Synopses & Reviews
This volume is a guide to the resources and materials of Bach scholarship, both for the non specialist wondering where to begin in the enormous literature on J. S. Bach, and for the Bach specialist looking for a convenient and up to date survey of the field. It describes the tools of Bach research and how to use them, and suggests how to get started in Bach research by describing the principal areas of research and citing the essential literature on each piece and topic.
The authors emphasize the issues that have engaged Bach scholars for generations, focusing on particularly important writings; on recent literature; on overviews, collections of essays and handbooks; and on writings in English. Subjects covered include bibliographic tools of Bach research and sources of literature; Bach's family; Bach biographies; places Bach lived and worked; Bach's teaching; the liturgy; Bach source studies and the transmission of his music; repertory and editions; genres and individual vocal and instrumental works; performance practice; the reception and analysis of Bach's music; and many others. The book also offers explanations of important and potentially confusing topics in Bach research, such as the organization of the annual cantata cycles, pitch standards, the history of the Berlin libraries, the structure of the critical commentary volumes in the Neue Bach Ausgabe, and so on.
This book opens up the rich world of Bach scholarship to students, teachers, performers, and listeners.
Review
"An Introduction to Bach Studies, edited by Daniel Melamed and Michael Marissen, is one of the most useful reference books on Johann Sebastian Bach to have appeared recently. Their personal touch and guidance throughout the various categories of research are engaging. The editors are to be commended for providing so much useful information clearly, intelligently, and concisely."--Notes
"Thanks to Daniel R. Melamed, Michael Marissen, and Oxford University Press, the bibliographically challenged among us can now negotiate the formidable thicket of Bach scholarship with ease. The title alone declares that this is no mere annotated bibliography; An Introduction to Bach Studies offers, in addition to brief but unfailingly intelligent assessments of the most important Bach literature, cogent summaries of recent developments on virtually every topic in this venerable field. Pound for pound and dollar for dollar, this volume can't be beaten as a guide to the literature and as a blueprint for future scholarly work on Bach. I just wonder how we have got along without it for so long."--Music and Letters
Synopsis
An Introduction to Bach Studies is a comprehensive guide to the resources and materials of Bach scholarship, both for students beginning work in the enormous literature on J. S. Bach, and for the Bach specialist looking for a convenient and up-to-date survey of the field. Covering a broad range of both primary and secondary sources, well-known Bach scholars Daniel R. Melamed and Michael Marissen draw on their extensive research experience to describe the principal tools of Bach research and how to use them. With clear descriptions and explanations, the multiple bibliographies and tables help students and instructors quickly find the most appropriate sources on Bach's life, his repertory, approaches to his music, and many other topics. Additionally, this volume provides insights into potentially confusing sources and detailed information on the technical topics important to all Bach scholars.
Concise and comprehensive, this user-friendly guide brings together useful bibliographic resources in one place, and is an indispensable resource for all who conduct research on Bach.
Synopsis
An Introduction to Bach Studies is a comprehensive guide to the resources and materials of Bach scholarship, both for students beginning work in the enormous literature on J. S. Bach, and for the Bach specialist looking for a convenient and up-to-date survey of the field. Covering a broad range of both primary and secondary sources, well-known Bach scholars Daniel R. Melamed and Michael Marissen draw on their extensive research experience to describe the principal tools of Bach research and how to use them. With clear descriptions and explanations, the multiple bibliographies and tables help students and instructors quickly find the most appropriate sources on Bach's life, his repertory, approaches to his music, and many other topics. Additionally, this volume provides insights into potentially confusing sources and detailed information on the technical topics important to all Bach scholars.
Concise and comprehensive, this user-friendly guide brings together useful bibliographic resources in one place, and is an indispensable resource for all who conduct research on Bach.
About the Author
Daniel Melamed is Associate Professor of Music at Indiana University. His publications include
J.S. Bach and the German Motet (1995) and
Bach Studies 2 (1995), as well as many articles.
Michael Marissen is Associate Professor of Music at Swarthmore College. His publications include The Social and Religious Designs of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos (1995) and Lutherism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach's St. John Passion (Oxford, 1998).
Table of Contents
To Find Information on a Composition by Bach
Abbreviations
1 Bibliographic Tools of Bach Research.
2 Sources of Secondary Literature.
3 Bach's Life.
4 Bach's World.
5 Sources and Transmission.
6 Repertory and Editions.
7 Vocal Music.
8 Instrumental Music.
9 Bach's Music in Performance.
10 Bach as a Composer.
11 Approaches to Bach's Music.
Index of Names
Index of Titles
Index of Subjects
Index of Bach's Works