J. S. Bach

George B. Stauffer is Distinguished Professor of Music History and Dean Emeritus of the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. He is well known for his writings on the music and culture of the Baroque Era and the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach, in particular. He has written or edited eight books, including Bach: The Mass in B Minor and The World of Baroque Music, and he has contributed numerous articles to American, European, and Asian journals. He has also written pieces for The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, and The Weekly Standard. Stauffer has held Guggenheim, Fulbright, ACLS, IREX, and Bogliasco fellowships, and he is a frequent speaker at Bach festivals, concert halls, and universities in the United States and abroad. A past President of the American Bach Society, Stauffer is General Editor of the Leupold Edition of The Complete Organ Works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

• PrefaceAbbreviations and Terms Introduction: The World of Bach's Organ MusicCentral German Music Culture ~ Grandest Machine of All ~ Transmission of Bach's Organ Works Part I - Learning the Craft: Eisenach, Ohrdruf, Lüneburg, and Weimar (1685-1703) 1 - The Young BachEisenach ~ Ohrdruf ~ Lüneburg ~ Weimar2 - Study and Models Ohrdruf: Johann Christoph Bach and Thuringian Circles ~ Lüneburg: Georg Böhm and North German Circles 3 - Initial Efforts Neumeister Chorales ~ Free Works Part II - The "First Fruits": Arnstadt and Mühlhausen (1703-1708) 4 - Bach in Arnstadt and MühlhausenOrganist at the New Church ~ Lübeck Pilgrimage ~ Organist at St. Blasius's Church5 - Chorale-based WorksChorale Settings ~ Chorale Partitas6 - Free Works Multi-sectional Praeludia ~ Prelude-Fugue Pairs ~ Independent Fugues ~ Unica Part III - "The Golden Years": Weimar (1708-1717) 7 - Bach in Weimar Organist and Chamber Musician at the Weimar Court ~ Chapel Organ and Other Instruments ~ New Connections, New Influences ~ Eclectic Blends and Hybrid Forms8 - The Orgel-Büchlein Compositional History ~ Function in Weimar ~ Musical Style: Melody Chorales, Canonic Chorales, Florid-Melody Chorales, Unique Settings9 - Concerto Transcriptions Incomparable Things ~ Challenges of Transcription Process ~ The Music: Vivaldi Transcriptions, Johann Ernst Transcriptions ~ Bach versus Vivaldi10 - Large Chorale Settings Fore-Imitation Settings ~ Florid-Melody Settings ~ Chorale Trios ~ Cantus Firmus Settings ~ Eclectic Blends ~ Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig11 - Small Chorale Settings Miscellaneous Manual Works ~ Chorale Fughettas ~ Congregational Accompaniment: Figured-Bass and Interlude Settings12 - Free Works: Prelude-Fugue Pairs Prelude and Fugue Ideal ~ Modification of North German and French Idioms ~ Adoption of Italian Concerto Principles13 - Free Works: Independent Fugues and Singular Pieces Independent Fugues ~ Experimental Forms ~ The Great Passacaglia Part IV - The Organist as Capellmeister: Cöthen (1717-1723) 14 - Bach in Cöthen Capellmeister at the Cöthen Court ~ Repertory ~ New Stylistic Developments ~ Organ Inspections and Performances15 - Organ Teacher, Consultant, and Recitalist Didactic Works ~ Organ Pedagogue ~ Organ Examiner and Consultant ~ Organ Recitalist16 - Bach's Art of Registration The German Tradition ~ Full Organ ~ All the Remaining Diverse Variations ~ Hymn Accompaniment ~ Particular Stops and Combinations Part V - The Grand Synthesis: Leipzig (1723-1750) 17 - Bach in LeipzigSt. Thomas Cantor and Director of Music ~ Fusion of Styles ~ New Role of Revision and Recycling ~ Central German Organ18 - Cantata and Passion Movements with Obbligato Organ and Miscellaneous Trios Obbligato Organ Repertory ~ Performance Considerations ~ Musical Style ~ Trio Transcriptions and Compositions ~ Function of the Pieces ~ Stylistic Aspects19 - Six Sonatas The Genesis of the Collection ~ Pedagogical Use ~ Musical Style ~ Performance Issues ~ Postscript20 - Free Works: Prelude and Fugues An Unorthodox Transcription ~ Four Monumental Works21 - Free Works: Singular Pieces Singular Pieces ~ Prelude and Fugues: Final Directions22 - Clavier-Übung III The Clavier-Übung Series ~ Genesis of the Original Print ~ The Music ~ Structure of the Collection ~ Duets ~ Reception of the Music23 - Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her" The Canonic Variations Project ~ The Music ~ Organizational Schemes 24 - The Schübler Chorales The Problematic Original Print ~ Hand-Corrected Copies ~ The Music ~ Structure of the Collection ~ Significance of the Settings25 - Nineteen Large Chorales of Various Kinds The Leipzig Chorale Portfolio ~ Why These Settings? ~ The Revisions ~ Unanswered Questions ~ Search for Perfection Appendix: Three Central German Organs, specifications

George Stauffer takes us on a compelling journey through Bach's life and the organs he played, providing a rich and fascinating context for his organ music. The author discusses each work, incorporating information from recent discoveries that broaden our understanding of how the iconic compositions were disseminated and performed. Stauffer's study is a must-read for anyone interested in Bach's music for the organ!