Fugue XXII (from WTC Book I)-Johann Sebastian Bach

A carefully crafted arrangement of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Fugue XXII in B-flat minor, BWV 867, from Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier, adapted for brass quintet. The arrangement brings Bach’s intricate contrapuntal writing into a rich and powerful chamber setting while preserving the clarity and structure of the original fugue.

The individual voices are thoughtfully distributed throughout the ensemble, allowing the subject and its successive entries to remain clear while creating a balanced and expressive brass texture. The different registers of the instruments also bring new colors to Bach’s lines, from warm and restrained passages to the fuller sonority of the ensemble.

Particular attention has been given to articulation, phrasing, dynamics, and the independence of each contrapuntal voice. The result is a challenging but rewarding arrangement that combines the intellectual precision of Bach’s writing with the distinctive sonority and expressive possibilities of a brass quintet.

Instrumentation: 2 Trumpets in B♭, Horn, Trombone, and Tuba.