About the Books

The Tempo Implications of Bach’s Notation

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Part 1 - The Proportional Method

This research into The Tempo Implications of Bach’s Notation answers the age-old question, “How fast should this Bach piece be played?” Because Bach’s tempo often differs from current performance practice, this research transforms our understanding of his music.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) was a very busy man. At times he composed a new church piece every week, often barely completing the piece a day or two before the church service. In order to ensure that his music lasted the appropriate amount of time, he needed to calculate duration while composing. To do so he needed to have specific tempos in mind.

A review of the contemporaneous performance practice literature indicates that, in this time period before the development of the metronome:

  • Establishing the correct tempo was considered an important and difficult task.
  • Musicians used a fixed pulse rate called the tactus to establish tempos.
  • Once they established a tempo, they were able to vary that tempo by using proportions.
  • The time signature and the shortest note value of a piece both communicate information about tempo.

Through a comprehensive review of Bach’s notation, this research demonstrates that there is one optimal way to explain the tempo implications of Bach’s notation. It further shows that Bach used two different tactus speeds, and indicated a change in the speed of the tactus by using “mensural” time signatures, which are derived from the ancient music system of the same name.

After reading this book, the musician will be able to determine Bach’s intended tempo for any Bach movement by identifying the time signature, tactus speed, and shortest note value. Bach’s intended tempo gives valuable clues about his intended musical effect. Because Bach’s tempo often differs from current performance practice, this research transforms our understanding of his music.

This book is for classical musicians, musicologists, music students, and anyone who appreciates Bach’s music. While the research is important and significant, it is presented so that an amateur musician will be able to follow the arguments.

Part 2 - The Dance Suites

This research into the tempos of Bach’s dance music answers the age-old question, “How fast should this piece be?” Because Bach’s tempo often differs from current performance practice, this research transforms our understanding of his music.

J. S. Bach’s principal suites encompass over 200 movements and include nineteen suites for harpsichord, two for lute, three for violin, and six for cello. These iconic pieces are played at widely varying tempos today, leading to diverse musical effects. Because Bach must have had specific musical effects in mind, many of today’s interpretations must be contrary to his intentions. In this book the author draws on his previously published research into Bach’s proportional method for establishing tempo and applies that method to these dance movements. By examining contemporaneous descriptions of the dance and also its music, the author uncovers the following about the tempo implications of Bach’s titles:

  • The titles “Allemande” and “Sarabande” indicate that the omission of thirty-second notes does not affect tempo.
  • The title “Courante” indicates that the inclusion of sixteenth notes does not affect tempo.
  • The title “Gigue” has the same effect as does the fast performance marking Allegro.
  • All other dance titles have no tempo implications.

After perusing this book, the musician will be able to determine Bach’s intended tempo for any Bach dance movement. He needs only to identify the title, time signature, tactus speed, and shortest note value. By establishing Bach’s intended tempos, the musician will also discover Bach’s intended musical effects.

This book is for classical musicians, musicologists, music students, dance historians, and anyone who appreciates Bach’s music. Thoroughly researched and meticulously documented, it includes over 180 musical examples and dozens of figures and tables. It includes a bibliography, and it also includes an index of cited Bach works, sorted by BWV number. This research is presented so that an amateur musician will be able to follow the arguments.