Bach: The Master of the Baroque
The BWV System
Sorting Bach
Bach almost wrote too much music to properly keep track of!
We now use a system called the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (Bach Work Catalogue) which has sorted and re-categorized ALL of Bach’s compositions in a numbered series!
The first edition of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis was published in 1950. It allocated a unique number to every known composition by Bach. Wolfgang Schmieder, the editor of that catalogue, grouped the compositions by genre:
Cantatas BWV 1-224
Motets BWV 225-231
Masses, Magnificats, Mass Movements BWV 232-243
Passions, Oratorios BWV 244-249
4-Part Chorales BWV 250-438
Songs and arias BWV 439-524
Works for Organ BWV 525-771
Keyboard Compositions BWV 772-994
Lute Compositions
Chamber Music
Works for Orchestra
Canons
Musical Offering, Art of the Fugue BWV1079-1080
Bach the Organist
While you will find the majority of Bach’s vocal music catagorized in the BWV system from 1-524, many of Bach’s most well known works can be found in higher numbers with his catalogue of music for organ. Due to their incredibly technically demanding flourishes and complex structures, these pieces are standard for organists of all levels training all over the world!
Bach’s Organ Works
This collection is largely available because of the incredible work being done by The Netherlands Bach Society in their project “ALL OF BACH” which aims to record professional 4k video performances of every note ever penned by JS Bach.