Rethinking J.S. Bach’s The Art of Fugue

Anatoly P Milka is Professor and Dr Habil. of Musicology at the St Petersburg Conservatory and the St Petersburg State University, Russia. His publications in Russian include Theoretical Foundations of Functionality in Music (St Petersburg, 1982); Bach's Musical Offering: Toward Reconstruction and Interpretation (Moscow, 1999); Intriguing Bachiana (with Tatiana Shabalina; St Petersburg, 1997, 2001); a facsimile edition of L'A.B.C. Musical von Gottfried Kirchhoff (St Petersburg, 2004); and Bach's The Art of Fugue: Toward Reconstruction and Interpretation (St Petersburg, 2009). This is his first book appearing in English.

Anatoly P Milka presents a consistent and coherent solution to the unresolved questions about the history, structure and appearance of J.S. Bach's The Art of Fugue, opening new perspectives for further exploration of this musical masterpiece.

List of Figures List of Schemes List of Tables List of Musical Examples List of Abbreviations Notes on Contributors Preface Introduction Part I: Toward the History of the Conception 1. The Last Decade 2. On the Conception of The Art of Fugue 3. Bach's Illness and the Changes in his Handwriting Part II: The Principal Documents: the Autograph and the Original Edition 4. The Autograph 5. The Original Edition Part III: J.S. Bach's work on The Art of Fugue 6. The versions in Bach's music 7. The First Version of The Art of Fugue 8. The Second Version 9. Toward the Third Version 10. The Third Version 11. The Fourth Version Part IV: C.P.E. Bach's work toward the publication of The Art of Fugue 12. Settings, Attitudes and Circumstances 13. Sequencing and Titles in the Original Edition 14. The History of the 1752 Edition Part V: Toward a New Interpretation of The Art of Fugue 15. The title page as a 'Letters and Numbers Game' and The Question of Authorship 16. Contrapunctur 5 17. Myths about the Canon in Augmentation 18. The Autograph of the Last Fugue: an Unfinished Copy? 19. "Over This Fugue..." 20. Revelation (Instead of an Epilogue) Bibliography Index