J. S. Bach OrganScore Complete Edition

J.S. Bach Complete Organ Works

Bach’s organ music is the organist’s “daily bread”. That’s why the OrganScore collection includes his J.S. Bach complete organ works in only nine volumes, thanks to the large format. Two volumes (VI and IX) have a smaller size (A4) for works that do not need a large format, such as short preludes, fugues, and chorales.

Page Turns Avoided

Each work has been laid out so that each element, such as the prelude, fugue, or sonata movement, is written, if possible, on two facing pages. Sometimes four pages are needed (one easy turn), and rarely, six pages (two easy turns).

Optimised Musical Text

J.S. Bach complete organ works in 9 volumes
J.S. Bach complete organ works in 9 volumes

The musical text is based primarily on the BGA (“Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe”, Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig, 1851–1899), a highly reliable reference containing a detailed critical apparatus. The Peters Edition (Vol. IX, 1904 release) has also been used, as a complementary source.

However, these older editions do not cover the most recently-discovered works (Neumeister collection, etc.), and are obsolete for pieces for which new manuscripts have been unveiled. For these pieces, we have based the OrganScore edition directly on original manuscripts. The reader can refer to the editorial work in a detailed critical apparatus (Vol. VIII & IX) illustrated with many musical excerpts.

Enriched ‘Complete Works’ Set

The OrganScore J.S. Bach Complete Organ Works has many other original features:

  • Includes all BWV organ works, even those identified as spurious (with the exception of BWV 771, a partita by Nicolaus Vetter).
  • Proposes a complete organ transcription of BWV 1039 Trio Sonata in G Major.
  • Includes a selection of harpsichord works, laid out on three staves when relevant (preludes and fugues, concertos, variations, ricercari from the Musical Offering, etc.).
  • Proposes alternative chorale manual setting, depending on the number of keyboards (1 or 2 manuals), where appropriate (Orgelbüchlein, Neumeister, etc.).
  • Unfinished but worthy pieces have been completed (BWV 573, 753, 764).

VOLUME I
Preludes, Fantasies, Toccatas & Fugues (I):
BWV 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 538, 539, 540, 541, 542, 543, 544.

VOLUME II
Preludes, Fantasies, Toccatas & Fugues (II):
BWV 545, 546, 547, 548, 549, 549a, 550, 551, 552, 561, 562, 563, 564, 565, 566(E), 566(C).

VOLUME III
Preludes, Fantasies, Toccatas & Fugues (III), Passacaglia & Fugue:
BWV 1121, 567, 568, 569, 570, 571, 572, 573 (completed), 574, 575, 576, 577, 578, 579, 580, 581, 582, 895, 904, 917, 131a, 943, 946, 949, 950, 989, 992, 1079 (Ricercare a 3, Ricercare a 6).

VOLUME IV
Trio Sonatas: BWV 525 , 526, 527, 528, 529, 530.
Trios: BWV 583, 584, 585, 586, 587, 1027-4a, 790 (transcription).
Trio Sonata: BWV 1039 (transcription)
Duettos: BWV 802, 803, 804, 805.
Miscellaneous Pieces: BWV 588, 589, 590, 591, 598.

VOLUME V
Concertos: BWV 592, 593, 594, 595, 596, 597, 972, 973, 974, 975, 976, 978, 980, 981, 985, 986.

VOLUME VI (A4)
Short Preludes & Fugues : BWV [553 … 560].
Orgelbüchlein : BWV [599 … 644].

VOLUME VII
Schübler Chorales: BWV 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 650.
Leipzig Chorales: BWV 651, 651a, 652, 653, 653b, 654, 655, 656, 657, 658, 659, 660, 661, 662, 663, 664, 665, 666, 667, 668.
Partitas: BWV 766, 767, 768, 769 (Canonic Variations), 770.

VOLUME VIII
Clavierübung Chorales: BWV [669 … 689]
Miscellaneous Chorales (long):
BWV 694, 695, 707, 708, 713, 718, 720, 725, 733, 735, 736, 739, 741, 747, 748, 761, 764 (completed), 1128 (© 2008 ortus musikverlag).

VOLUME IX (A4)
96 Miscellaneous Chorales:
BWV 690, 691, 692, 693, 696, 697, 698, 699, 700, 701, 702, 703, 704, 705, 706, 709, 710, 711, 712, 714, 715, 716, 717, 719, 721, 722, 723, 724, 726, 727, 728, 729, 730, 731, 732, 734, 737, 738, 740, 742, 743, 744, 745, 746, 749, 750, 751, 752, 753 (completed), 754, 755, 756, 757, 758, 759, 760, 762, 763, 765, 957, 1085, [1090 … 1120], Anh 49, 58, 2 chorales without BWV number.