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In music, the BACH motif is the sequence of notes B flat, A, C, B natural.This four-note motif has been used by a number of composers, usually as a homage to Johann Sebastian Bach. The first known example, however, is in a piece by Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck —it is possible, though not certain, that he used it in homage to one of Johann Sebastian's ancestors, many of whom were themselves musicians.
The possibility of being able to spell the surname Bach in this way comes about because in German B indicates what in English is called B flat, while H indicates what in English is called B natural.
J. S. Bach himself used it as a fugue subject in the final part of Die Kunst der Fuge ( BWV 1080), a work he did not complete before he died in 1750. It appears in passing in several of his other pieces, such as at the end of the fourth of the canonic variations on "Vom Himmel Hoch", BWV 769. Its appearance in the penultimate bar of the Kleines harmonisches Labyrinth, BWV 591, is not thought to be very significant and the work may even be spurious ( Johann David Heinichen has been suggested as a possible composer). In many pieces, while the exact notes B-A-C-H are not played, a transposition of the motif is used (a note sequence with the same intervals: down a semitone, up a minor third, down a semitone).
A fugue for keyboard in F major by one of Bach's sons, probably either Johann Christian Bach or Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, exists using the motif, but it was not until the 19th century when interest in Bach was revived that the motif began to be used with any regularity.
Perhaps because it was used by Bach himself in a fugue, the motif is often used by other composers in fugues or other complex contrapuntal writing.
Works which prominently feature the BACH motif include, in chronological order:
- Robert Schumann - Six Fugues for organ, pedal pianoPiano is a common abbreviation for pianoforte a large musical instrument with a keyboard (see keyboard instrument). Its sound is produced by strings stretched on a rigid frame. These vibrate when struck by felt-covered hammers, which are activated by the or harmoniumThis article is on the musical instrument; for information on other kinds of harmonia, see Harmonium (disambiguation). The harmonium is a small, manually-pumped reed organ. There are two main types of harmonium: a foot-pumped version that resembles a smal, opus 60 (1845)
- Franz LisztFranz Liszt ( October 22, 1811 July 31, 1886) was a virtuoso pianist and composer. Ferenc as the composer is often referred, is the Hungarian variant of his name, although he was aristocratically German speaking. He was also christened as Franciscus . - Fantasie und Fuge über das Thema B-A-C-H, for organ (1855, later arrangedIn popular music an arrangement is a setting of a piece of music, which may have been composed by the arranger or by someone else. It may add details omitted by the composer, or it may replace those originally given and be merely based on the original wor for pianoPiano is a common abbreviation for pianoforte a large musical instrument with a keyboard (see keyboard instrument). Its sound is produced by strings stretched on a rigid frame. These vibrate when struck by felt-covered hammers, which are activated by the)
- Max RegerJohann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger ( March 19, 1873 May 11, 1916) was a German composer, organist, pianist and teacher. Born in Brand, Reger studied music in Munich and Wiesbaden with Heinrich Reimann. In 1901 he settled in Munich, where he taught org - Fantasia and Fugue on B-A-C-H for organ (1900)
- Ferruccio BusoniDante Michaelangelo Benvenuto Ferruccio Busoni ( April 1, 1866 July 27, 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, music teacher and conductor. Biography Busoni was born in Empoli in Italy, the only child of two professional musicians: his German mother a pi - Fantasia contrappuntistica for piano (first version 1910, later versions 1912 and 1922)
- Arthur HoneggerArthur Honegger ( March 10, 1892 November 27, 1955) was a composer, born to Swiss parents, but more closely associated with France. He was a member of Les Six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231 which imitates t - Prélude, Arioso, Fughette for piano (1932, later arranged for string orchestra)
- Francis PoulencFrancis Jean Marcel Poulenc ( January 7, 1899 January 30, 1963) was a French composer. Poulenc was born in Paris. His mother, an amateur pianist, taught him to play, and music formed a part of family life. As a young man, in 1918 he was fulfilling his Nat - Valse-improvisation sur le nom Bach for piano (1932)
- Anton Webern - String Quartet (1937-38) - the tone row is based on the BACH motif
- Jean Coulthard - Variations on BACH for piano (1952)
- Luigi Dallapiccola - Quaderno musicale di Annalibera (1952)
- Arvo Pärt - Collage over B-A-C-H for strings, oboe, harpsichord and piano (1964)
- Milos Sokola - Passacaglia quasi Toccata on B-A-C-H for organ (1976)
- Alfred Schnittke - Concerto Grosso No. 3 (1985)
- Ron Nelson - Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H) for wind ensemble (1990s)
The motif features in passing in a number of other works including Arnold Schoenberg's Variations for Orchestra (1926-28) and his String Quartet No. 3 (1927), Krzysztof Penderecki's St Luke Passion, and Johannes Brahms' cadenza for the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 .
Other signature motifs include:
- F, E flat, C, B natural for Franz Schubert (F. Schubert)
- E flat, C, B natural, B flat, E, G for Arnold Schoenberg (Schönberg)
- D, E flat, C, B natural for Dmitri Shostakovich (D. Schostakowitsch)
- These are possible because the German for E flat is "Es".
- B, E, B, A or B, A, B, E for Béla Bartók (Béla Bartók, the latter motif recognizing the Hungarian practice of placing the family name before the personal name)
- C, A, G, E for John Cage, used by Pauline Oliveros[1]
- A, B, B natural, F for Alban Berg and Hanna Fuchs-Robettin (A. B. and H. F.), used in Berg's Lyric Suite
