Fantasia in G major, BWV 572

The Fantasia or Pièce d'Orgue (organ piece) in G major, BWV 572, is a composition for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach.

No autograph of BWV 572 survives. The earliest extant manuscript copies of the piece originated in the 1710s (early version) and 1720s (revised version). The piece was most likely composed in the early years of Bach's tenure at Weimar (1708–1717). The revised version must have been completed at least half a year before Bach moved from Köthen to Leipzig in the spring of 1723.

History

Front page of the 1845-1855 C. F. Peters publication of Bach's organ works edited by Griepenkerl and Roitzsch: its 4th volume contains BWV 572.[1]

An early version of BWV 572 was copied by Johann Gottfried Walther.[2][3] The title page of Walther's manuscript reads Piece d'Orgue | di | Giov: Sebast: Bach.[3] This copy probably originated around 1714–1717.[2][4] According to George B. Stauffer, Bach composed this version between 1708 and c. 1712.[2] Also Jean-Claude Zehnder supposes that this version of the piece was composed in Bach's early Weimar years, while he also mentions Siegbert Rampe's contention that it may have been composed somewhat later.[5] The earliest extant copies of Bach's revised version date from the 1720s.[4][5][6][7] Also these manuscripts carry the title Piece d'Orgue.[4][6][7] The oldest extant copy of the revised version was written by a Köthen pupil late 1722, around half a year before Bach moved to Leipzig.[5] A lost manuscript, which served for the publication of the piece in 1846, was, according to Peter Williams, likely titled Fantasia.[4][1] Philipp Spitta, naming the work Fantasia in the 1873 first volume of his Bach-biography, considered it more Buxtehude-like than any other composition by Bach.[8] The Bach Gesellschaft published the piece as Fantasie in 1891.[9] A century later, the New Bach Edition returned to the name found in the early manuscripts, i.e. Pièce d'Orgue.[10] Breitkopf's 21st-century new Urtext edition also uses this name for BWV 572.[5]

Most printed editions entitle it a Fantasia, but there is little suggestion of improvisation, particularly of the main, central movement. Many recitalists refer to it in their programmes as "Piece d'Orgue", its title in all the contemporary copies; but this also seems misleading, as (as Peter Williams notes) there is little French about the music except, possibly, the use of ninths in the style of de Grigny. A more accurate title might be a Toccata, as its structure is identical to that of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, with a Toccata leading on to a central contrapuntal section that in turn leads on to a coda.

Structure

The piece starts in compound quadruple meter (12
8). This movement is very dynamic and cheerful, and features complete absence of the pedal. The youthful vigor and digital dexterity of the opening movement leads seamlessly into the contrapuntal central section which features five voices. In contrast to the first movement, it employs the entire range of the instrument. The dense texture of the movement makes it more idiomatic for the instrument and more typical for Bach. The movement uses long held chords to great effect, creating a distinctly Baroque atmosphere (a similar use of chords appears at the beginning of the six sequences in the Fantasia in G minor, BWV 542).

The contrapuntal section fails to resolve back to its key chord, and instead leads into a coda which shows close similarities to the final line of BWV 565, Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor.

Reception

Recordings

Recordings of Fantasia/Pièce d'Orgue BWV 572
Year Performer Organ Issued
1987 Leo van Doeselaar Sint-Laurenskerk, Alkmaar, Netherlands Brilliant Classics CD 99759/1
1989 Hans Fagius Kristine Church, Falun, Sweden Brilliant Classics CD 99381/5

Arrangements

The central movement has been arranged to wind ensemble by Richard Goldman and Robert Leist, and to an ensemble of viols. The entire piece has been arranged to piano and flute.

References

  1. 1 2 Friedrich Konrad Griepenkerl and Ferdinand August Roitzsch (editors). Johann Sebastian Bach's Compositionen für die Orgel: Kritisch-korrecte Ausgabe, Vol. 4. Leipzig: C. F. Peters, [1846]
  2. 1 2 3 BWV2a (1998), p. 326
  3. 1 2 Mus.ms. Bach P 801 (5) at Berlin State Library website (D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 801, Fascicle 5 at Bach Digital website; RISM No. 467300222)
  4. 1 2 3 4 Peter Williams. "BWV 572 Pièce d'Orgue ('Fantasia') in G Major", pp. 166–170 in The Organ Music of J. S. Bach. Cambridge University Press, 2003. ISBN 0521891159
  5. 1 2 3 4 Jean-Claude Zehnder (editor). Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Organ Works – Breitkopf Urtext: New Edition in 10 Volumes, Vol. 4: Toccatas and Fugues / Individual Works. Breitkopf, 2011. ISMN 979-0-004-18375-5. Introduction pp. 16–19 and 23; Commentary pp. 1 and 12–13; Score pp. 142–157 and CD-ROM (§6)
  6. 1 2 Mus.ms. Bach P 1092 at Berlin State Library website (D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 1092 at Bach Digital website; RISM No. 467301054)
  7. 1 2 Mus.ms. Bach P 288 (2a) at Berlin State Library website (D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 288, Fascicle 2 at Bach Digital website; RISM No. 467300107)
  8. ↑ Spitta's Johann Sebastian Bach. Vol. I (1873), p. 319 (English translation: Vol. I, p. 322)
  9. ↑ Ernst Naumann (editor). "X. Fantasie G-dur", pp. 75–83 in Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (BGA), Vol. 38: Joh. Seb. Bach's Orgelwerke – Dritter Band. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1891. (Preface pp. XIII–XIV and XXVI–XXVIII)
  10. ↑ Dietrich Kilian (editor). New Bach Edition (NBE), Series IV: Organ Works, Vol. 7: Six Sonatas and Various Individual Pieces. Bärenreiter, 1984 (Score) and 1988 (Critical Commentary)
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