The Art of the Fugue and a Musical Offering

Among Bach's last instrumental compositions are two splendid works that reflect his genius for working complex contrapuntal figures into an expressive, apparently seamless musical texture. The Art of the Fugue, composed ca. 1745-50, consists of nineteen canons and fugues that progressively illustrate the rich variety and complexity of fugal writing. This edition, reproduced directly from the authoritative Breitkopf & H rtel score, includes a keyboard reproduction printed directly beneath the score.
A Musical Offering (1747), composed for King Frederick the Great of Prussia, comprises a three-part ricercar and a six-part ricercar for keyboard, a famous sonata for flute and violin, and a set of canons, all based on a theme devised by the King himself. Solutions of the canons and a realization of the keyboard part are included in an appendix.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a prolific German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments exemplify the heart and soul of the Baroque period. A revival of interest and performances of his music began early in the 19th century and continue to this day. He is now widely considered to be one of the greatest composers in the Western tradition.