Johann Sebastian Bach

Musical Offering, BWV 1079

1747

Total duration: 14' 30"

1. Ricercar a 3
2. Ricercar a 6

This collection comprises a ricercar in three parts, a ricercar in six parts, a trio sonata for flute, violin and basso continuo, and ten canons. The instrumentations of the ricercari are not stated, but are both presumably for keyboard.

Recommended editions

Neue Bach-Ausgabe (Bärenreiter) · VIII, 1 · BA 5042-01 · Kanons / Musikalisches Opfer · ed. Christoph Wolff [complete, with the ricercari in open score and short score]
Bärenreiter · BA 5154 · Musikalisches Opfer / Heft 1 / Ricercari für Cembalo (Pianoforte) · ed. Christoph Wolff [two ricercari, with both versions of no. 2]

1. Ricercar a 3

Duration: 6' 30"

Difficulty: 3

Musical Offering, BWV 1079; 1. Ricercar a 3

2. Ricercar a 6

This ricercar exists in two versions with only minor differences: an earlier version from Bach’s manuscript (on two staves) and a later one from the first printed edition (on six staves). The Neue Bach-Ausgabe also provides a transcription of the latter onto two staves.

Duration: 8'

Difficulty: 4.5

Musical Offering, BWV 1079; 2. Ricercar a 6