Invention No. 15 in B minor BWV 786

About this work

In Invention No. 15 in B minor, BWV 786, the bass plays B on the first beat. The right hand starts with a quaver rest, then enters with two semiquavers, B and A sharp. This offset between the hands gives the phrase a suppleness that heavy accents on every beat would obscure.
The opening alternates more widely spaced notes with semiquaver groups. Practise the rests as precisely as the attacks: they show where each voice takes a breath. Sing the upper line while playing the bass, then exchange roles so that the left hand does not simply follow the right.
The printed ornaments and chromatic changes need careful reading. Before increasing the tempo, identify the arrival notes and the ties. A sustained note should last its full value while the other voice continues its figures; avoid blurring those durations with the pedal.

What the document contains

The 2-page PDF contains the complete keyboard Invention BWV 786, typeset by Allen Garvin from the Bach-Gesellschaft edition and distributed by Mutopia. The engraving is declared public domain. The PDF includes the printed ornament signs. A MIDI file accompanies the score.


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