Composition: Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080 (Bach, Johann Sebastian)
| Title | The Art of the Fugue |
| Alternative title | Die Kunst der Fuge |
| Creators | Johann Sebastian Bach (composer) |
| Opus | BWV 1080 |
| Instrumentation | keyboard |
| Number of movements | — |
| Keys | D minor |
| Composed | 1742 |
| First published | 1751 |
| Dedication | — |
| Tempo markings | — |
| Metronome markings | — |
| Time signatures | — |
| Average duration (sec) | 4800 |
| Number of measures | — |
| Composition types | Fugues, Canons |
| Period | Baroque |
| View on IMSLP |  |
| Code |  |
Sections
(No sections)
Arrangements
| Details | Section | Arranged for | Arranger |
|---|---|---|---|
| view | Complete | strings | — |
| view | Complete | 8 guitars | Serban Nichifor |
| view | Complete | 4 guitars | Serban Nichifor |
| view | Complete | organ | Martin Straeten |
| view | Complete | piano | Carl Czerny |
| view | Complete | piano | — |
| view | Complete | keyboard | Dominic Florence |
| view | Selections (Contrapunctus I-VII, IX-XII, Xa, Fuga a 3 Soggetti) | 2 violins, viola and cello | Werner Icking |
| view | Selections: Contrapunctus I-XI, XIX | organ | Christof K. Biebricher |
| view | Selections (Contrapunctus I, II, IV, IX, XVI rectus, XVI inversus) | 3 recorders 4 recorders |
Giacomo Andreola |
| view | Selections (Contrapunctus VI-VIII, XI and XVIII) | 4 recorders | Jaap Wiebes |
| view | Selections (Contrapunctus VIII and XIII) | violin, viola and cello | Werner Icking |
| view | Selections: Contrapunctus I-V, VIII, XI; Canon I | piano | Ruoshi Sun |
| view | Selections (Canons) | 2 violins, viola and cello | Werner Icking |
| view | Selections (Canons) | horn, trumpet, euphonium and tuba | Hans Jorgen Messerschmidt |
| view | Selections (Canons) | horn, trumpet and euphonium | Hans Jorgen Messerschmidt |
| view | Selections (Canons) | 2 recorders | Alberto Gomez Gomez |
| view | Selections (Canons) | keyboard | Alberto Gomez Gomez |
| view | Contrapunctus I | orchestra | Ulrich Witt |
| view | Contrapunctus I | oboe, English horn, bass oboe and bassoon | — |
| view | Contrapunctus I | 2 violins, viola and cello | — |
| view | Contrapunctus I | piano | — |
| view | Fuga, alio modo Fuga | 2 keyboards | Werner Icking |
| view | Selections (Contrapunctus VIII) | keyboard | Jean-Pierre Coulon |
| view | Contrapunctus XIV | 2 flutes, alto flute and bass flute | Hideo Kamioka |
Scores
| Details | Section | Type | Publisher | Date | File |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| view | Autograph Version | — | Manuscript | 1742 | Complete Score (Autograph) · view |
| view | Autograph Version | — | Manuscript | 1700 | Incomplete Score · view |
| view | Autograph Version | — | Manuscript | 1700 | Complete Score (Supplements) · view |
| view | Autograph Version | — | — | — | Complete Score (Mus. ms. Bach P 200) · view Fassung des autographen Notenbandes · view Anhang I. Nos.1-15 in Moderner Klaviernotation · view Anhang II. Drei Sätze nach den autographen Beilagen des Notenbandes · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | — | 1751 | Complete Score · view Complete Score (pp.1-18) · view Complete Score (pp.19-44) · view Complete Score (pp.45-67) · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach | 1751 | Complete Score · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach | 1752 | Complete Score · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | Manuscript | — | Complete Score · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | Manuscript | — | Complete Score (Fugues/Contrapuncti only) · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | Manuscript | — | Complete Score · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | — | — | Complete Score · view Fugues 1-5 · view Fugues 6-10 · view Fugues 11-14 · view Unnumbered canons and fugues (total 4 canons and 3 fugues) · view Anhang (Appendix)* · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | — | — | Complete Score · view Contrapuncti I-V · view Contrapuncti VI-X · view Contrapuncti XI-XV · view Contrapuncti XVI-XIX, and Choral · view Appendix: Earlier versions, Thematic index. · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | — | — | Complete Score · view Engraving files (PMX) · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | — | — | Complete Score, G- and F- clefs · view Complete Score, G-, C- and F-clefs · view Complete Parts, four-part pieces · view Complete Parts, three-part pieces · view Complete Parts, two-part pieces · view Complete Parts, pieces for 2 keyboard instruments · view Engraving files (MUP-, LaTeX- and shell scripts) · view |
| view | Original Edition Version | — | — | — | Complete Score · view Ausgabe nach dem Originaldruck · view Anhang I. Nos.1-18, 21 in moderner Klaviernotation · view Anhang II. Nos.12-13 in synoptischer Partituranordnung · view |
| view | Complete | selections | Manuscript | 1700 | Excerpt (2 pages) · view |
| view | Contrapunctus IX | — | Montréal: Les Éditions Outremontaises | 2006 | Complete Score · view |
| view | Contrapunctus XII | — | — | — | Complete Score · view |
| view | Contrapunctus XIX | — | Cauê Muratt | — | Complete Score · view |
| view | Contrapunctus XIX | — | — | — | Complete Score (Landscape) · view Complete Score (Portrait) · view Engraving files (sibelius) · view |
| view | Complete | Arrangement for strings | — | — | Complete Score (in original clefs) · view Complete Score (in modern clefs) · view Violin (Soprano) · view Violin (Alto) · view Viola (Alto) · view Violotta/Octave Violin (Tenor) · view Viola (Tenor) · view Cello (Bass) · view |
| view | Complete | Arrangement for 8 guitars |
— | — | Complete Score and Parts · view |
| view | Complete | Arrangement for 4 guitars |
— | — | Complete Score · view Complementary chorals · view Guitar 1 · view Guitar 2 · view Guitar 3 · view Guitar 4 · view |
| view | Complete | Arrangement for organ |
Martin Straeten | 2001 | Complete Score · view Engraving files (PMX, MusiXTeX) · view |
| view | Complete | Arrangement for piano |
Edition Peters | — | Complete Score · view |
| view | Complete | Arrangement for piano |
Edition Peters | — | Complete Score · view |
| view | Complete | Arrangement for piano |
Edition Peters | — | Complete Score · view |
| view | Complete | Arrangement for piano | Moscow: Muzyka | 1974 | Complete Score · view |
| view | Complete | Arrangement for keyboard |
Contrapunctus Press | 2021 | Complete Score (Reference Score, no fingering) · view Complete Score (Performance Score, with fingering) · view |
| view | Selections (Contrapunctus I-VII, IX-XII, Xa, Fuga a 3 Soggetti) | Arrangement for 2 violins, viola and cello |
— | — | Complete Parts · view Violin 1 · view Violin 2 · view Viola · view Cello · view |
| view | Selections: Contrapunctus I-XI, XIX | Arrangement for organ |
Werner Icking | — | Complete Score · view Engraving files (PMX) · view Complete Score (middle staff in Tenor clef) · view Engraving files (PMX) · view |
| view | Selections (Contrapunctus I, II, IV, IX, XVI rectus, XVI inversus) | Arrangement for 3 recorders 4 recorders |
— | — | Complete Score · view Descant Recorder · view Treble Recorder 1 · view Treble Recorder 2 · view Tenor Recorder · view Bass Recorder · view Engraving files (Encore) · view |
| view | Selections (Contrapunctus VI-VIII, XI and XVIII) | Arrangement for 4 recorders |
— | — | Contrapunctus VI-VII · view Contrapunctus VIII · view Contrapunctus XI · view Contrapunctus XVIII · view |
| view | Selections (Contrapunctus VIII and XIII) | Arrangement for violin, viola and cello |
— | — | Complete Score · view Complete Parts · view Violin · view Viola · view Cello · view |
| view | Selections: Contrapunctus I-V, VIII, XI; Canon I | Arrangement for piano |
Ruoshi Sun | 2022 | Contrapunctus I · view Contrapunctus II · view Contrapunctus III · view Contrapunctus IV · view Contrapunctus V · view Contrapunctus VIII · view Contrapunctus XI · view Canon per Augmentationem in Contrario Motu · view |
| view | Selections (Canons) | Arrangement for 2 violins, viola and cello |
— | — | Complete Score and Parts · view |
| view | Selections (Canons) | Arrangement for horn, trumpet, euphonium and tuba |
Hans Jorgen Messerschmidt | 2017 | Complete Score · view |
| view | Selections (Canons) | Arrangement for horn, trumpet and euphonium |
Hans Jorgen Messerschmidt | 2019 | Complete Score · view |
| view | Selections (Canons) | Arrangement for horn, trumpet and euphonium |
Hans Jorgen Messerschmidt | 2017 | Complete Score · view |
| view | Selections (Canons) | Arrangement for 2 recorders |
— | — | Complete Score · view Engraving files (Finale) · view |
| view | Selections (Canons) | Arrangement for keyboard |
— | — | Complete score · view |
| view | Contrapunctus I | Arrangement for orchestra |
— | — | Complete Score · view Complete Parts · view |
| view | Contrapunctus I | Arrangement for oboe, English horn, bass oboe and bassoon | — | — | Complete Score and Parts · view |
| view | Contrapunctus I | Arrangement for 2 violins, viola and cello | — | — | Complete Score and Parts · view |
| view | Contrapunctus I | Arrangement for piano | — | — | Complete Score · view |
| view | Fuga, alio modo Fuga | Arrangement for 2 keyboards |
— | — | Complete Score · view Piano 1 · view Piano 2 · view |
| view | Selections (Contrapunctus VIII) | Arrangement for keyboard |
Jean-Pierre Coulon | 2019 | Complete Score · view Complete Score, small print · view Engraving files (MusiXTex) · view |
| view | Contrapunctus XIV | Arrangement for 2 flutes, alto flute and bass flute |
— | — | Complete Score · view Complete Parts · view |
Recordings/Performances
| Details | Type | Section | Performers | Arranged for | Files | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| view | Synthesized | Complete | Glenn Gould (organ) | For Organ | Contrapunctus I · file Contrapunctus II · file Contrapunctus III · file Contrapunctus IV · file Contrapunctus V · file Contrapunctus VI · file Contrapunctus VII · file Contrapunctus VIII · file Contrapunctus IX · file |
|
| view | Synthesized | Complete | For Double Guitar Quartet (Nichifor) | Complete Performance · file | ||
| view | Synthesized | Complete | Marie-Claire Alain (performer) | For Organ, Strings, Continuo | Side 1 · file Side 2 · file Side 3 · file Side 4 · file |
|
| view | Synthesized | Selections | Christoph Lahme (harmonium) | For Harmonium | Contrapunctus I · file | |
| view | Synthesized | Selections | Christoph Lahme (harmonium) | For Harmonium | Contrapunctus IV · file | |
| view | Synthesized | Synthesized | Complete | — | Contrapunctus 1 · file Contrapunctus 2 · file Contrapunctus 3 · file Contrapunctus 4 · file Contrapunctus 5 · file Contrapunctus 6 a 4 in Stylo Francese · file Contrapunctus 7 a 4 per Augment et Diminut · file Contrapunctus 8 a 3 · file Contrapunctus 9 a 4. alla Duodecima · file Contrapunctus 10 a 4. alla Decima · file Contrapunctus 11 a 4 · file Contrapunctus 12 · file Contrapunctus 12 (inversion) · file Contrapunctus 10a a 4 · file Canon in Hypodiapason – Resolutio Canonis · file Canon in Hypodiatessaron al roversio e per augmentationem, perpetuus · file Canon alla Decima – Contrapunto alla Terza · file Canon alla Duodecima in Contrapunto alla Quinta · file Canon per Augmentationem in Contrario Motu · file Fuga a 2. Clav · file Alio moda Fuga a 2. Clav. · file Contrapunctus 19 – Fuga a 3 soggetti · file Choral. Wenn wir in hoechsten Noethen Canto Fermo in Canto · file |
|
| view | Synthesized | Synthesized | Selections | For 2 Recorders (Andreola) | Contrapunctus I · file Contrapunctus II · file Contrapunctus IV · file Contrapunctus IX · file Contrapunctus XVI rectus · file Contrapunctus XVI inversus · file |
|
| view | Synthesized | Synthesized | Selections | For Harpsichord (Muratt) | Contrapunctus XIX · file |
©2025 David P. Anderson