Arrangement of 6 Preludes and Fugues by J.S. and W.F. Bach (K. Anh.C 21.02)
av Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart’s Arrangement of 6 Preludes and Fugues by J.S. and W.F. Bach (K. Anh.C 21.02) is a doubtful Vienna entry dated 1782, probably connected with his immersion in Baroque counterpoint at age 26. What survives in the record points less to an “orchestral” work than to a chamber-sized transcription tradition associated with K. 404a.
What Is Known
The Köchel appendix entry K. Anh.C 21.02 describes an arrangement of six paired preludes and fugues, attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) and dated to Vienna in 1782.[1] In modern performance and reference practice, this description overlaps with the better-known set circulated as K. 404a: six three-part fugues (after Johann Sebastian Bach and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach) coupled with six slow preludes (Adagio, Largo), some of which are thought to be newly composed as introductions.[2]
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Instrumentation for K. Anh.C 21.02 itself is not securely documented in the catalogue notice; however, the parallel K. 404a tradition is explicitly for string trio (violin, viola, cello).[2] Because the entry is doubtful, details such as an autograph manuscript, an exact scoring beyond “arrangement,” and a definitive list of source pieces remain uncertain in the absence of a clearly identified primary source.
Musical Content
Where K. Anh.C 21.02 reflects the same musical object as K. 404a, the musical idea is straightforward and revealing: learned three-voice fugues—drawn from Bach repertory—are recast for strings, and each is prefaced by a slow introduction that prepares the texture and affects the listener’s ear for strict counterpoint.[2] This mixture of “old-style” technique and a distinctly Classical sense for cantabile, harmonic pacing, and instrumental color fits neatly into Mozart’s Vienna moment of 1782, when he was actively absorbing fugal models alongside his own compositional projects.[3]
[1] Wikipedia: Köchel catalogue table listing Anh.C 21.02 (arrangement of 6 preludes and fugues; Vienna 1782).
[2] IMSLP: Preludes and Fugues, K.404a — instrumentation (string trio) and note that most fugues are arrangements after J.S./W.F. Bach; adagios as introductions.
[3] Bach Cantatas Website: overview of Mozart’s Bach arrangements/transcriptions, including the set described as 6 preludes and fugues for string trio (ex-K. 404a).