Bach. Clavierbüchlein / Klavierbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach 1725. Facsimile/Faksimile der Originalhandschrift mit einem Nachwort herausgegeben von Georg von Dadelsen. [Staatsbibliothek Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin, Mus. ms. Bach P 225]

Bach, Clavierbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach, cover

Documenta Musicologica, II/25. Kassel, 1988. Oblong, 28 x 21 cm, 146 facs. xxii pp. Superb 4-color halftone in the original format. This precious book, bound in green vellum with gold trimmings, and bearing the initials “A.M.B.” and “1725” on the front cover, presents one of the great albums of household music. It is primarily the personal album of Anna Magdalena Bach (1701-1760), daugther of the court and military trumpeter Johann Caspar Wilcke, a trained musician and court singer, and second wife to Johann Sebastian Bach.

The album contains partitas, minuets, polonaises, marches and short pieces of galanterie” by Bach, his children, and a few visitors in the Bach home. The book also contains little vocal pieces, songs and chorales which the former court singer most likely sang for herself and to her children; there are also exercises in harmony and thoroughbass realization for the children (pages 110 & 123ff). The pieces are arranged chronologically (except for the last section) with the earliest compositions from 1725 and the latest from the late 1740s. Almost every member of Bach family helped to copy the Büchlein–only Wilhelm Friedemann is absent. But by far the majority of the pieces (28 works) are in Anna Magdalena's hand, and it is uncanny how thoroughly and rapidly the young woman succeeded in adapting her musical script to that of her model (JS Bach), so much so that scholars long considered her copies as autographs of Johann Sebastian. Afterword in Ger-Eng-Fr. Index with identification of the copyist of each piece. Handsome binding with green glossy paper boards and gold trim that replicates the original. $66

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