The importance of the Art of Fugue, a late work of Bach, is undisputed. The composer died while preparing it to be printed. The work has been given the highest recognition by musicians and music lovers ranging from his contemporaries to the present day. This stands in sharp contrast to the reception of the work. It is scarcely to be found in the piano repertoire or in concert programs and, above all, it is almost entirely absent from the curriculum in the study of music.

One the reasons for this – the technical demands which the fugues and canons present – has been addressed with the present edition of the work. The four-voiced notation of the score from the first edition has been distributed over two pianos, and each piano part is allotted its own score. This follows the model of Bach, who arranged Contrapunctus 13, the three-voiced mirror fugue, for two harpsichords.Thus each player has two voices to play – somewhat on the level of difficulty of the two-part inventions – and these parts present no extraordinary technical demands.

The goal of this edition is to give pianists and music lovers, but above all music students the possibility to get to know this work, one of the greatest work of music literature, by playing it and reaping the rewards of “incredible” musical experiences and knowledge.

Edited by Siegfried Petrenz