Score Title

Andante (1st Movement)
Suite in C Minor (BWV 997)

Composer /
Arranger

ANDANTE (Preludio) is the first movement of J S Bach's Suite in C minor (BWV 997). Although this Suite is nowadays most often played on the lute, it was probably intended to be played on the now obsolete gut-strung harpsichord (Lauten-werk), though it may (like BWV 1006A) have been played on the triple harp. Bach owned two lute-harpsichords which are mentioned in the 1750 inventory of his estate, but according to contemporary sources, although the instrument sounded like the lute, it had the serious disadvantage of not being able to reproduce the dynamic gradations of either lute or harp. The wide range (2nd octave E flat to 6th octave C) and expressive possibilities of this movement make it ideally suited to performance on the harp, and phrasing and suggested dynamic gradations have been added in the present concert harp edition. An Urtext version, completed with Fuga, Sarabande, Gigue and Double is in preparation (August 2007).