Do You Hear Voices?

     "Counterpoint" is the word used to describe a composer's technique of layering individual  music voices over one another within a piece.  Bach was most expert at this.  He could move the melody from one voice to another, or even have two or more melodies going at once, and still keep the piece seamless and unified.
    This animation, featuring the Little Fugue in G BMV 578, is part of the AP Anderson Project.  Anderson represents each voice with a different colored squiggle, moving along in perfect synch with the fugue.  Listen closely to that first melody, and see if you can count how many times it recurs, and in how many variations.

Let's Listen: Partita No. 3 in E, BWV 1006

     This is a continuation of yesterday's point regarding Bach's ability to compose for the unaccompanied soloist. Nathan Milstein (d. 1992), violinist, glided through this movement with sparkling energy, conviction, and grace.
     Often, you will see cryptic-looking numbers next to titles of classical works. These are catalog numbers. Since there are so many classical pieces with the same generic titles (such as Air, Suite No. 3, Concerto No.1), catalog numbers ensure that each work has its own distinct identification. Bach's works are cataloged using the preface "BMV," which stands for Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis ( Bach Works Catalogue).