Minuet in G major and G minor

BWV 841-842 performed by Hanna Zhang
Maltezerhuis, Utrecht

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Practice makes perfect

A glimpse into Bach’s daily teaching practice

You might picture Bach on a kind of cloud between heaven and earth, serenely turning his divine inspiration into one amazing cantata after another. But that picture is in urgent need of correction. Although we can only guess at the nature of Bach’s inspiration, we know for certain that his composition process was far from serene. This was particularly so in Leipzig - where Bach had a busy performance schedule and actually ran a music academy as well - but it was also the case in his previous positions with the church and at court. Bach’s fame as a musician attracted so many pupils that in Weimar, for instance, where his performance and composition schedule was not quite as full, he almost earned more from teaching than from his permanent position as an organist.

We know what those lessons were like, thanks to a very special student: Bach’s son Wilhelm Friedemann. At the age of nine, he already received a ‘Klavierbüchlein’, in which both father and son notated music that was intended to gradually prepare fingers and brain for the bigger works. For example, we see early versions of the Inventions and the Sinfonias, some preludes that were later to be included in the Wohltemperirte Clavier, and music by other composers, including Wilhelm Friedemann himself. There are also some very simple little pieces, like these two minuets. They are French in style, as father Sebastian liked to use Couperin, among others, to teach keyboard playing. The minuets form a charming couple. The first, in G major, has an even rhythm, which is ideal for practising articulation and a smooth touch. The second, in G minor, already contains more counterpoint and requires more depth of musical expression.

Young talent
Once every two or three years, the Netherlands Bach Society organises a talent development project for gifted young musicians under the age of 18. The projects, which focus on the performance practice of Bach’s music, allows us to bring talented youngsters into contact with historical performance practice and give them deeper insight into Bach’s music. In this talent development project, we worked with keyboardists of the future. Seven very talented international youngsters between twelve and eighteen years old were selected from auditions to take two masterclasses about Bach, the harpsichord and baroque playing techniques and styles, given by Siebe Henstra. Each keyboardist rehearsed movements from the Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, including the Nine Little Preludes, BWV 924-932, which Bach wrote to use in lessons with his son Wilhelm Friedemann. The rehearsed works were recorded for All of Bach in October 2024, at the Maltezerhuis in Utrecht.

BWV: 841-842
Title: Minuet in G major and G minor
Instrument: harpsichord
Genre: harpsichord works
Serie: Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach, Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
Special notes: BWV 841-842 are attributed to J.S. Bach, possibly in collaboration with his son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach

Extra videos

Masterclass Siebe Henstra for young keyboard players

“I've learned the most about articulation and how to play the ornaments”

Vocal texts

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Credits

Release date

26 June 2025
Recording date

16 October 2024
Location

Maltezerhuis, Utrecht
Harpsichord

Hanna Zhang
Instrument

Titus Crijnen, 1992 after Johannes Ruckers, 1638
Director and camera

Robin van Erven-Dorens
Music recording

Guido Tichelman, Pim van der Lee
Music recording, edit and mix

Guido Tichelman
Camera

Martijn van Beenen
Lights

Ernst-Jan Thieme
Data handling

Brechtje van Riel
Assistant music recording

Marloes Biermans
Producer

Lisanne Marlou de Kok

Discover

15 inventions

harpsichord works, BWV 772-786

Prelude in G minor

harpsichord works, BWV 930