J .S. Bach’s Invention 11 BWV 782 is a work exploring the scale of G minor. The chromatic element is quite strong and the resulting accidentals make this a challenging score to read. The playback score has a tempo of 64 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. It is a movement that can be played at an even slower tempo than 64 bpm. Legato playing is needed in a performance although there is scope to broaden the detail of how the notes are articulated. Any exaggerated playing should be avoided. The music editor has avoided ornaments occurring in both voices at the same time. The PlentyMusic principle when it comes to adding ornaments to music scores is to follow and more or less and imitate current modern performance practice. Ornaments are applied consistently although there is scope for players to make some additions particularly at important cadence points in movements where the option of more notes in the cadential trill can be explored. This is particularly the case in music played at relative slow tempi. In the video score the ornaments have been written out as they sound in the realisation to represent exactly what is being played. This invention provides an excellent opportunity for players to become familiar with the scale of G minor in both its harmonic and melodic minor forms. Players will possibly need to edit their scores with reminders about accidentals within the bar. The Bach Inventions are generally intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. Playing levels will perhaps need to be reviewed when different instrument combinations are involved. There is opportunity to distribute the weight between the hands to give prominence to the entries of thematic material. Pianists will find it rewarding to listen to performances of this invention on streaming platforms to get a sense of how important an aspect of piano playing this is. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing a sound and secure keyboard technique. When played in an ensemble context there is not much other music that can better prepare players for this type of music activity. Those learning how to use music notation software will find this another excellent study to copy simply because of the many accidentals that require attention.
