J .S. Bach’s Invention 11 BWV 782 arranged for oboe & bassoon duo is a work exploring the minor scale. The chromatic element in the movement is strong and the accidentals make this a challenging score to both read and memorise. The best preparation for playing this movement is to play the minor scale at sounding pitch in both its forms slowly until the sound of each is familiar. In this video score ornaments are not in place. In the original piano version of the inventions the use of treble and bass clef ensures an interval distance of usually more than an octave. In this arrangement the interval distances are the same. The playback score in the arrangement for oboe & bassoon has a tempo of 60 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. The movement can be played at both slower and faster tempi. The inventions are concentrated demanding movements to play in an ensemble context but excellent for encouraging listening skills, good intonation and accurate playing. The movement is probably best learnt without the ornaments in place in the first instance. Legato playing is needed in a performance although there is scope to broaden the detail of how the notes are articulated. Any exaggerated playing does need to be avoided. Accompaniments are in place allowing oboe & bassoon players to participate in ensemble activities as part of practice routines. The oboe sounds on one side of the stereo channel and the bassoon on the other whilst the accompaniment tracks play back at 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66 and 68 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is one bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. Instrumentalists should spend time listening to performances of the work by a range of musical instruments to understanding playing approaches. Players will possibly need to edit their scores with reminders about accidentals within the bar. The Bach Inventions are generally intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. Playing levels will perhaps need to be reviewed when different instrument combinations are involved. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part Inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing a sound and secure keyboard technique. When played in an ensemble context there is not much other music that can better prepare players for this type of music activity. Those learning how to use music notation software and improve their listening skills will find this an excellent study to copy simply because of the many accidentals that require attention from the listening and notation point of view. Accurate notation will suggest an excellent understanding of the staff notation system.
