The article suggesting that the D minor Toccata (BWV 565) was written for solo violin was unconvincing when I read it some time ago. It appeared in Early Music 9 (1981): 330-7.
Since then there has been a suggestion that it is for ONE lute. See Eric Lewin Altschuler, "Were Bach's Toccata and Fugue BWV 565 and Ciaconna from BWV 1004 lute pieces?" Musical Times 146 (Winter 2005): 78-86. Altschuler points out some obvious characteristics of lute writing, especiallythe barriolage-like figures that are so prominent. But one would expect a literal transfer to the organ, as Bach was accustomed to doing. So as a SOLO (hint? hint?) piece it doesn't pass muster, imo. Didn't lutenists come to Bach in pairs? Strecker & Sciurius? Weiss & Kropfgans? By the way, the proper title of the piece is Toccata. All toccatas have fugues as an integral part, usually the form is toccata-style/fugual-style/toccata-style, as in this instance. To call it toccata and fugue is being redundant, and we wouldn't want to do that.<g> I think Disney coined the term T & F, and it certainly has become common. This topic came up here recently, and I believe Thomas Schall has made an arrangement of the Toccata. ==ajn ----- Original Message ----- From: "jim abraham" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Sent: Saturday, September 02, 2006 7:38 PM Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Toccata and Fugue in d minor (BWV 565) on baroque lute? > Hi All, > > I came across a guitar transcription of Bach's d minor > T&F the other day ( > http://www.philiphii.com/). He makes the claim, which > I've seen elsewhere, > that it was originally for solo violin, and > transcribed for organ. > Interesting. Anyway, it's in d minor, so would it be > easily transcribed for > the d minor baroque lute? Are there any such > transcriptions? > > Jim > > -- > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
