Description

This is an arrangement for saxophones of the Fugue by J.S.Bach from the “Fantasia & Fugue in G Minor” (BWV542), and a perfect example of the genre whose definition is “music where strands of melody are woven together into a rich texture”.

It is generally agreed that Bach wrote the whole work for performance in Hamburg when he went there from Weimar in 1720, and performed for the 97-year-old Hamburg organist, Reinken. The original Fantasia was derived in style from Buxtehude, but the theme of the jolly Fugue featured here is based on one by Reinken himself – or is at least a tribute to the old man’s Dutch connections.

Whatever the history of the music, in this arrangement the players are driven at a furious pace from bar 1 to bar 229, the melody line artfully dovetailed between all the parts, making for a piece that demands playing again and again.

The Fugue in G minor is also available as a saxophone trio, a saxophone quintet and has even been expanded by Nigel Wood for the National Saxophone Choir with instruments ranging from Soprillo to Tubax and all in between.

The E-Edition PDF bundle comes with the following parts:

Clarinet 1 in Bb
Clarinet 2 in Bb
Clarinet 3 in Bb
Clarinet 4 in Bb
Bass Clarinet in Bb

“Fugue in G minor” is also available in hard-copy from June Emerson Wind Music.