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Technical Notice
| Classical Composer: | Bach, Johann Sebastian |
|---|---|
| Work: | Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903 (arr. C. Dejour for guitar) |
| Year Composed: | 1723 |
| Instrumentation: | gtr |
| Publisher: | Manuscript |
| Duration: | 00:16:00 |
| Period: | Baroque (1600-1750) |
| Work Category: | Instrumental |
Work Information
Available Recording(s)
Bach likely composed his popular Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor between 1717-23, when he served as director of music at the court of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen. During this period, Bach mostly wrote secular music, including this work. Originally written for harpsichord, it was considered a masterpiece even in Bach's lifetime. An early version of the Fantasia was written in Weimar, but no definitive version of the work exists, as Bach revised it several times. 'Chromatic' means 'coloured', and in musical terms refers to notes foreign to the key. This can easily be heard in the Fantasia, to which the work arguably owes its fame. It has a spontaneous, improvisational feeling with fast arpeggios flowing back and forth in chromatic chord progressions. The 'improvisational' technique was commonly used as an opening sequence in Baroque works, as it also allowed musicians to check if the instrument was in tune. In contrast to the Fantasia, the Fugue seems more relaxed and composed, but its chromatic subject provides a certain uneasiness, and the Fugue itself feels somewhat improvised. In fact, Bach may originally have improvised it (a skill he was famous for) and then made it more stringent when writing it down.
Christophe Dejour: 'This work has been transcribed for the guitar before, but this is my modest attempt. It's notoriously difficult (but fun!) to play and not particularly idiomatic to the guitar, as the harpsichord has a wider tonal range, so a little tweaking compared to Bach's original score was necessary. I hope you enjoy listening to it!'
Writer: Jeff Duckett
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