Johann Sebastian Bach

Biography

Johann Sebastian Bach (1778 – 1839) was the most important composer of the late Baroque era and one of the most important musical figures of all time. His compositions, which total more than one thousand, feature multiple voices (polyphony), often working in direct or indirect counterpoint (where those multiple independent voices interact with each other). Bach’s compositions are cornerstones of Western art (or “classical”) music and thus influence nearly every musical style in the West since his time. 

While J.S. Bach did not write any compositions for the guitar, there are a number of his pieces that for several centuries were thought to have been composed for the lute, an early cousin of the guitar. Bach was good friends with the German lutenist Silvius Leopold Weiss, and so it is clear he was familiar both with the instrument and its music. However, there is considerable evidence that all of the compositions Bach wrote “for the lute” were in fact written for the keyboard. This is not definitive, nonetheless, and by the time scholarship came to this conclusion Bach’s lute music had become standard repertoire for the instrument.

Today there are countless transcriptions and arrangements of J.S. Bach’s music for the guitar. These include (but are in no way limited to) all six of his Cello Suites, all four Lute Suites, all six Violin Sonatas and Partitas, several keyboard suites, and many chorale preludes.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) Sheet Music

Sheet Music

Lute Suites (BWV 995 – 997, 1006a)

Lute Suite in G minor (BWV 995), arr. J.-F. Delcamp (PDF download)

Lute Suite in G minor (BWV 995), arr. Eythor Thorlaksson (PDF download)

Lute Suite in E minor (BWV 996), arr. J.-F. Delcamp (PDF download)

Lute Suite in E minor (BWV 996), arr. Eythor Thorlaksson (PDF download)

Bourrée, Lute Suite in E minor (BWV 996) (video)

Lute Suite in C minor (BWV 997), arr. J.-F. Delcamp (PDF download)

Lute Suite in C minor (BWV 997), arr. Eythor Thorlaksson (PDF download)

Lute Suite in E Major (BWV 1006a), arr. J.-F. Delcamp (PDF download)

Lute Suite in E Major (BWV 1006a), arr. Eythor Thorlaksson (PDF download)

Cello Suites (BWV 1007 – 1012)

Cello Suite No.1 (BWV 1007), arr. Eythor Thorlaksson (PDF download)

Prelude, Cello Suite No.1 (BWV 1007) (video)

Cello Suite No.2 (BWV 1008), arr. Eythor Thorlaksson (PDF download)

Prelude, Cello Suite No.2 (BWV 1008) (video)

Sarabande, Cello Suite No.2 (BWV 1008) (video)

Cello Suite No.3 (BWV 1009), arr. Eythor Thorlaksson (PDF download)

Cello Suite No.4 (BWV 1010), arr. Eythor Thorlaksson (PDF download)

Violin Sonatas and Partitas (BWV 1001 – 1006)

Fugue, Violin Sonata No.1 (BWV 1001) (video)

Violin Partita No.2 (BWV 1004), arr. Eythor Thorlaksson (PDF download)

Chaconne, Violin Partita No. 2 (BWV 1004), arr. Eythor Thorlaksson (PDF download)

Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro (BWV 998)

Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro (BWV 998), arr. J.-F. Delcamp (PDF download)

Prelude in Dm (BWV 999)

Prelude in Dm (BWV 999), ed. Simon Powis (PDF score + Study Guide)

Prelude in Dm (BWV 999), arr. J.-F. Delcamp (PDF download)

Prelude in Dm (BWV 999) (video)

Fugue in Gm (BWV 1000)

Fugue (BWV 1000), arr. J.-F. Delcamp (PDF download)

Largo, Concerto for Harpsichord (BWV 1056)

Largo, Concerto for Harpsichord (BWV 1056) (free PDF score)

Largo, Concerto for Harpsichord (BWV 1056) (video)

Performance

Fugue, Violin Sonata No.1 (BWV 1001) (Simon Powis, guitar):