The Musikalisches Opfer is a special collection of chamber music within the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, written for Frederick the Great of Prussia. Musikalisches Opfer means ‘a musical offering’, and that is precisely how the collection originated. It all started in May 1747, when Bach went to Potsdam to visit his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, who was working at the court of Frederick the Great. Bach was introduced to Frederick, who had heard that Bach was a great improviser and asked him on the spot to improvise a fugue on a given theme (undoubtedly a first shot at the Ricercar a 3). According to the sources, Bach made a brilliant job of it and showed such enthusiasm about the ‘royal theme’ that he promised to have the fugue engraved ‘on copper’ and printed.
No sooner said than done. Two months later, Bach published a series of compositions: a trio sonata, a three-part and a six-part ricercar and ten canons, all inspired by the king’s theme. Frederick was sent a splendid luxury print and Bach distributed his masterpiece among his friends, despite the high costs of printing. Incidentally, Bach himself did not call the collection Musikalisches Opfer, but rather Regis Iussu Cantio Et Reliqua Canonica Arte Resoluta (the theme given by the king, with additions, resolved in canonic style). The initials of this long title form the term ricercar, a name used at the time for an instrumental piece in which various themes are introduced and imitated.
The title Ricercar can be interpreted in two ways: either simply as a notated improvisation or as a response to the question of what is permitted by a fugue. Because the two ricercars in the Opfer could hardly be more different to one another: one in galant style with almost un-Bachian interludes (this Ricercar a 3) versus the other one in accordance with the very strictest counterpoint (Ricercar a 6: [ Ссылка ]). Yet essentially, they are simple fugues, where Bach composes mainly ‘around’ the curious theme, rather than ‘with’ it.
Recorded for the project All of Bach on July 6th 2020 at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. If you want to help us complete All of Bach, please subscribe to our channel [ Ссылка ] and consider donating [ Ссылка ].
We thank MWH4impact foundation for their generous support of this recording. MWH4impact aims to achieve social and cultural impact and joins the Netherlands Bach Society in their mission Bach for All. This version of the Musikalisches Opfer demonstrates the impact of innovation on our musical experience. It’s a work of art that matches the goals of MWH4impact.
For the complete playlist of The Musical Offering BWV 1079 go to [ Ссылка ]
For more information on BWV 1079 and this production go to [ Ссылка ]
All of Bach is a project of the Netherlands Bach Society / Nederlandse Bachvereniging, offering high-quality film recordings of the works by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by the Netherlands Bach Society and its guest musicians. Visit our free online treasury for more videos and background material [ Ссылка ]. For concert dates and further information go to [ Ссылка ].
Leo van Doeselaar, fortepiano
Instrument (fortepiano): Thomas and Barbara Wolf, 1997/1998 after Gottfried Silbermann, 1746
