Review

Johann Sebastian Bach
Eight Little Fugues: BWV 553-560

Arranged by Ralph Sauer

Four trombones

Vancouver, BC, , Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2017
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre:

Ralph Sauer continues to make arrangement after arrangement for trombones, whether in ensembles or as solo instrument or indeed in a variety of arrangements. This version of Bach's Eight Little Fugues takes me back to my youth playing in school bands. Several of these fugues were available in arrangement for bands and represent the beginning of my awareness of, and learning about, Bach’s music. These fugues are from a collection, with accompanying preludes, called 8 Kleine Præludien und Fugen für Orgel [Eight Little Preludes and Fugues for Organ]. They are catalogued BWV 553-560.

The Preludes are not suitable for trombone ensemble, being generally quite keyboard-focused, which leaves the fugues in four parts. These are simply and cleanly arranged by Mr. Sauer and lowered a perfect fifth to a range suitable for trombones. The upper two parts are given in tenor clef, the lower two in bass clef. The following chart gives keys and ranges of each of the four parts.




Fugue
Number

Original
Key
Transcribed
Key
Range
Trombone 1
Range
Trombone 2
Range
Trombone 3
Range
Trombone 4



1

C major
F major
C1-a1
f-e1
c-e1
C-d



2

d minor
g minor
f-b1
B-flat-g1
F-a

GG-f




3.

e minor
a minor
f sharp-d2
B-a1
F-sharp-c1

BB-c1



4.
F major
B-flat major
a-c2
e-g1
F-b-flat

BB-flat-f




5.

G major
C major
g-sharp-c2
e-g1
G-g1
CC-g



6.

g minor
c minor
f-c2
c-e flat1
G-c1

G-c1



7.
a minor
d minor
f-d2
d-g1
F-e-flat1

AA-f



8.
B-flat major
E-flat major
g-b-flat1
c-g1
F-c1

BB-flat-f