars 10 and 12) would in contrast weaken the principle beat of the bar.

I do however not advocate that all bass notes notated as a crotchet should actually be playeddogmatically short: there is also a certain degree of tolerance (perhaps up to a quaver value,dependent on the underlying tempo). The damping of the bass notes should be performed morein the manner of a fade-out.

This method of notation is in no way instrument-specific in Bach’s music. It would however beinteresting to speculate whether he would have notated this movement differently for organ, as inthis case the abrupt damping of the bass notes would be extremely conspicuous and perhaps evendistracting. I also think that the pulsating element of heavy/light beats would not be particularlyreconcilable with the somewhat static tone of the organ. Let us therefore imagine that the composerhad in this case actually notated the pedal points as long sustained notes and also “extended” all thenotes of chords to produce a completely different tonal quality more suited to the tonal qualities ofthe instrument. The following musical example (bars 1-14) of a fictive version for organ presents uswith the Prélude as an expansive monumental tonal architecture in which the harmonic cosmossomewhat eclipses the gestural aspect of the versions for cello or lute:

I am entirely convinced that Bach has always attempted to provide a guideline for the interpretation ofhis works through the notation of note values and rests. In the case of the introduction to the Prélude,this undoubtedly gives rise to interesting opportunities for discussion generating a variety of opinions.

Final chord – initial chord?

Should the E major chord which is already included in 3/8 time be considered as the final chord ofthe introduction or the beginning of the next section? “Mr. Authentic” (I am borrowing this figurefrom Anner Bylsma’s book “Bach, the fencing master...”) would perhaps in this case tend towardsthe latter. According to the Baroque sense of taste, the so-called transition chords which frequentlyform both the culmination and beginning of the next section are customarily oriented towards thesubsequent phrase. In the case of this Suite, it is hard to make a decision, as this type of chord divi-des not merely a single thought but also the complete half of a movement. According to this premi-se, it is advisable to give the principle beat slightly less accentuation, but to play it in the new tempoof the Tres-Viste section. This permits the retention of a certain degree of finality at the end of theintroduction but also provides new momentum for the upbeat of the new section.

4 &?

?

#

#

#

C

C

C

œ œ œ œ# œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ∑∑w

∑

.œ jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ..˙̇ Œw#w

∑

˙ œM œ œ œ œ˙ Óww

Œ .˙

.œ jœ ˙#˙# œn œ œ œ œ∑w

w

˙ .œ jœ˙ ˙Ó ˙w

Œ .˙

œ œ œ œ œ .œ œ .œ œ˙ ˙#ww

Œ .˙

This fairly inconspicuous set of parallels is however not comparable with two passages in theTres viste movement; what we see there is Bach at his most idiosyncratic. These two passagesare structurally identical: bars 81/82 and 109/110. As they display such great similarity, we willfocus exclusively on the bars 81/82. First of all, here is the version for cello, followed by itsdissected polyphonic “translation”:

Cello, ab Takt 80:

Cello, from bar 80 (dissected structure): :

Here we can recognise that the foundations for bass line as the basis for the harmony had alrea-dy been laid down in the version for cello. Now we will observe what Bach does with the ver-sion for lute and notice, ...

Lute, from bar 80(original version):

... that the already existing bass structure in the cello version has been doubled here. This is extre-mely uncommon! Something quite different would perhaps have been anticipated from a compa-rison with other endings customarily utilised by Bach. Here are three fictitious examples:

From bar 80,fictive ending a):

tr.

From bar 80,fictive ending b):

From bar 80,fictive ending c):

BWV 995 - Tres Viste 71

œ# œ œ œ œ# œ œ# œ# œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ

œ# œ œ œ œ# œ œ# œ# œ# œ‰ .œ œ œ œ ‰ œ#

.œ œ œ œ

œ# œ œ œ œ# œœ œ œ

œ# œ# œ œ# œ œJœ ‰ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ#

œ œ œœœœœ

œ# œ œ œ œ# œœ œ œ

œ# œ# œ œ# œœ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ# œ#

œ œ œ œœœœœ

œ# œ œ œ œ# œœ œ œ

œ# œ# œ œ# œœ ‰ ≈ œœ œ# .œ œœ#œ œ œ œ

(8)

œœœœ

œ# œ œ œ œ# œœ œ œ

œ# œ# œ œ# œœ ‰ ≈ œ≈ œ œ œ œ# œ#œ œ œ

œœœœ

15

(15)

16m

m

m

BWV 995 - Tres Viste82

&

?

bbb

bbb

83

83

∑

‰ ‰ Jœespressivo

p

FugaAllegro espressivo ∑

œ

q.

œ œ

∑

Jœ°œ*œ œ œ

∑

œ œn œn

∑

jœ°*œ œ œ œ

∑

œ œ œ œ œ°

∑5

œn*œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

&

?

bbb

bbb

8 ∑

œ œ œ œ œ œ

Œ œœœpœ

œ œ œ œ œ°œ

œ œ œn

jœ°*œ œ œ œ

Jœ œ œ œ œ

Jœ°œ#*œ

œ œn œ#

Jœn°œ*œ œ œ

jœ œsenza cresc.

œn œ œ

Jœ°œ*œn

œn œ œ œ œ œ

œ# œn œ

&

?

bbb

bbb

15

œ# œ œ œ œ œnœ œ œ#

°

œsempre

œ œnpœ œ œJœ œ

jœœ°œn œ#*

&

œ œ œ œ œ œJœjœ-

°œ*œ œ œœ œn?

œn œ œ œ œ œjœ°œ œn*Jœ &

œ œ œ œ œ œjœ-

°œ*œ œ œœ œn?

&

?

bbb

bbb

20

œ œ œ œ œ œjœ°œ œJœ & ?

jœ

° *

œ œœ œœ œ œ œjœœ

jœ-œ œ œ œ œ œ

Jœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ ?

œœn

Jœ°œ*œ œ œ

œn œ œ œ œ œJœn &

Jœ°œœnn°œœnn°

&

?

bbb

bbb

25 ‰ œ œ œ œJœœ .œ° °

œ œ œ œ œ œJœœœ œ.œ

° * °

jœ œ œ œ œœ œ œn

œn œ œ*œ œ°œ.œ

°

jœ œœn œœnJœ œ œ œ œnœ°œ œ*œ œ°œJœ œ

jœœœ œ œ œ œ œœ œjœœ°œ*œ œ œ

( = 44 - 48)

Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) pulls out all the stops of pianistic virtuosity in his version ofthe fugue. The second entry of the theme is already answered by a thematic counterpoint instretto and Bach’s original third entry (bars 21/22) is made to seem like a fourth voice due tothe prior insertion of an additional entry (bars 15/16). The movement subsequently developsinto a Neo-Romantic display of fireworks.

Leopold Godowsky, Allegro espressivo (Tres viste) from the Suite BWV 1011:

19

BWV 996 - Preludio (Passaggio)180

&&BB?

&

&?

#####

#

##

9 ‰ ≈ Jœ#f.œ œ œ Œ

‰ ≈ Jœf.œ œ œ Œ

‰ ≈ Jœf.œ œ œ

‰ ≈ Jœf.œ œ œ Œ

‰ ≈ Jœ .œ œ œ Œ

.jœ# j̊œfOralio

.jœ j̊œ œQuindalinda

œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œtun? So geh hin fort! Nie

‰ ≈ j̊œœœ# ...œœœ œœœ œœœ Œ‰ ≈ j̊œœ ..œœ œœ œœ Œ

‰ ≈ Jœ .œ œ œ# Œ‰ ≈ Jœ .œ œ œ Œ‰ ≈ Jœ .œ œ œ Œ‰ ≈ j̊œ# .œ œ œ Œ‰ ≈ j̊œ# .œ œ œ Œ.Jœ Jœ

Oralio.Jœ Jœ œ# j̊̊œQuindalinda

œ œ# œ œ œn œ œ œ! So geh hin fort! Ich wei che

‰ ≈ j̊œœ ..œœ œœ œœ# Œ≈ ‰ j̊œœœ# ...œœœ œœœ œœœ# Œ

- - -

&&BB?

&

&?

#####

#

##

11 Œ Ó ® œn"

Vivace

fœ œ

‰ ≈ j̊œF.œ œ œ Jœ ‰

‰ ≈ JœF.œ œ œ Jœ ‰

‰ ≈ j̊œF .œ œ œ jœ ‰‰ ≈ j̊œF .œ œ œ jœ ‰

.jœnicht!

JœF

Più Lento

OralioPiù Lento.Jœn Jœ œ# Jœ ‰So tu es doch .

∑∑

.œ# œ œ .œ#m œ Jœ ‰Molto AdagioŒ

jœf ‰ ‰ jœ œ ŒJœf‰ ‰ Jœ œ Œ

jœf‰ ‰ jœ œ Œ

jœf‰ ‰ jœ œ Œ

Œ Œ ‰ ® JœMolto Adagio

p dolce

QuindalindaJœn Jœ jœ .Jœ Jœ

achwüsst ich nur zujœœœ# ‰ ‰ jœœ œœ ŒJœ ‰ ‰ Jœ œ Œ

BWV 996 - Faksimile Gerber280