J.S. Bach composed his 15 Three-Part Inventions (he actually called them Sinfonias) for keyboard at the same time as their 15 two-part counterparts. They first appear along with the Two-Part Inventions in the 1722 Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann, Bach's then pre-teen son, and then reappear, slightly revised, in an 1723 volume which Bach prefaces with a detailed description of the 30 pieces' instructional purpose. An excerpt: "to play cleanly in two voices...[and] deal correctly with three obbligato voices...but, above all else, to acquire a true cantabile style of playing, and, with it, to get a good foretaste of the art of composition." And instructional these sinfonias are: many is the young piano student who, riding high and triumphant after conquering the Two-Part Inventions, has discovered by moving on to the Three-Part Sinfonias just how truly difficult is the task of mastering that true and beautiful "cantabile style"—and, furthermore and fully in realization of Bach's purpose, as studies in counterpoint, miniature form, and efficient motivic invention they are without equal.

The Three-Part Sinfonias' value, however, like the value of the Two-Part Inventions, goes well beyond simple pedagogy; for, like the Art of the Fugue or the Well-Tempered Clavier, both of which are also superficially instructional in nature, the Sinfonia is as wonderful, beautiful and, frankly, difficult to the expert as it is to the student—and there are not many exercise-books that can claim such.

The 15 sinfonias follow the same order of keys as the 15 inventions (an order similar in kind to that used in the Well-Tempered Clavier, though of course in the WTC there are more keys to explore). Fugal procedure is used very frequently throughout the sinfonias (the most striking case is No. 9 in F minor, a true triple fugue!), and even in the cases where the music unfolds in freer fashion, the opening gesture is invariably one of imitation between the top two voices. Bach chose to limit himself to two pages when composing the inventions and sinfonias so that the student would not need to turn pages, and so the pieces are all on the short side; but they are wealthy miniatures indeed.

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No.1 in C, BWV787

J.S. Bach composed his 15 Three-Part Inventions (he actually called them sinfonias) for keyboard at the same time as their 15 two-part counterparts. They first appear along with the Two-Part Inventions in the 1722 Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann, Bach's then pre-teen son, and then reappear, slightly revised, in an 1723 volume which Bach prefaces with a detailed description of the 30 pieces' instructional purpose. (An excerpt: "to play cleanly in two voices...[and] deal correctly with three obbligato voices...but, above all else, to acquire a true cantabile style of playing, and, with it, to get a good foretaste of the art of composition.") And instructional these sinfonias are: many is the young piano student who, riding high and triumphant after conquering the Two-Part Inventions, has discovered by moving on to the Three-Part Sinfonias just how truly difficult is the task of mastering that true and beautiful "cantabile style"—and, furthermore and fully in realization of Bach's purpose, as studies in counterpoint, miniature form, and efficient motivic invention they are without equal.

The Three-Part Sinfonias' value, however, like the value of the Two-Part Inventions, goes well beyond simple pedagogy; for, like the Art of the Fugue or the Well-Tempered Clavier, both of which are also superficially instructional in nature, the Sinfonia is as wonderful, beautiful and, frankly, difficult to the expert as it is to the student—and there are not many exercise-books that can claim such.

The 15 sinfonias follow the same order of keys as the 15 inventions (an order similar in kind to that used in the Well-Tempered Clavier, though of course in the WTC there are more keys to explore). Fugal procedure is used very frequently throughout the sinfonias (the most striking case is No. 9 in F minor, a true triple fugue!), and even in the cases where the music unfolds in freer fashion, the opening gesture is invariably one of imitation between the top two voices. Bach chose to limit himself to two pages when composing the inventions and sinfonias so that the student would not need to turn pages, and so the pieces are all on the short side; but they are wealthy miniatures indeed.

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No.2 in C-, BWV788

J.S. Bach composed his 15 Three-Part Inventions (he actually called them sinfonias) for keyboard at the same time as their 15 two-part counterparts. They first appear along with the Two-Part Inventions in the 1722 Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann, Bach's then pre-teen son, and then reappear, slightly revised, in an 1723 volume which Bach prefaces with a detailed description of the 30 pieces' instructional purpose. (An excerpt: "to play cleanly in two voices...[and] deal correctly with three obbligato voices...but, above all else, to acquire a true cantabile style of playing, and, with it, to get a good foretaste of the art of composition.") And instructional these sinfonias are: many is the young piano student who, riding high and triumphant after conquering the Two-Part Inventions, has discovered by moving on to the Three-Part Sinfonias just how truly difficult is the task of mastering that true and beautiful "cantabile style"—and, furthermore and fully in realization of Bach's purpose, as studies in counterpoint, miniature form, and efficient motivic invention they are without equal.

The Three-Part Sinfonias' value, however, like the value of the Two-Part Inventions, goes well beyond simple pedagogy; for, like the Art of the Fugue or the Well-Tempered Clavier, both of which are also superficially instructional in nature, the Sinfonia is as wonderful, beautiful and, frankly, difficult to the expert as it is to the student—and there are not many exercise-books that can claim such.

The 15 sinfonias follow the same order of keys as the 15 inventions (an order similar in kind to that used in the Well-Tempered Clavier, though of course in the WTC there are more keys to explore). Fugal procedure is used very frequently throughout the sinfonias (the most striking case is No. 9 in F minor, a true triple fugue!), and even in the cases where the music unfolds in freer fashion, the opening gesture is invariably one of imitation between the top two voices. Bach chose to limit himself to two pages when composing the inventions and sinfonias so that the student would not need to turn pages, and so the pieces are all on the short side; but they are wealthy miniatures indeed.

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No.3 in D, BWV789

J.S. Bach composed his 15 Three-Part Inventions (he actually called them sinfonias) for keyboard at the same time as their 15 two-part counterparts. They first appear along with the Two-Part Inventions in the 1722 Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann, Bach's then pre-teen son, and then reappear, slightly revised, in an 1723 volume which Bach prefaces with a detailed description of the 30 pieces' instructional purpose. (An excerpt: "to play cleanly in two voices...[and] deal correctly with three obbligato voices...but, above all else, to acquire a true cantabile style of playing, and, with it, to get a good foretaste of the art of composition.") And instructional these sinfonias are: many is the young piano student who, riding high and triumphant after conquering the Two-Part Inventions, has discovered by moving on to the Three-Part Sinfonias just how truly difficult is the task of mastering that true and beautiful "cantabile style"—and, furthermore and fully in realization of Bach's purpose, as studies in counterpoint, miniature form, and efficient motivic invention they are without equal.

The Three-Part Sinfonias' value, however, like the value of the Two-Part Inventions, goes well beyond simple pedagogy; for, like the Art of the Fugue or the Well-Tempered Clavier, both of which are also superficially instructional in nature, the Sinfonia is as wonderful, beautiful and, frankly, difficult to the expert as it is to the student—and there are not many exercise-books that can claim such.

The 15 sinfonias follow the same order of keys as the 15 inventions (an order similar in kind to that used in the Well-Tempered Clavier, though of course in the WTC there are more keys to explore). Fugal procedure is used very frequently throughout the sinfonias (the most striking case is No. 9 in F minor, a true triple fugue!), and even in the cases where the music unfolds in freer fashion, the opening gesture is invariably one of imitation between the top two voices. Bach chose to limit himself to two pages when composing the inventions and sinfonias so that the student would not need to turn pages, and so the pieces are all on the short side; but they are wealthy miniatures indeed.

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No.5 in Eb, BWV791

J.S. Bach composed his 15 Three-Part Inventions (he actually called them sinfonias) for keyboard at the same time as their 15 two-part counterparts. They first appear along with the Two-Part Inventions in the 1722 Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann, Bach's then pre-teen son, and then reappear, slightly revised, in an 1723 volume which Bach prefaces with a detailed description of the 30 pieces' instructional purpose. (An excerpt: "to play cleanly in two voices...[and] deal correctly with three obbligato voices...but, above all else, to acquire a true cantabile style of playing, and, with it, to get a good foretaste of the art of composition.") And instructional these sinfonias are: many is the young piano student who, riding high and triumphant after conquering the Two-Part Inventions, has discovered by moving on to the Three-Part Sinfonias just how truly difficult is the task of mastering that true and beautiful "cantabile style"—and, furthermore and fully in realization of Bach's purpose, as studies in counterpoint, miniature form, and efficient motivic invention they are without equal.

The Three-Part Sinfonias' value, however, like the value of the Two-Part Inventions, goes well beyond simple pedagogy; for, like the Art of the Fugue or the Well-Tempered Clavier, both of which are also superficially instructional in nature, the Sinfonia is as wonderful, beautiful and, frankly, difficult to the expert as it is to the student—and there are not many exercise-books that can claim such.

The 15 sinfonias follow the same order of keys as the 15 inventions (an order similar in kind to that used in the Well-Tempered Clavier, though of course in the WTC there are more keys to explore). Fugal procedure is used very frequently throughout the sinfonias (the most striking case is No. 9 in F minor, a true triple fugue!), and even in the cases where the music unfolds in freer fashion, the opening gesture is invariably one of imitation between the top two voices. Bach chose to limit himself to two pages when composing the inventions and sinfonias so that the student would not need to turn pages, and so the pieces are all on the short side; but they are wealthy miniatures indeed.

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No.6 in E, BWV792

Imagine this piece as a sunny landscape of gently rolling, grassy hills—that would correspond to the dominant voice in this sinfonia. Of course, you wouldn't be looking at simply one hill following another left to right across the horizon; other hills in the foreground and background would enrich the visual texture, just as the second and third voices of this sinfonia do, loosely following the pattern of the dominant theme without fully synchronizing with it. Finally, visualize occasional little clumps of trees or brush on the hills' slopes, momentarily breaking the line and adding further depth to the scene. Similarly, Bach's counterpoint sometimes snags on a brief hesitation or blossoms into more chordal writing, but only for a moment.

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No.8 in F, BWV794

J.S. Bach composed his 15 Three-Part Inventions (he actually called them sinfonias) for keyboard at the same time as their 15 two-part counterparts. They first appear along with the Two-Part Inventions in the 1722 Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann, Bach's then pre-teen son, and then reappear, slightly revised, in an 1723 volume which Bach prefaces with a detailed description of the 30 pieces' instructional purpose. (An excerpt: "to play cleanly in two voices...[and] deal correctly with three obbligato voices...but, above all else, to acquire a true cantabile style of playing, and, with it, to get a good foretaste of the art of composition.") And instructional these sinfonias are: many is the young piano student who, riding high and triumphant after conquering the Two-Part Inventions, has discovered by moving on to the Three-Part Sinfonias just how truly difficult is the task of mastering that true and beautiful "cantabile style"—and, furthermore and fully in realization of Bach's purpose, as studies in counterpoint, miniature form, and efficient motivic invention they are without equal.

The Three-Part Sinfonias' value, however, like the value of the Two-Part Inventions, goes well beyond simple pedagogy; for, like the Art of the Fugue or the Well-Tempered Clavier, both of which are also superficially instructional in nature, the Sinfonia is as wonderful, beautiful and, frankly, difficult to the expert as it is to the student—and there are not many exercise-books that can claim such.

The 15 sinfonias follow the same order of keys as the 15 inventions (an order similar in kind to that used in the Well-Tempered Clavier, though of course in the WTC there are more keys to explore). Fugal procedure is used very frequently throughout the sinfonias (the most striking case is No. 9 in F minor, a true triple fugue!), and even in the cases where the music unfolds in freer fashion, the opening gesture is invariably one of imitation between the top two voices. Bach chose to limit himself to two pages when composing the inventions and sinfonias so that the student would not need to turn pages, and so the pieces are all on the short side; but they are wealthy miniatures indeed.

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No.9 in F-, BWV795

J.S. Bach composed his 15 Three-Part Inventions (he actually called them sinfonias) for keyboard at the same time as their 15 two-part counterparts. They first appear along with the Two-Part Inventions in the 1722 Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann, Bach's then pre-teen son, and then reappear, slightly revised, in an 1723 volume which Bach prefaces with a detailed description of the 30 pieces' instructional purpose. (An excerpt: "to play cleanly in two voices...[and] deal correctly with three obbligato voices...but, above all else, to acquire a true cantabile style of playing, and, with it, to get a good foretaste of the art of composition.") And instructional these sinfonias are: many is the young piano student who, riding high and triumphant after conquering the Two-Part Inventions, has discovered by moving on to the Three-Part Sinfonias just how truly difficult is the task of mastering that true and beautiful "cantabile style"—and, furthermore and fully in realization of Bach's purpose, as studies in counterpoint, miniature form, and efficient motivic invention they are without equal.

The Three-Part Sinfonias' value, however, like the value of the Two-Part Inventions, goes well beyond simple pedagogy; for, like the Art of the Fugue or the Well-Tempered Clavier, both of which are also superficially instructional in nature, the Sinfonia is as wonderful, beautiful and, frankly, difficult to the expert as it is to the student—and there are not many exercise-books that can claim such.

The 15 sinfonias follow the same order of keys as the 15 inventions (an order similar in kind to that used in the Well-Tempered Clavier, though of course in the WTC there are more keys to explore). Fugal procedure is used very frequently throughout the sinfonias (the most striking case is No. 9 in F minor, a true triple fugue!), and even in the cases where the music unfolds in freer fashion, the opening gesture is invariably one of imitation between the top two voices. Bach chose to limit himself to two pages when composing the inventions and sinfonias so that the student would not need to turn pages, and so the pieces are all on the short side; but they are wealthy miniatures indeed.

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No.10 in G, BWV796

J.S. Bach composed his 15 Three-Part Inventions (he actually called them sinfonias) for keyboard at the same time as their 15 two-part counterparts. They first appear along with the Two-Part Inventions in the 1722 Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann, Bach's then pre-teen son, and then reappear, slightly revised, in an 1723 volume which Bach prefaces with a detailed description of the 30 pieces' instructional purpose. (An excerpt: "to play cleanly in two voices...[and] deal correctly with three obbligato voices...but, above all else, to acquire a true cantabile style of playing, and, with it, to get a good foretaste of the art of composition.") And instructional these sinfonias are: many is the young piano student who, riding high and triumphant after conquering the Two-Part Inventions, has discovered by moving on to the Three-Part Sinfonias just how truly difficult is the task of mastering that true and beautiful "cantabile style"—and, furthermore and fully in realization of Bach's purpose, as studies in counterpoint, miniature form, and efficient motivic invention they are without equal.

The Three-Part Sinfonias' value, however, like the value of the Two-Part Inventions, goes well beyond simple pedagogy; for, like the Art of the Fugue or the Well-Tempered Clavier, both of which are also superficially instructional in nature, the Sinfonia is as wonderful, beautiful and, frankly, difficult to the expert as it is to the student—and there are not many exercise-books that can claim such.

The 15 sinfonias follow the same order of keys as the 15 inventions (an order similar in kind to that used in the Well-Tempered Clavier, though of course in the WTC there are more keys to explore). Fugal procedure is used very frequently throughout the sinfonias (the most striking case is No. 9 in F minor, a true triple fugue!), and even in the cases where the music unfolds in freer fashion, the opening gesture is invariably one of imitation between the top two voices. Bach chose to limit himself to two pages when composing the inventions and sinfonias so that the student would not need to turn pages, and so the pieces are all on the short side; but they are wealthy miniatures indeed.

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No.12 in A, BWV798

J.S. Bach composed his 15 Three-Part Inventions (he actually called them sinfonias) for keyboard at the same time as their 15 two-part counterparts. They first appear along with the Two-Part Inventions in the 1722 Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann, Bach's then pre-teen son, and then reappear, slightly revised, in an 1723 volume which Bach prefaces with a detailed description of the 30 pieces' instructional purpose. (An excerpt: "to play cleanly in two voices...[and] deal correctly with three obbligato voices...but, above all else, to acquire a true cantabile style of playing, and, with it, to get a good foretaste of the art of composition.") And instructional these sinfonias are: many is the young piano student who, riding high and triumphant after conquering the Two-Part Inventions, has discovered by moving on to the Three-Part Sinfonias just how truly difficult is the task of mastering that true and beautiful "cantabile style"—and, furthermore and fully in realization of Bach's purpose, as studies in counterpoint, miniature form, and efficient motivic invention they are without equal.

The Three-Part Sinfonias' value, however, like the value of the Two-Part Inventions, goes well beyond simple pedagogy; for, like the Art of the Fugue or the Well-Tempered Clavier, both of which are also superficially instructional in nature, the Sinfonia is as wonderful, beautiful and, frankly, difficult to the expert as it is to the student—and there are not many exercise-books that can claim such.

The 15 sinfonias follow the same order of keys as the 15 inventions (an order similar in kind to that used in the Well-Tempered Clavier, though of course in the WTC there are more keys to explore). Fugal procedure is used very frequently throughout the sinfonias (the most striking case is No. 9 in F minor, a true triple fugue!), and even in the cases where the music unfolds in freer fashion, the opening gesture is invariably one of imitation between the top two voices. Bach chose to limit himself to two pages when composing the inventions and sinfonias so that the student would not need to turn pages, and so the pieces are all on the short side; but they are wealthy miniatures indeed.

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No.13 in A-, BWV799

A slow, grim theme trudges forward from the outset of this sinfonia; actually, Bach preferred this and its fellow pieces to be played with a singing line, but trudging is the best many students can manage here. When played flowingly, the sinfonia has an austere beauty that is immediately complicated by the countersubjects. Its contrapuntal lines are not especially interesting in themselves except for when they echo the primary theme, but they give the sinfonia a restlessness that soon takes over the piece, as Bach focuses on an elaboration of the primary melodic line. The sinfonia never fully recovers from this elaboration, the main theme occurring at the end only in fragmentary form.

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No.14 in Bb, BWV800

This is one of the more difficult of Bach's 15 three-part sinfonias, intended for instructional use but interesting enough for public performance and fairly frequent recording. The difficulty has nothing to do with tempo; this is a slow and steady piece in which the player must keep the three contrapuntal voices absolutely clear while maintaining a singing line. This sinfonia seems especially warm and rich thanks to its measured pace, the inherent qualities of the key, and Bach's care in weaving the melodic lines, creating a pleasing textural plumpness.

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No.15 in B-, BWV801

J.S. Bach composed his 15 Three-Part Inventions (he actually called them sinfonias) for keyboard at the same time as their 15 two-part counterparts. They first appear along with the Two-Part Inventions in the 1722 Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann, Bach's then pre-teen son, and then reappear, slightly revised, in an 1723 volume which Bach prefaces with a detailed description of the 30 pieces' instructional purpose. (An excerpt: "to play cleanly in two voices...[and] deal correctly with three obbligato voices...but, above all else, to acquire a true cantabile style of playing, and, with it, to get a good foretaste of the art of composition.") And instructional these sinfonias are: many is the young piano student who, riding high and triumphant after conquering the Two-Part Inventions, has discovered by moving on to the Three-Part Sinfonias just how truly difficult is the task of mastering that true and beautiful "cantabile style"—and, furthermore and fully in realization of Bach's purpose, as studies in counterpoint, miniature form, and efficient motivic invention they are without equal.

The Three-Part Sinfonias' value, however, like the value of the Two-Part Inventions, goes well beyond simple pedagogy; for, like the Art of the Fugue or the Well-Tempered Clavier, both of which are also superficially instructional in nature, the Sinfonia is as wonderful, beautiful and, frankly, difficult to the expert as it is to the student—and there are not many exercise-books that can claim such.

The 15 sinfonias follow the same order of keys as the 15 inventions (an order similar in kind to that used in the Well-Tempered Clavier, though of course in the WTC there are more keys to explore). Fugal procedure is used very frequently throughout the sinfonias (the most striking case is No. 9 in F minor, a true triple fugue!), and even in the cases where the music unfolds in freer fashion, the opening gesture is invariably one of imitation between the top two voices. Bach chose to limit himself to two pages when composing the inventions and sinfonias so that the student would not need to turn pages, and so the pieces are all on the short side; but they are wealthy miniatures indeed.

© All Music Guide