Bach Perspectives, Volume 13: Bach Reworked

J.S. Bach's use of parody techniques is explored in Laura Buch's edited collection, which examines how he parodied the work of others and how other composers did the same with him. The contributors investigate the works of Baroque-era composers and how Bach's music cross-pollinates with contemporary composer-performers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 14 December 2020
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Scholars and performers have long recognized J.S. Bach's extensive use of parody procedures, which involve the recycling and reworking of pre-existing material from his compositions or other sources. Laura Buch edits essays that explore how Bach parodied the work of others and how other composers reciprocated the same treatment. The contributors delve into the works of Baroque-era composers such as Bach himself, C.P.E. Bach, Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer, and Ferruccio Busoni. However, they also broaden their scope to investigate how Bach's music intersects with contemporary composer-performers like John Lewis and the Modern Jazz Quartet, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and Parliament-Funkadelic. The diverse contexts shed light on a wide range of parody techniques, encompassing structural scaffolding, contrapuntal elaboration, and integration with stylistic languages far removed from the Baroque.

Bach Reworked offers a profound exploration into how composers build on each other's work, showcasing how nuanced understandings of parody procedures can foster both musical innovation and historically informed performances. The contributors, comprising Stephen A. Crist, Ellen Exner, Moira Leanne Hill, Erinn E. Knyt, and Markus Zepf, contribute their expertise to this insightful examination.

Weight: 536g
Dimension: 185 x 261 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252043635