Bach | 15 Three-Part Inventions (Piano)

These 15 three-part inventions, or ‘sinfonias’ are taken from the Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772-801, also known as the Two- and Three-Part Inventions, a collection of 30 short keyboard compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). In addition to these sinfonias, the collection also includes 15 2-part inventions. All were originally written as musical exercises for his students, and both the two-part inventions and three part-inventions are published as separate volumes (both available from Waltons) by Edition Peters.

Bach himself described the collection:

‘Honest method, by which the amateurs of the keyboard – especially, however, those desirous of learning – are shown a clear way not only (1) to learn to play cleanly in two parts, but also, after further progress, (2) to handle three obligate parts correctly and well; and along with this not only to obtain good inventions (ideas) but to develop the same well; above all, however, to achieve a cantabile style in playing and at the same time acquire a strong foretaste of composition.’