Re: GG:Prelude and Fugue on the name B-A-C-H (BWV 898)

[Hans Alsters <h.alsters@let.kun.nl>]

Hi Brian,

The reason why there aren't many editions of this fugue is because Bach's
authorship is not certain. So i think when you play this piece at your exam
you should announce it with a big questionmark behind Bach's name.

I've made some scans from a few texts concidering this subject:

Schmieder, Bach Werke Verzeichnis:

898 Praeludium und Fuge B-dur ueber den Namen Bach 

Besetzung. Klavier. 

BGA XLII, 5. XXXIV. 

Hier nur die Incipits der beiden Saetze. - EZ und Echtheit: Spitta haelt
sie fuer echt und sieht in ihnen ein Jugendwerk aus dem ersten Jahrzehnt
des 18. Jhs. Gegen die Echtheit sprachen sich aus: Johannes Schreyer und
Werner Danekert (s.u. Literatur); und da die schroffe Stellungnahme Forkels
gegen die Veroeffentlichung der Fuge in einem Brief an den Verlag
Hoffmeister & Kuehnel in dieselbe Richtung geht und auch durch neuere
Ansichten (Hermann Kelier, Georg von Dadelsen) gestuetzt wird, ist ein
allgemeiner Consensus der Ablehnung festzustellen. 

[The general opinion is that the prelude and fugue are not authentic]

Eine beweiskraeftige Begruendung liegt indessen noch nicht vor.

[However, they cannot proof it.]



G. Henle Verlag: J.S. Bach, Fantasien, Praeludien und Fugen

Preface

The present volume contains the Fantasies and the individual Preludes and
Fugues for pianoforte that are not included in the volume "Little Preludes
and Fuguettes". With the exception of the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue and
tbc C-minor Fantasy, all these single works have until now been
overshadowed by the great cycles and collections, by the Well-tempered
Clavier, the Suites, the Inventions and Sinfonias, and the different parts
of the "Clavierübung" (Keyboard Practice). The reason for this is not so
much to be found in the musical value of the individual pieces, which
certainly varies, but in the fact that Bach's authorship of a large number
of them has repeatedly been questioned. Since it is the primary object of a
new edition to restore confidenee in the authenticity of these individual
works, only those have been included which, after critical examination, may
be considered genuine. Therefore the following works listed in Wolfgang
Schmieder's Index of Bach's Works (BWV) have been disregarded: BWV 896-898,
905, 907-909, 920,921, 945, 956-960 und 962. In doubtful cases, however, we
have placed greater trust in the testimony of the sources than in the
criteria of style criticism. For we know too little regarding the style,
particularly of Bach's early works, to be able to distinguish, with
certainty, the genuine from the spurious.  

Since it is sunday i'm not able to check the NBA (Neue Bach Ausgabe) at the
library. Maybe they have some more useful remarks.

Hans Alsters.