J.S. Bach’s Invention 14 BWV 785 arr. bassoon sounding in the original key of Bb is a rhythmical work and a movement in which figuration is a substitute for ornamentation. Ornaments are omitted in this movement but make way for some exacting and rhythmic figuration. Players should have an understanding of the phrasing needed before playing. J. S. Bach’s, is from the baroque era in music history and the convention is that there is minimal score detail in place in sheet music scores. The realisation plays back at 52 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. That said the movement is probably best played with an awareness of an eighth note or quaver pulse. Parts appropriately transposed are attached to the full score. In this arrangement the bassoon 1 part has been transposed down an octave so that the two bassoons are essentially an octave closer than in the original piano version. Accompaniments are in place allowing bassoon players to participate in ensemble activities as part of practice routines. Bassoon 1 sounds on one side of the stereo channel and bassoon 2 sounds on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 48, 50, 52, 54, 56 58 and 60 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. There are different approaches to playing this invention and instrumentalists should spend time listening to performances of the work by a range of musical instruments on streaming media. The Bach Inventions are generally intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument 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 other 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.
