Society For Music Theory: B, BWV

Society for Music Theory
Bach's Partita No. 1 in B, BWV 825: Schenker's Unpublished Sketches with Commentary and
Alternative Readings
Author(s): David Beach
Source: Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Spring 2008), pp. 1-34
Published by: on behalf of the Society for Music Theory
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/mts.2008.30.1.1 .
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1
Bachs Partita No. 1 in B
, BWV 825: Schenkers

Unpublished Sketches with Commentary
and Alternative Readings
david beach
The article is an in-depth study of Bachs Partita No. 1, taking Schenkers unpublished sketches
(Oster Collection: Papers of Heinrich Schenker, le 69, pages 435) as a point of departure. Schenkers
sketches (ca.1925) are presented in transcription and their contents discussed, providing the basis
for alternative readings.
Keywords: Bach, Oster, Schenker, Partita, harmony, structural interpretation
T
he point of departure for this article is close
examination and evaluation of Heinrich Schenkers
unpublished study of Bachs Partita No.1 in B
, BWV
825. These materials are part of The Oster Collection: Papers of
Heinrich Schenker (le 69, pages 435), housed in the Music
Division of the New York Public Library. They consist of
reductions with analytic overlay and sketchesin various
stages of completionof all movements (pp. 412)
1
and
written commentary in the hand of Schenkers wife, Jeanette,
of the Praeludium and part of the Allemande.
2
Several refer-
ences are made in the written commentary and in the graphs
to elucidations [Erluterungen]one in the text specically
to Figure 8which appear at the end of the nal issue of
Der Tonwille (October 1924).
3
Thus it seems likely that
these materials date from the period shortly thereafter, per-
haps in the following year.
The B
Partita is particularly rich in intermovement asso-

ciations. In a recent book, I pointed to three such character-
istics that are readily apparent to the trained musician (2005,
1520). The rst of these is the striving for the high B
, as
one nds, for example, in the opening measures of the
Praeludium and the Allemande. Second is the use of
7,
which is so pervasive as to assume the role of a repeated
motive. And, nally, several of the movements contain mod-
ulations to the submediant (G minor). It was suggested in
Aspects of Unity that this emphasis on vi might be interpreted
as part of a large-scale descending arpeggiation from the
tonic: IviIV. While this may be true from a purely harmonic
perspective, we shall see that vi also functions in some of these
movements as neighboring to a prolonged dominant. That is,
1 The reverse sides of pages 10 and 12 show sketches, both crossed out,
of another work in B
, the Variationen und Fuge ber ein Thema von

Hndel, Op. 24, of Johannes Brahms.
2 Pages 1329 are commentary on the Praeludium and the next three
pages are concerned with the rst part of the Allemande. However, the
discussion breaks off suddenly at the bottom of page 32, and the next
three pages (marked a, b, c as well as 33, 34, 35) return once again to
the Praeludium. It appears as if they were intended to be inserted into
or substituted for portions of the earlier discussion.
3 These Erluterungen are, in essence, the core of Schenkers conception
of musical structure at this time.
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 1
vi may have differing functions, just as the dominant that
falls at the end of the rst part of the binary form may or
may not be structural, depending on context.
4
Schenkers sketches as well as the commentary reveal his
keen awareness of motivic associations both within and
among the various movements of the Partita. Motivic paral-
lelisms within a movement are often indicated on the
sketches by brackets, as in his later works, but also occasion-
ally by slurs and special symbols, while associations between
movements are indicated by comments in the margins.
Though never stated explicitly, it is clear from the sketches
that Schenker had the idea that all but one of the move-
ments share not only motivic connections but also the same
fundamental line, the descent of an octave. While the octave
does play an important role throughouteven, in some in-
stances, at the structural levelthere can be little doubt that
Schenker would have changed his mind about this and other
matters if he had returned to this project some years later as
his conception of musical structure evolved. Though there
may be several reasons why the project was abandoned, it
seems reasonable to assert a realization that his original con-
ception was awed. This is perhaps already evident in his
sketch of the Gigue, where we nd evidence of conicting
readings from both 5 and 8. These sketches are works in
progress, not nished products, a fact that we must keep in
mind in our evaluation of them. Though awed in some
respects, at least as measured in relation to his later ideas as
expressed in Free Composition (1935), they are valuable
sources of information about Schenkers working method at
this stage in his development and most certainly valuable for
the insights they provide into this wonderful work.
The following discussion will treat each movement in the
order of its appearance in the Partita. First we will examine
in detail Schenkers sketches (and commentary where it ex-
ists), which are reproduced here in transcription.
5
Along the
way, differences regarding concepts and graphing technique
in relation to his later works will be indicated. In each case
this will be followed by an alternative reading based on how
I think Schenker might have interpreted the same move-
ment some years later. In considering these alternative read-
ings, the reader must understand that they are ultimately my
interpretations, not Schenkers.
6,7
praeludium
Schenkers sketches of this movement are found on pages
4 and 5 of le 69 of the Oster Collection. Since page 4 is
clearly the more nished product based on the rougher
sketches of page 5, only it is reproduced here in transcription
as Example 1.
8
2 music theory spectrum 30 (2008)
5 Measure numbers have been added where they do not exist in the orig-
inal to make it easier to follow the commentary.
6 In my commentary and sketches I have retained my own use of roman
numerals to designate harmonies, which differs from Schenkers. For
example, where Schenker writes III
followed by vi, I will indicate this

by V of vivi (long form) or [V] vi (shorthand).
7 There are several individuals I would like to thank for their assistance in
preparing this article. First is David Peter Coppin, Special Collections
Librarian and Archivist, Sibley Music Library, Eastman School of
Music, who provided me with a very clear printout from the microlm
of these pages from the Oster Collection. Second is my student, Ina
Henning, who provided a transcription of the commentary in Jeanette
Schenkers hand, making it easier to read. Third is Ian Bent, who
helped decipher some of Schenkers comments in the margins. And
last, and most important of all, is Edward Laufer, who generously
shared his sketches of and thoughts on this work. Though we did not
always agree, Edwards insights inevitably stimulated me to consider
other possibilities and to dig even deeper.
8 Pages 4 and 6 of le 69, transcribed here as Example 1 (Praeludium) and
Example 3 (Allemande), are in the hand of Schenkers student Angi Elias.
4 As a general rule, the dominant that occurs at the close of the rst part
of a rounded binary movement, as one nds in the music of the classi-
cal period, is structural, that is, prolonged until the interruption.
However, in baroque binary movements, where the motion is continu-
ous (e.g., without interruption), this dominant may be structural, but
also may be a divider, thus functioning to prolong the tonic. We will
encounter both situations in the B
Partita.
MTS3001_01 7/25/08 4:44 AM Page 2
bachs partita no. 1 in b
, BWV 825 3
The commentary begins with the three-level gure at the
bottom of the page. The rst level shows Schenkers inter-
pretation of the Ursatz, with 8, 6, and 5 set in octaves and 7
in tenths or thirds. The interpolation of a fth between 6
and 5 eliminates octaves, which leads Schenker to a lengthy
consideration of why the 8-5-8 progression was not used
with 7. In short, the answer lies in part in the requirements
of tonality. An 8-5-8 progression here would require a stable
triad on VII as well as its dominant, both chords outside the
key. Furthermore, if the diatonic chord on VII had occurred
in place of the dominant, this would have eliminated the pos-
sibility of a parallel motivic statement as we now have be-
tween the top voice (measures 12) and bass (measures 46).
9
The rst level of diminution is shown at (b). Prominent
at this level is the motive of a rising third followed by a de-
scending fourth, which falls between 8 and 7, 7 and 6, and
between 2 and 1.
10
As shown at (c), the initial descending
third to D
5
occurs in conjunction with a cadential progres-
sion before the descending motion of a fourth in parallel
tenths with the bass. This level reveals the extension of 7 rst
by the rising third as the harmony is transformed from V to
III
(V of vi) prior to the full statement of the diminution

motive leading to the cadence on vi. This same rising third
idea is then repeated from the inner-voice tone E
4
(II
3) as
the fundamental line is transferred to the upper register,
which, according to Schenker, was done to prevent the
Urlinie from closing in the lower register.
The nal representation [Urlinietafel] presents a detailed
reduction of the voice leading with a number of analytic ad-
ditions (slurs, dotted lines, and brackets) as well as an indica-
tion of the underlying harmony corresponding with that
shown at level (c) below. For the most part, the contents of
this level are self-explanatory, but there are three matters
that warrant comment. First is the slur connecting D
5
to B
4
in measures 34. At this place elsewhereon page 5 and
below at levels (b) and (c)the slur continues to A
4
, but
here there is evidence of an erasure and a clear separation of
B
4
from the following A
4
, the result being a conict between
melodic line and supporting bass. There is no explanation for
this in the commentary, though it is reasonable to speculate
that it is symptomatic of the conict inherent at level (b)
below, as noted in footnote 10. Second, Schenker clearly
marks the parallelism between the diminished fths C
6
-F
5
in measures 79 and B
5
-E
5
in measures 1011, and despite
his reading of the fundamental line here, he acknowledges in
the commentary that the B
5
(measure 11) harkens to the
C
6
of measure 7. As we shall see, this has implications for a
different reading of the fundamental line. Finally, toward the
end of the commentary, Schenker makes an interesting ob-
servation about the form of the Praeludium in relation to
repetitions of the opening diminution motive of an ascending
octave. This idea occurs in three pairs, rst on I (measures 12)
and V (measures 46), then in abbreviated form leading rst
to vi and then to the cadence on V, and nally at the end on
V (measures 1718) and I (measures 1921), which he likens
to three clamps that hold the piece together.
A salient feature of this movement is the motion to the
high B
(B
5
), rst stated in measures 12 and restated at the
very end, where the subdominant is given greater emphasis
by the employment of
7. B
5
in measure 2, the goal of the as-
cending octave, is the most likely candidate for the primary
tone, and I am condent that Schenker would have desig-
nated it as 8, not the opening B
in the lower register as he

has done here, if he had returned to this project some years
later. Neither F
5
(5) nor D
5
(3) are likely candidates to
9 The gure at the right, which receives no commentary, presents the di-
atonic sequence by descending fth supporting a descending top voice
from 8.
10 Schenkers notation of the initial two statements of the rising third-
descending fourth pattern shown at (b) is interesting in relation to his
later practice. The fourths indicated by slurs consist of thirds plus a step
corresponding to the harmonic support, and thus in later practice
Schenker would have used slurs to group the thirds within the descend-
ing fourths, as he has done with the second statement of the pattern
below at (c), and brackets above to indicate the parallelism. A similar
situation is found at levels (a) and (b) in Example 3.
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 3
example 1. Praeludium (Oster Collection, 69/4)
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[Urlinietafel]
5
V I

,
15
II
V I IV I II V
3
,
Fig.

^
6
^
7
^
5
^
8
^
4
^
3
^
2
^
1
8 10 5 8 8 5
1 4 11 14 T. 16 17 19
II
3
I V (Dg) III
VI V I II V I
(a)
(b)
(c)
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 4
, BWV 825 5
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(Dg.) III
VI II
20
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usw.
g.
^
8
^
7
^
6
^
5
example 1. [continued]
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 5
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^
8
8
ve
10 10 10
8
ve
6
5
6 7 (5) 6 7 6 7 6
I I V
^
8
^
7 ^
6 ^
5
11 14
6
4
7
5
5
6
7
6
4
7
5
I
7 ,
[V
7
] vi [ii
6
] V [V] V
8
19
V
^
4
^
3
^
2
^
1
8
ve
V
7
I ii
6
7
5
3
7 6 6
4
I
7
5
3
6
4
7
5
3
6
4
(I IV
7 ,
)
6
IV (I
6
)
6
5
ii V I

V
10
example 2. Praeludium
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 6
challenge the supremacy of B
5
(8). While F
5
does receive
emphasis (measures 6 and 14), it is always in relation to V, not
I. And while D
5
is prominent on the downbeat of measure 3,
it belongs to an inner part below B
5
, and later (measure 16)
it occurs mid-phrase as part of a descending motion leading
to closure. A second change Schenker would most likely
have made some years later would be to read the retention of
8 through the cadence on vi in measure 11, not a descent to
6 at that point, which, in fact, is not correct even in the lower
register. So, if 8 is retained through measure 11 and assuming
the structural line reaches 5 at the cadence on V in measure
14, as indicated by Schenker, where are 7 and 6? The answer
lies in the resolution of the diminished fth B
5
-E
5
, which
requires A
5
-F
5
and its continuation to the cadence. However,
here 7 and 6 occur only in the lower register, and thus in
Example 2my own interpretation of this movementthey
are placed in parentheses in the upper register.
11
Certain features of Example 2 warrant comment. First,
not withstanding the motivic parallels indicated by
Schenker at level (b) on Example 1, I hear the D
5
on the
downbeat of measure 3 resulting from a descent of a third
from F
5
, which divides the opening octave ascent to B
5
,
not a motion from below. This D
5
then descends in paral-
lel tenths with the bass, decorated with 7-6 suspensions, to
A
4
over V. However, as shown in Example 2, this A
4
may
be considered an inner-voice tone below an implied C
5
,
which is subsequently transferred to the C
6
through the
intervening F
5
, which becomes F
in the transformation of
V to III
(V of vi). This C
6
is the upper neighbor to B
5
in
measure 2 and its re-articulation in measure 11. Because of
the level of detail in Example 2, it has not been possible on
this graph to show the inner-voice descent of a third from
D
5
(measure 3) to C
5
(measure 4, implied by context),
which is subsequently picked up several measures later as
the seventh of V
7
of vi, to B
4
(measure 11). This inner-
voice descent from D
5
becomes particularly prominent in
Menuet I.
We have already discussed the approach to the cadence
on V in measure 14, and from that point on Example 2 is
consistent with Example 1. As shown by Schenker, the re-
turn to G
5
, supported by subdominant harmony on the
downbeat of measure 15, does not function directly as the
upper neighbor of 5 here, but rather as the upper third of
E
5
(4), the seventh of the controlling dominant harmony.
From there the line moves quickly toward closure, only to
, BWV 825 7
11 I want to make it clear that all my graphs presented here, though dif-
ferent in some respects from Schenkers, owe much to his incomplete
and unpublished study of this Partita.
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N
V of vi
7
5
8 8
7
7
5
8
7
7
5 6
^
4
4
3
IV I V
7
,
10
5 6
10
7 6
10
7 6
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 7
be delayed at the last moment by the reinstatement of the
opening diminution motive over a prolonged dominant.
Once closure is achieved (downbeat of measure 19), we
hear the octave ascent B
4
-B
5
over the prolonged tonic in
answer to the opening gesture of the movement, here with
a strong internal emphasis on IV. The subtle introduction
of the chromatic passing tone G
in the inner part during

this closing gesture foreshadows its more dramatic use to
emphasize the dominant in the closing measures of the
Gigue.
allemande
Schenkers sketches of this movement are found on pages
68 of the Oster Collection, ranging from nal version
(page 6) to preliminary notes (page 8). The rst of these, a
corrected version of page 7, is transcribed here as Example 3,
but with two additionsapparently inadvertently omitted
taken from the earlier version. The rst of these is the designa-
tion of scale degrees of the fundamental line as well as the
parenthetical A
5
and G
5
at the cadence on the dominant in
measures 1617 of the detailed graph [Urlinietafel]. The second
is the designation of 8 7 6 5 and the indication to read these an
octave higher than notated above level (a) of the two-level
graph below, which reveals Schenkers interpretation of the
fundamental line, an octave descent from B
5
to B
4
, divided
at F
5
(5), and its harmonic support. To the right are different
aspects of measures 3236, that is, from the cadence on ii in
measure 32 to closure on the downbeat of measure 36.
The surviving commentary, three hand-written pages
which break off suddenly in mid-sentence, is concerned
almost exclusively with details of the rst part of the move-
ment. First, Schenker notes that the fundamental line is an
octave, with the primary tone established in measure 4 in
the upper register by the progression F
5
-B
5
. Immediately
following the transfer of B
to the lower register in measure

4, the harmony progresses to the submediant, and Schenker
comments on the use of the four-two chord on the downbeat
of measure 5 as a means of making the transition smoother
by avoiding the direct chromatic inection of the F to F
.
12
An important consequence of the appearance of this inter-
vening chord is the establishment of the descending-third
motive G
4
-F
4
-E
4
, imitations of which are indicated in sub-
sequent measures of the Urlinietafel by brackets. Following
the prolongation of B
in the lower register by its upper

neighbor note, B
is reinstated in the upper register, now

supported by vi (ii in the key of the dominant), from which
point the line descends a diminished fth to E
. At the last
moment, E
is dropped to the lower register, from which

point the space to the point of origin, B
5
, is lled in by an
ascending step-wise motion broken into thirds. The dotted
slur above the Urlinietafel shows the connection between B
5
in measure 4 (8) with B
5
in measure 16, which is now sev-
enth of the dominant harmony in the key of the dominant.
It is the resolution of this dissonant seventh, which is mo-
mentarily transferred to the bass, that predicts A
5
(7) and its
continuation to the cadence on V.
13
Schenkers graph makes
it clear that he hears the downbeat of measure 17 as the
point of arrival, which is subsequently prolonged by the
octave descent F
5
-F
4
conrming the establishment of 5/V.
Part 2 follows the same structural path as part 1, now at
the fth, until the cadence on ii (C minor) in measure 32.
That is, the octave (now F
5
) becomes the seventh of II
7
(V
7
of V) in the key of the dominant leading to the cadential pat-
tern in measures 3132, which Schenker reads as analogous
to the earlier cadence in measures 1617. Furthermore, inter-
nal to this progression, the last note of the diminished fth,
F
5
-B
4
, is dropped to the lower octave followed by the step-
wise ascent back to F
5
, just as occurred with the diminished
fth, B
5
-E
5
, in part 1. The difference is that the goal of this
12 Here Schenker refers us to C.P.E. Bachs comments on the chord of the
second. See Bach 1753, 1762/1949, 252ff.
13 The situation here is analogous to the interpretation provided in
Example 2 for the passage leading to the cadence on the dominant
(measures 1114) of the Praeludium.
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 8
, BWV 825 9
motion is not the eventual goal of the phrase, as it was in part
1. Instead we have arrived at 2/ii, requiring completion of the
progression to harmonic and melodic closure. As indicated by
his notation below the staff, Schenker reads the material be-
tween ii and V within measures 3135the support for 2
as parenthetical. (The material belowto the right of level
(a) of his two-level representation of the overall structure
reveals his interpretation of these measures.) The nal three
measures conrm the point of arrival, while at the same time
introducing chromatic elements that become more promi-
nent in subsequent movements.
With one possible exception, Schenkers interpretation of
the Allemande is consistent with what he might have produced
some years later. The one exception is the cadence in measures
3132. To be sure, this cadence is the parallel of the one in
measures 1617, and thus it seems logical to interpret them in
a parallel manner. But there is an important difference. In mea-
sures 1617, F
5
/V is the goal of the phrase, which is immedi-
ately conrmed by the octave progression involving
7 in the
local key. But this is not true in measures 3132, and the con-
tinuation of the phrase to the true goal suggests the possibility
of a different interpretation. Stated somewhat differently, we
are led by circumstance to hear the weakly represented descent
to F
5
as structural in measures 1617, but that is not necessarily
the case at the equivalent place later on, where the continuation
of the phrase provides much greater support for the structural
descent. As shown in Example 4, a graph of part 2 only, C
5
on
the downbeat of measure 32 may be heard as an inner-voice
tone,
14
the resolution of B
4
; and the following E
5
, as the reso-
lution of F
5
on the downbeat of measure 31. According to this
alternative reading, the function of ii is to provide consonant
support for E
5
before its reintroduction as 4, that is, as seventh
of the prolonged dominant. Meanwhile, E
5
is prolonged by
reaching up to G
5
and a descent back to E
5
, a motion that is
heard several times in the Partita. The covering motion A
5
-G
5
of measures 3334 is restated in measure 36, but here as part of
an ascent to B
5
in imitation of the opening gesture of the
movement. The motivic reference partitions the octave into
two segments, the upper fourth and lower fth.
No matter how we might interpret the cadence in measure
32, the discussion above assumes that Schenker is correct in
reading the fundamental line of this movement as an octave
descent from B
5
, which is established in measure 4. But are
there other reasonable choices, particularly considering that 7
and 6 are not clearly articulated in the upper register, but
rather implied by context? Why not a reading from 5 (F
5
)
with the motion to B
5
as covering? The answer is simple
enough. Once B
5
is established (measure 4) and subsequently
reharmonized by vi (measure 6), the line descends by step
through A
5
, G
5
, F
5
to E
4
in parallel tenths with the bass. The
line is generated from B
5
, not F
5
, and the unfolding of a di-
minished fth from this B
5
requires resolution to A
5
(7)/V.
corrente
With the previous two movements we have the benet not
only of written commentary but also of two or three stages of
analysis, culminating in each case in one that we may take as
denitive. However, beginning with the Corrente, we have
only a single page of notesa preliminary sketchof each
movement. Nevertheless, these are sufcient for us to obtain
a clear picture of Schenkers interpretation of each move-
ment. The single page on the Corrente (Oster Collection, le
69, page 8 reverse) is transcribed as Example 5.
15
14 Part 2 begins from the inner-voice tone C
4
, which resolves downward
to B
4
two measures later, supported by vi, before progressing back to
C
4
in measure 32 via B
4
.
15 The notation of the bottom system may not be accurate due to the
quality of the reproduction. That is, some of the note heads without
stems may very well have them, but they are too faint to read accurately.
Likewise, the bass in measures 3940 and several words added by
Schenker are too faint to decipher. Though it would be useful to have
this information, what is clearly legible is more than sufcient to un-
derstand his overall interpretation at this stage in the analytic process.
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 9
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[Urlinietafel]
[5]
^
8
[20] [25]
(F: II I
(I III
2
VI
Quintzug
(5 5)
VI
3
,
V (
V)
3
^
8

8
^
7
^
6
^
5

7

6
4
5
3 (5
II
I VI V V VI II V I
(a)
(b)
)
example 3. Allemande (Oster Collection, 69/6)
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 10
, BWV 825 11
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[10] [15]
[30] [35]
3
^
7
2
^
6
1
^
5
^
4
^
3
^
2
^
1
I
6
4
5
3
V
II
V)
I
5
3
6
4
8
3
7
2
V IV)
I V IV (V I
7
,
II

,

MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 11
Schenker interprets the fundamental line as an octave be-
ginning from B
4
on the downbeat of measure 1. This B
is
covered by a motion from D
5
to F
5
and a return to D
5
on the
downbeat of measure 5. From there the line progresses once
again up to F
5
, this time through E
, and eventually up to its

upper neighbor note G
5
before leaping down a sixth to recap-
ture B
4
, now as seventh of II
7
(V
7
of V) which resolves to A
4
(7)/V. In short, 8, supported by tonic harmony in measure 1,
becomes the dissonant seventh of a C major harmony in
measure 17, which then resolves to A
4
(7) in measure 18.
Scale degree seven is subsequently prolonged by its upper
neighbor note before progressing through 6 to 5 in measure
24. The symbols above the closing measures of part 1 and the
opening measures of part 2 do not denote inequality, but
rather the opposite: they indicate a linkage between the two
sections.
Schenkers addition of the word berbau above the open-
ing measures of part 2 indicates that the structure has been
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^
5
^
4
^
3
35
32
6
5
8 7 7
[V
7
V
7
] ii I
7 ,
IV
V
8
I
7
N

^
3
^
2
^
1

4th
5th
6
4
8
5
3
7 (6 7 , 7 8
I I V
19
10 7
10
10
7
7
10
10
7
7
10
10
7
7
example 4. Allemande, part 2
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 12
, BWV 825 13
transferred to the upper register, conrming his indication of
F
5
as 5. The rst gesture of part 2 transforms V into III
7
(V
7
of vi) setting up the expectation of vi (G minor), which is ul-
timately achieved some 12 measures later. Schenkers nota-
tionboth the slur and the addition of the roman numeral
Isuggests that the B
harmony four measures later is signif-

icant, though its place in the overall structure is claried by
the single-staff sketch added at the end. Here we can see that
its function is to introduce the subdominant harmony sup-
porting G
5
, the upper neighbor note, as intervening harmony
between F
5
/V and F
5
/III
on its way to stabilization of G

5
,
supported by vi. (The symbol between the G
5
/IV and F
5
/III
indicates that the intervening material has been omitted.)

That is, the overall motion of the rst seventeen measures of
this section is an enlargement of its initial ve measures. In
each case, the bass is F
2
-E
2
-D
2
supporting F
5
-G
5
-F
5
/F
4
.
Looking once again at Schenkers detailed representation
of this extended passage, there are certain features that war-
rant comment. The notations [3 4 4] in measures 1315 of
this section and [ ] in the following two measures indicate
the neighbor-note motive F
-G-F
, and later (measures

4849) the notation 3 2 and the corresponding note values
after the G minor cadence highlight the hemiola pattern cre-
ated by the underlying voice leading of the top part, where
G
5
is introduced on the third quarter of the rst of the two
measures and the F
5
on the second quarter of the following
one. The cadence on vi supports the upper neighbor G
5
that
returns here to 5, which is to be understood as present at the
return to V in the next measure. From there, the inner-voice
tone A
4
progresses up to E
5
(4) over the prolonged domi-
nant, and the fundamental line then descends to closure, ap-
parently, in Schenkers view, via D
3), a chromatic element

that had been introduced in passing in the Allemande and
that becomes even more prominent in the Gigue. The nota-
tion 4 3 2 1 above the system, which is clearly implied by the
sketch to the right, has been added for clarication.
There are many valuable insights provided by Schenkers
analysis of this very complex movement, but most likely
he would have reconsidered some of his initial impres-
sions, beginning with his interpretation of the fundamen-
tal line, had he returned to this project some years later.
The opening B
4
does indeed progress downward to F
4
in
measure 28 as shown by Schenker, but this motion is best
understood as an inner voice. A logical case can probably
be made for either 3 (D
5
) or 5 (F
5
) as primary tone.
Regarding the rst of these possibilities, D
5
is rmly es-
tablished on the downbeat of measure 4, and this D
5
is un-
derstood to progress to C
5
(2)at least conceptually
over the cadence on V. In this scenario, the motion to F
5
via E
5
is interpreted as covering the main line. As we
progress into part 2, C
5
becomes destabilized as seventh of
the D major harmony, requiring its eventual resolution to
B
4
at the G minor cadence in measure 46. This B
4
then
progresses to A
4
supported by the dominant in measure
50, which eventually resolves to B
4
(1) in measure 57. The
cadence on vi, the goal of the preceding motion, must
eventually be understood within this scenario as neighbor-
ing to a prolonged dominant. It provides consonant sup-
port for B
4
within the third C
5
-B
4
-A
4
, thus prolonging 2
until its resolution to 1.
While this interpretation has merit, I have chosen to
present a reading from 5, the main reason being the descent
from G
5
, the upper neighbor note, which is strongly im-
plied at the cadence on vi and then stated explicitly two
measures later supported by the subdominant harmony. As
shown in Example 6, F
5
(5) is rst achieved in measure 3
(though anticipated at the submetric level in measure 1)
and then, following a descent to D
5
in measure 5, rein-
stated in measure 9 via the ascending third D
5
-E
5
-F
5
. This
F
5
is prolonged by its upper neighbor G
5
until its return in
measure 18 as the inner-voice tone B
4
resolves to A
4
. The
prolongation of this G
5
is accomplished rst by a descent of
a fth in parallel motion with the bass connecting the har-
monies ii
6
and V in the key of the dominant and then rein-
stated by the ascending third E
5
-F
5
-G
5
and its extension
by neighbor note over the sustained C major harmony.
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 13
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[ ]
`
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^
8
[5] [10]
berbau
[30] [35] [40]
[50] [55] [60]
^
5
5 6 5 6
^
4
^
3
,
^
2
^
1
V
II
3
I
I
example 5. Corrente (Oster Collection, 69/8 reverse)
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 14
, BWV 825 15
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[ ]

^
7
^
3
^
6
^
5
[15] [20] [25]
Nbn
(Nbn)
[45]
^
6
^
5
Nbn
6
5
5 5
[3 4 4 ] [ ]
3 2 x

^
5
^
6
^
5
I
V
II V I
I/VI
VI
IV V I II V
IV V I II V I IV
V
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 15
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,

^
5
5th
13
4
3
5 6 6
5 6
6 6
6
6
ii V
I
1 2 3 4 , 1
(1
2
2
3
3
4
4
, 1
5
2
6
3
7
4
8)
, 1 2 3
^
5 P
33 38
1
(1
1 2 3 4 , 2
2
3
3
4
4
, 1
5
2
6
3
7
4
8
, 1
4
2
6 7 , 7 7 , 7 7 7

7
P
V
1 2 3 4 5
^
3
^
2
^
1
6 6
V I
56
)
ii
example 6. Corrente
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 16
, BWV 825 17
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N
N

18 24 28
I I
6
ii V
6
ii V
6
5
V
4 5 , 1
10 10
2 3 4
N
5 6 1 2 3 4 5
^
5
^
4
^
3 N
43 46 54
2 3 4 , 5 1 2 3 4 , 1 2 3 4 5 6 1
8 7
5
6 6
2
4 6 6
[V] vi IV
V
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 17
Following the cadence on the dominant in measure 18, the
inner-voice tone A
4
is prolonged by its upper neighbor B
4
in measure 28. The bracket below measures 2426 indi-
cates a harmonic parallel with the opening three measures
of the movement, a pattern that is repeated once again at
the close of the movement.
Interpretation of the voice-leading organization of the
second part of the movement provides several challenges. At
the deepest level the dominant can be understood as being
prolonged from measure 29 to measure 55, supporting the
motion 8-7, that is, prolonging F
5
(5) until 4 is introduced
in measure 54. Internal to the encompassing dominant, F
5
is
prolonged by its upper neighbor G
5
, supported by the ca-
dence on vi in measure 46, a further expansion of the F
5
-G
5
-
F
5
pattern in measures 318. As shown in Schenkers sketch
at the bottom right of Example 5, the overall bass motion
leading to the cadence on vi is F
3
-E
3
-D
3
, which, as noted
above, supports the chromatic change of F
5
(5) to F
5
. The
passing tone E
(measure 38) supports G

5
, which Schenker
interprets as the neighbor note intervening between F
5
and
F
5
. Example 6 provides another possibility, namely, that
this G
5
is a consonant passing tone between the covering
tone A
5
and F
5
. In either case, the overall motion of mea-
sures 2945 may be understood as a gross enlargement of
measures 2933, the overall bass of which is already an ex-
pansion of the embedded F-E
-D of measures 2931.
Turning now to the close of the movement, D
5
on the down-
beat of measure 55 is not interpreted here as 3, as implicit in
Schenkers sketch. Though it receives consonant support, the
supporting tonic chord occurs within a prolonged dominant
and thus the D
is interpreted as a passing tone leading down

to an implied C
5
. The real resolution of 4 may be understood
to occur then in the following measure following a transfer
to the lower octave. Scale degree 3 is subsequently stated in
measure 57 in the upper register (D
5
) before descending to
closure.
Parallels between the rst and second parts of this move-
ment extend as well to the underlying metric organization,
which is indicated between the staves in Example 6.
16
The
opening four measures suggest a quadruple hypermeter, a
pattern that is followed in the next eight measures, though,
as indicated by the upper line of numbers, these measures re-
ally form a larger pattern of eight. This takes us to measure
13, which initiates a ve-measure group prolonging V of V,
and the nal eleven measures are divided into six plus ve.
Thus the hypermetric organization of part 1 follows this pat-
tern: 4 + 8 (4 + 4) + 5 + 6 + 5. With the exception of the
nal ve-measure group, goal harmonies fall on hypermetric
downbeats, and thus we have phrase overlaps at measures 5,
13, 18, and 24. This is not indicated in Example 6. Nor are
the subtle interactions between left-hand and right-hand
parts, for instance, in measures 1317, where the ve-mea-
sure group might be understood as arising from a shadow
meter in the right-hand part (Samarotto 1999).
With one exception the second part follows the pattern
described above. That exception is the insertion of a four-
measure group (measures 4649) required to make the tran-
sition from the cadence on vi through IV back to the domi-
nant. Measures 2938, the opening of part 2, form a clear
four-measure group leading to the D major chord on the
downbeat of measure 33. The next thirteen measures, which
I interpret as extending this harmony, are divided into 8 (4 +
4) plus 5. In part 1, the corresponding ve-measure group is
initiated by the arrival of a new harmony (V of V), whereas
here arrival at the root of the prevailing harmony (V of vi) is
delayed until the third measure. According to this interpre-
tation, there is no phrase overlap in measure 41 correspond-
ing to measure 13, but rather an extension of the phrase
leading to measure 46, where there is a phrase overlap as ini-
tiated by the left-hand part. These are the added four mea-
sures leading us back to V. According to the interpretation
provided in Example 6, the nal eleven measures are divided
into six plus ve, as in part 1, supporting the reading of the
16 For a thorough discussion of parallel structures in Bach movements, see
Lester 2001.
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 18
, BWV 825 19
minor tonic harmony in measure 55 as passing rather than
structural.
sarabande
Schenkers single page dealing with the Sarabande (Oster
Collection, le 69, bottom half of page 9) is transcribed here
as Example 7. The sketch is clear, as are some, but not all, of
the added comments. Of special interest are the performance
indications added between the staves in part 1 of the detailed
representation.
As with the preceding movement, Schenker identies the
fundamental line as an octave, where 8 7 6 5 occur in the
lower register in part 1 and then 5 4 3 2 1 in the upper regis-
ter following the transfer of 5 to F
5
. The primary tone is
identied as B
4
in measure 4 following a descent from F
5
.
Schenker identies the descending fth to the primary tone
as an inversion of the ascending fourth introducing B
5
(8) in
the opening four measures of the Allemande. Similarly the
four-two chord on the downbeat of measure 5 and the ensu-
ing third G-F-E
marked by a bracket are identied as direct

reference to the earlier movement. (See Example 3,
Urlinietafel, measures 45.) The primary tone B
4
, rst har-
monized by I, then vi, before becoming the dissonant sev-
enth of II
7
(V
7
of V), resolves to A
4
(7) over the dominant
and continues its descent to F
4
(5) in measure 12.
For part 2, Schenker provides both a continuation of the
detailed representation and above its second part a single-
staff sketch of its underlying voice leading. Of special con-
cern to Schenker is the interpretation of the B
shown in
parentheses above the I
6
harmony on the downbeat of mea-
sure 25. As indicated by the Arabic numerals above the de-
tailed representation and the comments in the margin, this
B
is not 1 but 8, or more appropriately, as indicated by the

sketch at the very top right, a passing tone within the third
C
5
-B
4
-A
4
extending 2 before its resolution to 1.
There can be little doubt that Schenker would eventually
have changed his opinion about certain features of the
Sarabande, including the nature of the fundamental line. As
with the preceding movement, one might construct a logical
case for either 3 (D
5
) or 5 (F
5
) as the primary tone.
Regarding the rst of these possibilities, note that D
5
is em-
phasized in measure 1 by the sarabande rhythm and that this
is answered in measure 13, the beginning of part 2, by C
5
/V.
Thus, at the deepest level, 3/I has progressed to 2/V, rst im-
plied by context in measure 12, then stated explicitly in the
next measure. Within this motion, one can trace a stepwise
descent from D
5
to F
4
(measure 12). As we continue into
part 2, the line generated from F
5
can be interpreted as cov-
ering until C
5
/V is reinstated and resolved to 1/I. But when
does this occur? The answer to this question and in fact to
our interpretation of the fundamental structure of this move-
ment depends on our interpretation of the nal eight mea-
sures. One solution is provided by Charles Burkhart, who
reads the tonic harmony in six-three position (measure 25)
as an anticipation of the root position tonic harmony in the
nal measure. In other words, the nal four measures are in-
terpreted as prolonging the tonic (1983, 109n10). William
Benjamin, on the other hand, avoids making a choice by
positing overlapping prolongations (V in measures 2427
and I in measures 2528), a self-contradictory term within
the context of Schenkerian theory and analysis (1982, 45,
Example 4[d]). There is another possibility, namely that E
5
,
which is given consonant support at the beginning of the nal
eight-measure phrase, is transferred to the bass as part of the
four-two harmony in measure 24. This E
is then resolved to
the D supporting the tonic harmony in measure 25, and the
continuation and completion of the descent to closure would
be understood to occur in the top voice in the nal two mea-
sures. One advantage of this interpretation is that the motion
of the nal eight measures is continuous, thus avoiding the
readings suggested by Burkhart or Benjamin. And if we hear
the descent to closure within this phrase as generated from
E
5
, it is a simple matter to trace the origin of this pitch to
the F
5
in measure 14, which suggests that we might recon-
sider our choice of Kopfton.
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 19
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umgekehrt
s. Allemande
s. Allemande
Nb
berwlb.
^
8
^
7
^
6
^
5
[5] [10]
5 6 6 6 6 6
cresc.
II
VI
II
V
I II V I
^
5
^
4
^
3
^
2
II V I V I V
^
4
^
5
^
3
^
2
^
1
[15]
[20] [25]
^
8
^
7
I V I II V I
IV V I
(7)
nicht 7 6
^
8
nicht
^
1
auf
6
3
I IV V I
,
I
,
example 7. Sarabande (Oster Collection, 69/9)
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 20
An interpretation of this movement with a primary
tone of 5 is provided in Example 8. Despite the emphasis
on D
5
in the very beginning, the rst phrase (measures
14) can be heard as a descending fth from F
5
, rst in-
troduced on the third bear of measure 1, to B
4
in measure
4, identied by Schenker as 8. As shown by Schenker, this
B
4
is then prolonged by its upper neighbor C
5
before de-
scending to F
4
in measure 12. Thus, as shown in Example 8,
the entire rst part may be understood to encompass the
descent of an octave from F
5
to F
4
, divided at B
4
, prolonging
F
5
(5). The primary tone is re-articulated on the downbeat
of measure 14, the second measure of part 2, over a pro-
longed dominant that encompasses the motion 8-7 (5-4)
on its way to 3/I. Internal to this prolongation, F
5
is rst
stable as 8/V, then dissonant as 7 of the secondary domi-
nant leading to ii, which provides consonant support for
E
5
before it becomes the dissonant seventh of the domi-
nant. This interpretation is consistent with the reading of
this passage provided by Schenker (Example 7). However,
our readings of the structure depart at this juncture.
, BWV 825 21
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^
5
^
5
5th
8ve
N
4th
3rd
6
4
5
(6)
5
(6)
5
6 6
6
4
5
3
(6)
5
6
4
5 8
5
6
7
1 2 3 4 , 1 2 3 4 , 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 , 1
I V ii vi I V ii F:
vi
V
I
8
I
13
^
4
^
3
^
2
^
1
20
3rd
2 4 1 2 3 4
6
4
5
3
7 , 7 , 8 6 4
2
6 5 6 , (5)
ii I IV V I
3 5 6 7 8
,
4
2
V
7
example 8. Sarabande
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 21
17 This phenomenon may not be as rare as I have indicated. Two examples
that come to mind are the A minor prelude from book I of the Well-
Tempered Clavier (see measure 25) and the second movement of
Mozarts Piano Sonata, K.280 (measure 53). See also Wen 1999.
18 Schenkers use of the term Quart-Zug here to highlight the bass pro-
gression of a fourth (I to V) differs from his later use of the term Zug to
indicate a stepwise progression, not a leap.
Schenker interprets the D
5
on the rst beat of measure 23
as 3, but Example 8 suggests that this D
5
and its support-
ing harmony exist within a prolonged dominant that in-
volves the unfolding of the diminished fth E
5
(4)-A
4
,
which predicts D
5
(3)/I on the downbeat of measure 25.
However, as noted above, the resolution of the E
is trans-
ferred to the bass leading to the tonic harmony in six-three
position in measure 25. In other words, this is one
of those relatively rare instances where transfer of resolution
to the bass seems to coincide with the descent of 4 to 3 of the
fundamental line, a notion that was not yet part of
Schenkers evolving conception of musical structure at this
time.
17
menuet i
The single page dealing with this movement (Oster
Collection, le 69, page 10) is provided in transcription as
Example 9. The musical content is clear, but, as elsewhere,
Schenkers added comments are not totally legible.
The top system of Example 9 combined with the rst
part of the single-staff sketch below (marked So) provide
a clear picture of Schenkers interpretation of part 1. The
primary tone is identied as B
5
(8), rst reached in measure
6, then restated in measure 14, this time as the dissonant
seventh of the dominant in V before descending to 5/V in
measure 16. As shown in the top system, the third G
4
-F
4
-
E
4
in measure 15 is to be understood as an answer to the
D
5
-E
5
-F
5
of the previous measure transferred to the lower
octave, resulting in the statement of 7 6 5 in this lower reg-
ister. The bracket over A
5
-G
5
-F
5
above indicates a linkage
to the following material, where this third is extended to the
tritone A
5
-E
5
. Returning to the opening, we see that
Schenker has carefully indicated that the third D
5
-E
5
-F
5
in
measure 5, which is part of the ascent to 8, is a repetition of
the opening melodic gesture in measures 12 (marked a),
and that the bass of measures 57 is an octave B
3
-B
4
. Thus,
according to the top system, the antecedent phrase consists
of the ascent from D
5
-B
5
and the immediate return to D
5
over a tonic prolongation (measures 17) before D
5
gives
way to C
5
supported by V.
18
In other words, what Schenker
would later identify as a lower-level interruption. However,
if we turn our attention to the second part of the single-staff
sketch below, that is, the portion following the slash, we are
faced with a somewhat different understanding of measures
57. It is unfortunate that Schenker did not continue his
sketch into the next measure, but his recomposition, which
aligns the bass with the melodic goal on the third quarter of
measure 6, suggests the possibility that we might hear the
return to D
5
in measure 7 not within a tonic prolongation
but as passing within the third, E
5
-D
5
-C
5
. This possibility
has implications for our interpretation not only of this pas-
sage but for Menuet II as well. If we adopt this interpreta-
tion, then measures 78 do not lead to a lower-level inter-
ruption, but rather C
5
is understood as the lower third of E
5
,
the upper neighbor of D
5
, to which it resolves at the begin-
ning of the consequent phrase. We shall return to this point
below.
Once 5 and the dominant are established at the cadence
in measure 16 (end of part 1), they are prolonged until
measure 33 (beginning of nal phrase), where 5 is restated,
supported by tonic harmony in six-three position, from
which point the fundamental line descends directly to clo-
sure. The means by which 5 is prolonged is by its upper
neighbor note G
5
, rst supported by g minor harmony (vi)
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 22
in measure 24, then by the subdominant in measures 26 and
following, and in both cases G
5
is approached from above,
rst A
5
-G
5
, then A
5
-G
5
. This parallel is noted in the sketch
below, where Schenker indicates that this pattern is differ-
ent from the corresponding passage in the Corrente. If we
now look to details of Schenkers interpretation of measures
1724, the passage at the beginning of part 2 leading to the
cadence on vi, we see that he indicates that the top part is
not structural, but rather that it is an inner part transposed
to a higher register for the sake of the tritone A
5
-E
5
. The
brackets below the bass highlight the hemiola pattern cre-
ated between the outer parts, and the text below, though
only partially readable, indicates that the bass progression
of a fourth (F
3
-E
3
-D
3
-C
2
) runs in parallel thirds/tenths
with the top part. There are also some interesting details
later in the sketch, in the passage connecting IV and V
(measures 2732).
19
The Xs added above certain notes sug-
gest an interesting parallel to the opening phrase. That is,
the G
5
(measure 27)-A
5
(measure 30)-B
5
(measure 31) cor-
respond to measure 6 and the following D
5
-C
5
to measures
78, as indicated in the top system.
Menuet I presents the analyst with several complex is-
sues that require resolution. Chief among these is determi-
nation of the fundamental structure. If we were to look
just at the rst 16 measures, the only reasonable choice for
primary tone is D
5
(3), rst stated in measure 1 and re-
stated in measure 9. Then, within the consequent phrase,
there is a stepwise descent from D
5
to F
4
at the cadence, a
motion to an inner voice lling in the overall progression
of D
5
(3)/I to C
5
(2)/V. However, when we look ahead to
part 2, our original impression becomes less secure, and -
nally, when we come to the nal phrase, we are faced with
a very clear descent from F
5
to B
4
. Some of the events of
the preceding measures might be explained as covering,
but this cannot. If, then, we begin the process of determin-
ing the origin of the F
5
in measure 33, it leads us back
eventually to the B
5
in measure 6. In other words, we
come to the inevitable conclusion that Schenker was correct
after all in reading the fundamental line as an octave de-
scent as he has shown it. But, if we are to understand the
structure of this movement fully, we must also account for
this clearly articulated line from D
5
as well. That leads us
to Example 10.
Example 10 presents two graphs, both of which follow
the progress of the important inner line generated from D
5
as well as the fundamental line above it. A, the top graph,
contains considerable detail, while B, a middleground
sketch, omits much of the detail in order to represent more
clearly the progression of the inner line. As noted above, the
D
5
/I of measure 9 progresses to C
5
/V in measure 16, internal
to which there is a motion to an inner-voice tone F
4
. This C
5
is picked up in the rst phrase of part 2, now as dissonant
seventh of D
7
, and resolved to B
4
at the G minor cadence in
measure 24 and then three measures later as part of the sub-
dominant harmony before continuing on to A
4
over the return
of the dominant in measure 33. Since we are interpreting the
cadence on vi and the following IV as internal to the pro-
longation of V, the resolution of the dissonant C
5
to B
4
at
this point is not taken as the completion of a third descent
D
5
-C
5
-B
4
, but rather as a consonant passing note within the
third C
5
-B
4
-A
4
prolonging C
5
. The B
4
that is the goal of
the descent from D
5
comes in measure 33, harmonized by
the tonic harmony in six-three position as 5 is reinstated
above it. If it were not for the fundamental line above, one
might posit a gigantic voice exchange between inner voice
and bass encompassing measures 133.
Graph A is mostly self-explanatory in light of the para-
graphs above. The one feature warranting comment is the
interpretation of measures 78 as supporting the upper
neighbor note of D
5
. Here the D
5
is shown as passing within
the third E
5
-D
5
-C
5
rather than a stable note within a tonic
prolongation leading to C
5
. A bracket has been placed above
, BWV 825 23
19 The designations Erl. and Cons. between the staves refer to Figure
6 in the Erluterungen on p. 41 of the nal issue of Der Tonwille
(October 1924).
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 23
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statt berbau
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Quartzug unter
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Terzzug . . . ?
[15]
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x sext
Erl.
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V V
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(D g)
Anders
al Corr.
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=
j
example 9. Menuet I (Oster Collection, 69/10)
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 24
, BWV 825 25
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Cons.
x
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^
5
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4 3
2
1

[35]
V I
V I IV I
x
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 25
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7
N
(a)
(b)
N
6
6
9
6th

^
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^
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^
8
V
7
I
6
V I
V V I
17
6th
N

24

6 7
6
5
6
,
V IV V vi
^
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N
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^
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33
N
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6
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,
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I I V V F (V):
V I I vi IV V ii V
7
I V I

F:
example 10. Menuet I
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 26
this third to mark it as a motivic idea that becomes signi-
cant in Menuet II. Within this movement it is repeated at
the same pitch level in measures 2732, where D
5
is once
again a consonant passing tone.
menuet ii
Schenkers single page dealing with this movement (Oster
Collection, le 69, page 11) is transcribed as Example 11.
This page contains three separate sketches, only the last pro-
viding an interpretation of the overall structure. The top one
provides a detailed account of measures 14. Above the sys-
tem Schenker indicates that the dissonant sevenths, rst A
4
in measure 2 and then E
5
in measure 3, resolve downward,
and below the system (measure 3) he indicates the subdomi-
nant harmony as well as the bass note E
in parentheses. It is
clear from the notation in the bass that he interprets this
subdominant harmony within a tonic prolongation encom-
passing measures 13. The other possibility here would be to
read the tonic chord on the third beat as passing between IV
and V, an idea we shall return to later. To the right, Schenker
indicates the progression F
4
-G
4
-A
4
-B
4
, the rising fourth of
the inner voice in measures 13. There is no accompanying
comment, which leaves us to speculate whether he might
have been thinking of this as a reference to the ascent to 8 in
the opening measures of the Allemande. The middle sketch
provides an interpretation of measures 912. Here it is inter-
esting that the tonic harmony on the downbeat of measure
10 is interpreted as passing within a prolonged dominant,
which is subsequently altered chromatically to lead to vi.
Finally, the bottom sketch provides an overview of the
movement, which, from a harmonic perspective, is similar to
both the Corrente and Menuet I. The indication Erl.
below most likely refers to Figure 4c of the Erluterungen,
which shows the tonic harmony supporting 3 as passing be-
tween IV and V (Schenker 1924, 10). In later publications,
Schenker would not have indicated the fundamental line as
he has done here, but rather indicated E
5
-D
5
-C
5
as a third
, BWV 825 27
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^
5
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4
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2
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1
33
6
ii
7
V V I I I
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 27
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(IV)
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V VI
[9]
I
So
4 3 3 2 1
V VI IV V I
,
,
Erl.
example 11. Menuet II (Oster Collection, 69/11)
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 28
, BWV 825 29
introducing C
5
(2) from above within the 3 2 1 of the funda-
mental line.
The second movement in an alternating pairin this in-
stance Menuet IItypically provides contrast to the rst. In
this instance, there is a clear contrast in terms of registral com-
pactness as well as length, and a clear sense of stasis in contrast
to the controlled freedom of Menuet I. Yet there are clear
links between the two movements: motivic parallels; shared
harmonic goals; and the emphasis in both movements on D
5
,
which in Menuet I proved to be a prominent inner-voice
focus, but here emerges as the primary tone. The question is
this: where is 3 actually established? Schenkers sketches,
though never explicit on this point, suggest measure 3, which
is certainly a viable possibility. However, as suggested above,
one might also hear this D
5
as a consonant passing tone
within the third E
5
-D
5
-C
5
, just as was suggested in reference
to measures 78 of Menuet I. That is, the tonic harmony on
the third beat of measure 3 may be heard as passing, either be-
tween IV and V, as suggested by Schenkers added bass note in
parentheses on the downbeat of the measure, or between two
dominant chords. Assuming the validity of this interpretation,
this means that C
5
, the goal of the phrase, is really a step
above the B
4
at the beginning of the phrase (indeed intro-
duced from above, which holds the promise that 3 is to fol-
low), not the step below a stable D
5
. And, if so, then 3 is not
properly established as a melodic goal until after the repeat.
Hence the interpretation (perhaps a radical one!) offered in
Example 12, which shows that 3 is nally established in mea-
sure 10 following an extended ascent (Anstieg), where C
5
is
twice introduced by the motivic third E
5
-D
5
-C
5
, then re-
peated, and D
5
(3) by a repetition of that motive a step higher,
F
5
-(E
5
)-D
5
. (See the brackets above the system.) Once 3 is -
nally attained, E
5
is immediately restated, which once again
proves to be the upper third of C
5
as part of a descending fth
from D
5
.
20
Here vi is the middle member of a descending
arpeggiation to IV, which offers support for E
5
to initiate a
nal statement of the third E
5
-D
5
-C
5
on the way to closure.
example 12. Menuet II
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5th
Ansteig
(3 2 1)
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(4)
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, 8
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7 8 7 6
4
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3
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V V I
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I vi IV
I V
20 One might argue that the feeling of stasis in this movement is attribut-
able, at least in part, to the striving for but lack of attainment of the
goal of this ascending motion until after the repeat of part 1.
Conversely, if one reads 3 from the very beginning, the sense of stasis
can be explained in terms of the withholding of a repeated motion to-
ward closure until the very end. I can hear this movement either way.
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 29
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[5]
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8
8 5
[10]
Nbn

[20] [25] [30]

^
6
Nbn
^
(5)
Kons.

Nbn
IV V (I)
[15]
8 5
example 13. Gigue (Oster Collection, 69/12)
However, as a result of the voice exchange as well as the ex-
change of parts in measures 1315, the completion of the mo-
tion is transferred from top voice to bass to inner part. What
appears initially as a simple foil to Menuet I turns out to be a
very sophisticated and complex movement.
gigue
Schenkers single sketch of this movement (Oster
Collection, le 69, page 12) is provided in Example 13.
What immediately jumps off the page is the indication 8 in
measure 4, circled in bold, and the stepwise ascent to it from
F
5
(5), a reference, it would seem, to the ascent to B
5
(8) at
the beginning of the Allemande. The difference, of course, is
that the A
5
and B
5
are not actually present here, at least in
that register. If we now look ahead to see the progress of the
descent from 8, we nd that there is no indication of 7 6 5,
though presumably they would fall at the end of part 1, that
is, at the cadence on the dominant, since Schenker has
clearly marked the G
5
at the cadence in measure 28 (middle
of the second system) as neighbor note to F
5
. If this is so, the
descent occurs via
7 (
3 in V), an idea which might have

been acceptable to Schenker in the mid 20s, but was not ac-
ceptable later on.
21
Furthermore, the support for this A
5
is
21 In Free Composition, Schenker is explicit in stating that scale degree 7
in an octave descent must be strictly diatonic for there to be a gen-
uine fundamental line from 8 (1979, 31).
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 30
weak, as it is for
3 at the very end of the movement. This

leads one to speculate whether Schenker simply failed to in-
dicate 7 6 5 or whether, perhaps, he had second thoughts
about a reading from 8. Note his indication of 5 in measure
1, then the circled G
5
in measure 15, which, with all that fol-
lows, support a reading from 5.
Setting aside the matter of fundamental line for a mo-
ment, there are certain features of Schenkers sketch that
warrant comment. First is the notation to the right of the
top system, which indicates that octaves between B
5
of mea-
sure 4 and C
6
of measure 14 and their supporting bass notes
are avoided by the intervening material, suggesting that
Schenker was still considering an octave descent at this
point. Second, it is interesting to note that Schenker indi-
cates measures 2127, the extension of the dominant seventh
chord of vi as parenthetical, but not the extension of V later
on, presumably because of his reading of the structural de-
scent from 5. Third, note the bass notes added on the staff
below the second system, which suggest the prolongation of
V by upper and lower neighbor notes supporting vi and IV,
respectively. Finally, there are the slurs beginning from the
cadence on vi, which are in conict. It must be one way or
the other, or neither, but not both.
A detailed sketch of the Gigue read as a descent from 5 is
provided in Example 14. Looking at part 1, we see that the pri-
mary tone F
5
is prolonged by its upper neighbor G
5
, initially
stated in measure 5 and prolonged until its resolution in mea-
sure 16. Considered in greater detail, the third F
5
-D
5
of mea-
sures 14 is answered by the third G
5
-E
5
in measures 59,
from which point the line begins a stepwise ascent over a dom-
inant pedal in the key of the dominant. If Bach had allowed
the line to continue upward, it would have reached C
6
in mea-
sure 14 (as indicated in Schenkers sketch), then descended a
fourth to G
5
before resolving to F
5
. Instead Bach makes a
registral shift between A
5
and B
4
, the result being the sixth
E
5
-G
4
rather than the third E
5
-G
5
over the dominant pedal.
, BWV 825 31
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8 8
zur
Vermeidung
von 8
va
[35] [40] [48]
4 3 2 1
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 31
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5
3rd
IN

3rd
N
3

6th
6
4
, 5 6
4
, 7
7
7 ,
(5)
5 6
ii F: V I IV V I
V
9
I
5
3
7 7 7
4
28 20 17
6
V
7
ii g: i
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32 41
5 4 3 2 ) (5
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4
6
3
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6 7
8 7
7 ,
V I
5

,
,
3
example 14. Gigue
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 32
Part 2 begins melodically from A
5
to introduce F
5
in
measure 20 by a descending third motion parallel motivically
to the opening four measures. This F
5
is a chromatic pass-
ing tone between F
5
(measure 16) and its upper neighbor
G
5
at the cadence on vi in measure 28. This chromatic mo-
tion is composed out by the diminished fth F
5
-C
6
over a
dominant pedal in G minor (vi) and its answer B
5
-G
5
(mea-
sures 2528), a division that is musically articulated by a
change in surface pattern. Once again in this Partita we hear
G
5
, the upper neighbor of F
5
, given consonant support by vi,
and once again this is followed immediately by a motion to
the subdominant as a connector to the dominant. If we now
look back at Example 13, we see that Schenker reads the pro-
longation of G
5
through measures 2831 until its resolution
back to F
5
/V in measure 32. From there F
5
proceeds chro-
matically to the inner-voice tone A
4
and then ascends diaton-
ically back to F
5
over a dominant pedal (this latter motion
equivalent to measures 914, but without the registral shift)
before descending a fth via
3 to closure. There can be no

doubt that this fth is heard as the nal descent, but it is also
clear aurally that the descent from F
5
to C
5
is heard within a
dominant prolongation, though, as shown in Example 14, we
might supply tonic support for
3 within this dominant. This

leads one to speculate whether the aurally cogent descent at
the very end is a middleground motion resulting from Bachs
composing out of the dominant to include an ending parallel
to the nal eight measures of part 1 rather than the funda-
mental line itself. As shown in Example 14, we might inter-
pret measures 28 to the end somewhat differently than
Schenker without discarding his hearing of this passage. This
is a matter of sorting out levels. If we examine carefully mea-
sures 2832, we see that G
5
is not only the upper neighbor of
F
5
but also the upper third of E
5
, rst provided consonant
support by the subdominant in measure 30, then by the super-
tonic in the following measure before becoming the dissonant
seventh of the dominant, that is, 4, which resolves to 3/I on
the third beat of measure 31, then passes through D
5
on its
way to C
5
(2)/V in measure 32. What masks this motion is the
, BWV 825 33
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,
,
,
,
,
, ,
,
,
,
, ,
,
,
,
,
,
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32

^
3
^
4
^
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[V
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7
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MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 33
reintroduction of F
5
via E
5
, allowing Bach to extend the dom-
inant for sixteen measures, thus building the tension before its
resolution in the nal measure. The gesture of this nal mea-
sure is not just an answer to measure 16 of this movement, but
also a eeting recall of the opening gesture of the Partita.
That Schenker read the fundamental lines of all move-
ments but Menuet II of this Partita as octaves suggests that
he initially conceived of this work as a set of variations on an
underlying structural pattern. Careful analysis employing
Schenkers later ideas does not support this hypothesis, and
we may surmise that Schenker himself would eventually
have come to the same conclusion, though, as suggested
above, this may be only one of several reasons why he did not
return to this project later on. Despite our rejection of this
idea, there is all sorts of evidence that the B
Partita is a
highly unied work. It has already been noted that several of
the movements share the same harmonic plan involving a
modulation to vifrequently followed by a motion to IV on
the way to Vin the second part. Once we begin to examine
the voice leading, we note the repetition of motivic patterns
among various movements, many of which have been men-
tioned in the preceding discussions. And there are repeti-
tions at even deeper levels as well. Schenker no doubt heard
these multiple associations between and among the move-
ments, which must have inuenced him to search for even
deeper connections.
references
Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel. 1753, 1762/1949. Essay on the
True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments. Translated and
edited by William Mitchell. New York: Norton.
Beach, David. 2005. Aspects of Unity in J. S. Bachs Partitas
and Suites. Rochester: University of Rochester Press.
Benjamin, William. 1982. Models of Underlying Tonal
Structure: How Can They Be Abstract and How Should
They Be Abstract. Music Theory Spectrum 4:2850.
Burkhart, Charles. 1983. Schenkers Theory of Levels and
Musical Performance. In Aspects of Schenkerian Theory, ed.
David Beach, 95112. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Lester, Joel. 2001. Heightening Levels of Activity in J. S.
Bachs Parallel-Section Construction. Journal of the
American Musicological Society 54:4996.
Rothstein, William. 1989. Phrase Rhythm in Tonal Music.
New York: Schirmer Books.
Samarotto, Frank. 1999. Strange Dimensions: Regularity
and Irregularity in Deep Levels of Rhythmic Reduction.
In Schenker Studies 2, ed. Carl Schachter and Hedi Siegel,
22238. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Schenker, Heinrich. 1979. Free Composition. Translated and
edited by Ernst Oster. New York: Longman.
. 1924. Der Tonwille 10.
. Unpublished Analyses and Commentary, Bach
Partita I. The Oster Collection (Music Division, New York
Public Library), le 69, 435.
Wen, Eric. 1999. Bass-line Articulations of the Urlinie. In
Schenker Studies 2, ed. Carl Schachter and Hedi Siegel,
27697. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 30, Issue 1, pp. 134, ISSN 0195-6167,
electronic ISSN 1533-8339. 2008 by The Society for Music
Theory. All rights reserved. Please direct all requests for permission
to photocopy or reproduce article content through the University
of California Presss Rights and Permissions website, at http://www.
ucpressjournals.com/reprintinfo.asp. DOI: 10.1525/mts.2008.30.1.1
MTS3001_01 7/18/08 6:18 AM Page 34

Society For Music Theory: B, BWV

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Society for Music Theory

, BWV 825: Schenkers

Partita is particularly rich in intermovement asso-

, the Variationen und Fuge ber ein Thema von

followed by vi, I will indicate this

(V of vi) prior to the full statement of the diminution

in the lower register as he

in the inner part during

to the lower register in measure

in the lower register by its upper

is reinstated in the upper register, now

is dropped to the lower register, from which

, and eventually up to its

harmony four measures later is signif-

on its way to stabilization of G

indicates that the intervening material has been omitted.)

, and later (measures

3), a chromatic element

(measure 38) supports G

is interpreted as a passing tone leading down

marked by a bracket are identied as direct

is not 1 but 8, or more appropriately, as indicated by the

[20] [25] [30]

3 in V), an idea which might have

3 at the very end of the movement. This

3 to closure. There can be no

3 within this dominant. This

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