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Ruth Tatlow employs theoretical evidence and practical demonstrations to explain how and why Bach used numbers in his published compositions.
List of contents
Part I. Foundations: 1. Bach's numbers; 2. Symmetry, proportion and parallels; 3. Unity, proportions and universal harmony in Bach's world; 4. Bars, compositional planning and proportional parallelism; Part II. Demonstrations: 5. Three collections for strings; 6. Four in two collections for keyboard; 7. Two further collections for keyboard; 8. Two small late collections; 9. Two large late collections; 10. Collections of concertos; 11. Collections of organ works; 12. Great passions and cantatas; 13. Festive cut-and-paste projects: masses and oratorios; 14. Lost blueprints; Appendix 1. Chronological index of musical doctrine.
About the author
British-Swedish musicologist Ruth Tatlow is a widely published independent scholar and editor with a research base in Stockholm, Sweden, and a performance background as a prize-winning clarinettist (as Ruth Ballard). Her examination of compositional theory and practice in the works of J. S. Bach began with her doctoral thesis Lusus musicus vel poëticus (King's College, London University, 1987) and produced ground-breaking results reflected in her publications that include two classic monographs, Bach and the Riddle of the Number Alphabet (Cambridge, 1991) and Bach's Numbers: Compositional Proportion and Significance (Cambridge, 2015), the latter awarded Choice 'Outstanding Academic Title 2016'. Her current research interests include tracing the origins and transmission of proportional parallelism 1650-1850, and the theory and practice of emblematic techniques in early eighteenth century music collections. She co-founded Bach Network in 2004 and its journal Understanding Bach in 2006. She currently serves as chair of the Bach Network Council and is a member of the Editorial Board of the American Bach Society. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3367-9921
Summary
In the eighteenth century the universal harmony of God's creation and the perfection of the unity (1:1) were philosophically, morally and devotionally significant. Ruth Tatlow employs theoretical evidence and practical demonstrations to explain how and why Bach used numbers in his published compositions.
