The 15 Three-Part Sinfonias are presented here for oboe, cor anglais, and bassoon. In their original settings these works appear as etudes within the Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach which Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) created for his son between the years 1720-1726. The 15 Sinfonias serve two purposes: they supply ideas [inventions] for use in composing large-scale movements, while at the same time giving the performer experience in handling three voices at once within in the 15 keys of meantone temperament. They differ from the great run of trio-sonata movements in giving the bass equal play with the two upper voices; usually the bass is merely a harmonic support in this style which is a mainstay of the sonata da chiesa.

These works have been taken from Clavierwerke, Volume 3 of the Bach Gesellschaft Edition of Bach’s Works, and were published in Leipzig in 1853. I have not sought to maintain the restrictions imposed by Baroque instruments on these arrangements; that is to say, the 15 Sinfonias are set up to be played solely on modern instruments with their wider ranges and ability to play in keys which go beyond 2 sharps and 3 flats.

1)    BWV 787 in C Major: The style here is that of the monothematic ricercare without episodes. One ascending motive serves as the basic building block for the entire work: it is often found in inversion.

2)    BWV 788 in C Minor: The 12/8 meter and arpeggiated motion at the start of the motive first heard in the soprano of this sinfonia seem to signal the pastorale. But the pedal points indicative of this style are missing. The movement is a fugue with most- intriguing episodes.

3)    BWV 789 in D Major:  Another ricercare, reminiscent of Dietrich Buxtehude’s procedures, forms the body of this sinfonia.

4)    BWV 790 in D Minor: The walking bass in this work gives this ricercare a special flavor. Likewise, the intense chromaticism heard from time to time is outstanding in such a short composition.

5)    BWV 791 in Eb Major: Sounding very much like one of the reflective ariosos in the Matthew Passion, this movement consists of two highly ornamented voices over a rather static continuo line. I have transcribed the multitude of stenographic ornaments into modern notation.

6)    BWV 792 in E Major: This gigue-fugue contains a ricercare-like subject, just one measure in length. The internal fermata, calls for the improvisation of a cadenza, and I have supplied a typical example.

7)    BWV 793 in E Minor: This wonderful little fugue etude includes a countersubject set in diminished values to the subject. The contour of the countersubject itself is indebted to the kinds of figuration one finds in the toccata of the period. Bach uses both subjects to create his episodic material. One only wishes that this were a much more lengthy work.

8)    BWV 794 in F Major: This ricercare includes a short stretch of canon at the 12th for two voices, but there are also episodes reminiscent of the fugue contained within in its restricted parameters.

9)    BWV 795 in F Minor: Chromaticism permeates this somber fugue. The character of the theme is indicative of the Baroque musical concept of pain. This idea was handed forward to Bach from the madrigalists of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

10)    BWV 796 in G Major: This sinfonia is short fugue with intriguing episodes in which the sequence is explored.

11)    BWV 797 in G Minor: Bach now presents the first ritornello-form sinfonia that is not a fugue. Stile brisé permeates the ritornello itself, whereas the episodes consist of more conventional sequentially-oriented phrases. This is a very beautiful miniature.

12)    BWV 798 in A Major: The subject of this fugue contains interesting toccata-style figuration, and this same figuration permeates the episodes. Unfortunately, due to the rather dry harmonic flow, the work comes off as being quite pedantic. It is said that Wilhelm Friedemann contributed to this set of 15 Sinfoniae, so perhaps he is the composer here.

13)    BWV 799 in A Minor: This fugue packs in a number of musical ideas into a small space. To be sure there are the usual imitative ritornelli, and sequential episodes; but, in addition, Bach makes use of the subject in 3rds against a newly introduced syncopated arpeggiated figure which rises and falls. In fact, the subject itself has a similar contour, but it rises and falls diatonically in augmented values.

14)    BWV 800 in Bb Major: Harmonically weak, this ricercare harks back to a style prevalent in the late the 16th century.

15)    BWV 801 in B Minor: A wonderful fugue with toccata figuration brings the 3-part Sinfonias to an end.