Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis Explained

The German: Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV; ; pronounced as /de/) is a catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990. An abbreviated version of that second edition, known as BWV2a, was published in 1998.

The catalogue groups compositions by genre. Even within a genre, compositions are not necessarily collated chronologically. For example, BWV 992 was composed many years before BWV 1. BWV numbers were assigned to 1,126 compositions in the 20th century, and more have been added to the catalogue in the 21st century. The Anhang (Anh.; Annex) of the BWV lists over 200 lost, doubtful and spurious compositions.

History

The first edition of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis was published in 1950. It allocated a unique number to every known composition by Bach. Wolfgang Schmieder, the editor of that catalogue, grouped the compositions by genre, largely following the 19th-century Bach Gesellschaft (BG) edition for the collation (e.g., BG cantata number = BWV number of the cantata):

  1. Kantaten (Cantatas), BWV 1–224
  2. Motetten (Motets), BWV 225–231
  3. Messen, Messensätze, Magnificat (Masses, Mass movements, Magnificat), BWV 232–243
  4. Passionen, Oratorien (Passions, Oratorios), BWV 244–249
  5. Vierstimmige Choräle (Four-part chorales), BWV 250–438
  6. Lieder, Arien, Quodlibet (Songs, Arias and Quodlibet), BWV 439–524
  7. Werke für Orgel (Works for organ), BWV 525–771
  8. Werke für Klavier (Keyboard compositions), BWV 772–994
  9. Werke für Laute (Lute compositions), BWV 995–1000
  10. Kammermusik (Chamber music), BWV 1001–1040
  11. Orchesterwerke (Works for orchestra), BWV 1041–1071, originally in two separate chapters: Concertos (BWV 1041–1065) and Overtures (BWV 1066–1071)
  12. Kanons (Canons), BWV 1072–1078
  13. Musikalisches Opfer, Kunst der Fuge (Musical Offering, Art of the Fugue), BWV 1079–1080

The German: Anhang of the BWV listed works that were not suitable for the main catalogue, in three sections:

Within each section of the German: Anhang the works are sorted by genre, following the same sequence of genres as the main catalogue.

Schmieder published the BWV's second edition in 1990, with some modifications regarding authenticity discriminations, and more works added to the main catalogue and the German: Anhang. Several compositions were repositioned in the over-all structure of chapters organised by genre and German: Anhang sections. In 1998 Alfred Dürr and Yoshitake Kobayashi published a small edition of the catalogue, based on the 1990 second edition. This edition, known as BWV2a, contained a few further updates and collation rearrangements.

New additions (German: Nachträge) to BWV2/BWV2a included:

Numbers above BWV 1126 were added in the 21st century. A revised version (3rd edition in total) of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis was originally announced by the Bach Archive for publication in 2020, however it was delayed and only finally published in 2022.[1]

List of compositions by BWV number

See also: List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. The numbers assigned to compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach and by others in the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis are widely used for the unique identification of these compositions. Exceptionally BWV numbers are also indicated as Schmieder (S) numbers (e.g. S. 225 = BWV 225).

BWV 1–1126

BWV numbers 1 to 1126 appear in the 1998 edition of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis.

Numbers above BWV 1126

BWV numbers above 1126 were assigned from the first decade of the 21st century.

|- id="Strophic aria (BWV 1127)" style="background: #E3F6CE;"| data-sort-value="1127.000" | 1127| data-sort-value="448.051" | | 1713-10-30| aria "Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn' ihn"| C maj.| s Str Bc| | data-sort-value="X: 237" | Sppl: 237| text by | |- id="BWV 1128"| data-sort-value="1128.000" | 1128| data-sort-value="462.033" | II| data-sort-value="1707-12-31" | 1707–1708| chorale setting "Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält"| G min.| Organ| | data-sort-value="IV/10" | IV/10| after Z 4441a; was BWV Anh. 71| |- id="BWV 1129"| data-sort-value="1129.000" | 1129| data-sort-value="448.0524" | | data-sort-value="1743-12-31" | | music theory German: Theoretische Aufzeichnungen zum fünfstimmigen Satz| | | | data-sort-value="X: 063" | Sppl: 63| | |- id="BWV 1130" style="background: #E3F6CE;"| data-sort-value="1130.000" | 1130| data-sort-value="448.0525" | | data-sort-value="1742-12-31" | | music theory German: Theoretische Aufzeichnungen zum Kontrapunkt| | | | data-sort-value="X: 045" | Sppl: 45| | |- id="BWV 1131" style="background: #E3F6CE;"| data-sort-value="1131.000" | 1131| data-sort-value="448.0526" | | data-sort-value="1744-12-31" | | music theory German: Regeln zum Gebrauch von Synkopen im doppelten Kontrapunkt| | | | data-sort-value="X: 041" | Sppl: 41| | |- id="BWV 1132" style="background: #E3F6CE;"| data-sort-value="1132.000" | 1132| data-sort-value="448.0527" | | data-sort-value="1737-12-31" | | Counterpoint studies with W. F. Bach| | | | data-sort-value="X: 067" | Sppl: 67| | |- id="BWV 1133" style="background: #F5F6CE;"| data-sort-value="1133.000" | 1133| data-sort-value="448.0528" | | data-sort-value="1742-12-31" | | thorough-bass rules I Einige höchst nöthige Regeln vom General Basse| | | | data-sort-value="V/04: 131" | V/4: 131
Sppl: 37| | |- id="BWV 1134" style="background: #F6E3CE;"| data-sort-value="1134.000" | 1134| data-sort-value="448.0529" | | data-sort-value="1738-07-01" | 1738?| thorough-bass rules II Precepts and Principles For Playing the Thorough-Bass or Accompanying in Four Parts| | | | data-sort-value="X: 003" | Sppl: 3| | |- id="BWV 1135"| data-sort-value="1135.000" | 1135| data-sort-value="455.006" | I| 1724-03-25| Cantata Siehe, eine Jungfrau ist schwanger (25 March: Annunciation)| | | | | was BWV Anh. 199; text extant[16] [17] [18] | |- id="BWV 1136"| data-sort-value="1136.000" | 1136 | data-sort-value="456.003" | I| data-sort-value="1712-12-31" | 1708–1717?
1725-09-09?
1727-02-06| Cantata Liebster Gott, vergißt du mich (1711: libretto for Trin. VII; 1725: Trin. XV?; 1727, with BWV 157.1: funeral in Pomßen)| | | | | was BWV Anh. 209; text by Lehms[19] [20] | |- id="BWV 1137" style="background: #E3F6CE;"| data-sort-value="1137.000" | 1137 | data-sort-value="449.052" | I| data-sort-value="1729-10-23" | 1729-10-23?| Cantata (sketch: Gott, du Richter der Gedanken for Trinity XIX by Picander?)| | SATB Vl Str Bc| | data-sort-value="III/01" |III/1| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 002" | was BWV Anh. 2; in SBB P 36: 18[21] | |-| data-sort-value="1138.100" | 1138.1 | data-sort-value="454.005" | I| 1709-02-04| Cantata for Ratswahl in Mühlhausen No. 2| | | | | was BWV Anh. 192[22] | |-| data-sort-value="1138.200" | 1138.2 | data-sort-value="448.053" | | 1710-02-04| Cantata for Ratswahl in Mühlhausen No. 3| | | | | lost| |- id="BWV 1139.1"| data-sort-value="1139.100" | 1139.1| data-sort-value="450.001" | I| 1725-08-27| Cantata Wünschet Jerusalem Glück (council election)| | | | | data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 004" | was BWV Anh. 4; text by Picander; → BWV 1139.2[23] | |- id="BWV 1139.2"| data-sort-value="1139.200" | 1139.2| data-sort-value="450.002" | I| 1730-06-27| Cantata Wünschet Jerusalem Glück (200th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession)| | | | | data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 004a" | was BWV Anh. 4a; text by Picander; after BWV 1139.1[24] | |-| data-sort-value="1140.000" | 1140 | data-sort-value="449.053" | I| 1730-08-25| Cantata Gott, gib dein Gerichte dem Könige (council election)| | | | I/32.2| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 003" | was BWV Anh. 3; text by Picander| |- id="BWV 1141"| data-sort-value="1141.000" | 1141| data-sort-value="454.004" | I| 1740-08-29| Cantata Herrscher des Himmels, König der Ehren (council election)| | | | I/32.2| was BWV Anh. 193; text extant; /7 after BWV 208/15?[25] [26] | |- id="BWV 1142"| data-sort-value="1142.000" | 1142| data-sort-value="448.054" | | 1716-04-02| Cantata Was ist, das wir Leben nennen (funeral service for Johann Ernst of S.-W.)| | | | | text extant| |-| data-sort-value="1143.000" | 1143| data-sort-value="261.001" | 4.| 1729-03-24| Cantata Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt (funeral of Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen; music lost but partially reconstructible)| | | | I/34| was BWV 244a; text by Picander; ↔ BWV 198/1, /10, 244b/6, /8, /39, /49, /57, /23, /20, /65, /13, /68| |- id="BWV 1144"| data-sort-value="1144.000" | 1144 | data-sort-value="452.002" | I| 1725-02-12| Cantata Sein Segen fließt daher wie ein Strom (wedding)| | | | | data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 014" | was BWV Anh. 14; text extant[27] [28] | |- id="BWV 1145"| data-sort-value="1145.000" | 1145 | data-sort-value="456.005" | I| 1729-01-18| Cantata Der Herr ist freundlich dem, der auf ihn harret (wedding)| | | | | was BWV Anh. 211; text by Picander[29] [30] | |- id="BWV 1146"| data-sort-value="1146.000" | 1146 | data-sort-value="457.001" | I| 1729-07-26| Cantata Vergnügende Flammen, verdoppelt die Macht (wedding)| | | | | was BWV Anh. 212; text by Picander[31] [30] | |-| data-sort-value="1147.000" | 1147| data-sort-value="450.003" | I| 1718-12-10| Cantata Lobet den Herrn, alle seine Heerscharen (birthday of Leopold of A.-K.)| | | | I/34| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 005" | was BWV Anh. 5; text by Hunold[32] | |- id="BWV 1148"| data-sort-value="1148.000" | 1148 | data-sort-value="452.003" | I| 1724-04-27| Cantata Siehe, der Hüter Israel (doctorate)| | SATB 3Tr Tmp 2Ob 3Vl Va Bc| | I/34| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 015" | was BWV Anh. 15; lost[33] [34] | |- id="BWV 1150"| data-sort-value="1150.000" | 1150| data-sort-value="455.004" | I| data-sort-value="1721-07-01" | 1721-01-01?
1722-01-01?| Cantata Ihr wallenden Wolken (New Year)| | data-sort-value="b Flx2 Str Vc Hc Bc" | b 2Fl Str Vc Hc Bc| | data-sort-value="I/04" | I/4| was BWV Anh. 197; lost[35] [36] | |- id="BWV 1151"| data-sort-value="1151.000" | 1151| data-sort-value="450.004" | I| 1720-01-01| Secular cantata Dich loben die lieblichen Strahlen der Sonne (New Year)| | | | I/35| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 006" | was BWV Anh. 6; text by Hunold[37] [38] | |- id="BWV 1152"| data-sort-value="1152.000" | 1152| data-sort-value="451.001" | I| 1723-01-01| Secular cantata for New Year (congratulation of Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen and his wife Frederica Henriette)| | | | I/35| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 008" | was BWV Anh. 8; lost[39] | |- id="BWV 1153"| data-sort-value="1153.000" | 1153 | data-sort-value="450.005" | I| 1720-12-10| Secular cantata Heut ist gewiß ein guter Tag (birthday of Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen)| | | | I/35| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 007" | was BWV Anh. 7; text by Hunold[40] [41] | |- id="BWV 1154"| data-sort-value="1154.000" | 1154| data-sort-value="455.001" | I| 1722-07-29| Cantata O vergnügte Stunden (birthday of John Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst)| | | | | was BWV Anh. 194; text extant[42] [43] | |- id="BWV 1155"| data-sort-value="1155.000" | 1155| data-sort-value="453.004" | I| 1723-08-09| Ode in Latin (birthday of Frederick II of Saxe-Gotha)| | | | I/38| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 020" | was BWV Anh. 20; lost[44] [45] | |-| data-sort-value="1156.000" | 1156 | data-sort-value="451.002" | I| 1727-05-12| Secular cantata Entfernet euch, ihr heitern Sterne (57th birthday of Augustus II)| | | | I/36| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 009" | was BWV Anh. 9; text by Haupt, C. F.; /1 → BWV 232II/6?[46] [47] [48] | |-| data-sort-value="1157.000" | 1157| data-sort-value="451.004" | I| 1732-08-03| Secular cantata Es lebe der König, der Vater im Lande (name day of Augustus II)| | | | I/36| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 011" | was BWV Anh. 11; text by Picander; /1 & /11 → BWV 215/1 → 232IV/1=/3; /7 → 248/39?; /9 → 212/14[49] [50] | |- id="BWV 1158"| data-sort-value="1158.000" | 1158| data-sort-value="451.005" | I| 1733-08-03| Secular cantata Frohes Volk, vergnügte Sachsen (name day of Augustus III)| | | | I/36| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 012" | was BWV Anh. 12; text by Picander; after BWV Anh. 18; /1 → BWV 11/1[51] | |- id="BWV 1159"| data-sort-value="1159.000" | 1159| data-sort-value="448.055" | | 1739-10-07| Secular cantata "Serenade" (birthday of Augustus III)| | | | | lost| |- id="BWV 1160"| data-sort-value="1160.000" | 1160| data-sort-value="451.003" | I| 1731-08-25| Secular cantata So kämpfet nur, ihr muntern Töne (birthday of)| | | | I/39| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 010" | was BWV Anh. 10; text by Picander; /1 → BWV 248VIa/1?[52] [53] | |- id="BWV 1161"| data-sort-value="1161.000" | 1161| data-sort-value="452.001" | I| 1738-04-28| Secular cantata Willkommen! Ihr herrschenden Götter der Erden in honour of the royal couple (Augustus III and Maria Josepha), and for the forthcoming marriage of princess Maria Amalia with Charles of Sicily| | | | I/37| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 013" | was BWV Anh. 13; text by Gottsched, J. C. in Riemersche Chronik
[49] [54] [55] [56] | |-| data-sort-value="1162.000" | 1162| data-sort-value="453.002" | I| 1732-06-05| Secular cantata Froher Tag, verlangte Stunden (inauguration of St. Thomas school after renovation)| | | | I/39| data-sort-value="was BWV Anh. 018" | was BWV Anh. 18; text by Winckler; /1 → BWV 11/1; /1 /3 /5 /6 /8 /10 → BWV Anh. 12[57] [58] [59] | |- id="BWV 1163"| data-sort-value="1163.000" | 1163 | data-sort-value="455.003" | I| 1725-11-27| Secular cantata Auf, süß entzückende Gewalt (wedding of Peter, eldest son of Peter Hohmann, and Christiana Sibylla Mencke)| | | | I/40| was BWV Anh. 196; text by Gottsched, C.; /3 → BWV 11/4 → 232IV/4; /5 → BWV 11/8[60] [61] [62] [63] | |- style="background: #E3F6CE;"| data-sort-value="1164.000" | 1164| data-sort-value="459.007" | II| data-sort-value="1712-07-01" | 1712–1713
or earlier| Motet Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn| F min.| data-sort-value="SATBx2" | 2SATB| data-sort-value="000.39: 157" | 39: 157| data-sort-value="III/03: 003" | III/3: 3| by Bach, J. Christoph?; was BWV Anh. 159; ↔ BWV 421 (/2)|
|}

BWV Anh. 1–213

See main article: BWV Anhang. Appearing in the BWV Anh.:

BWV App. A–D

BWV App. A

BWV App. B

BWV App. C

BWV App. D

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The new Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV) is here! | Bach-Archiv Leipzig . Bach Archiv Leipzig . 5 September 2023 .
  2. [BWV3|BWV<sup>3</sup>]
  3. Bach Digital Work at
  4. Book: Boyd, Malcolm. Oxford Composer Companions: J.S. Bach. 1999. Oxford University Press. Oxford, England. 0-19-866208-4. 245.
  5. Bach's secular cantatas in BWV order, each followed by a link to the Bach Digital Work (BDW) page of the cantata at the Bach Digital website:
  6. Book: Boyd, Malcolm. Oxford Composer Companions: J.S. Bach. 1999. Oxford University Press. Oxford, England. 0-19-866208-4. 299.
  7. [Christoph Wolff]
  8. Book: Talbot, Michael. The Vivaldi Compendium. 2011. Boydell Press. 9781843836704. 54.
  9. http://www.crescendo-music.com/artikel/58022/piano/bach-johann-sebastian_concerti-nach-vivaldi-u.a.-iii.html Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerti nach Vivaldi u.a. - III
  10. Ripin . Edwin M. . Wraight . Denzil . Lute-harpsichord. amp.
  11. [Alberto Basso|Basso, Alberto]
  12. Kirsten Beißwenger (ed.) Werke zweifelhafter Echtheit, Bearbeitungen fremder Kompositionen (Volume 9 of Series II: Masses, Passions, Oratorios from the New Bach Edition). Bärenreiter, 2000.
  13. Bach: Chorales, Motet BWV 118, Quodlibet, Notenbüchlein for A.M. Bach (Bach 2000, Vol. 87). Koopman, Gritton, et al. . 2000 . Wolfgang . Marx . 8 . Teldec Classics.
  14. https://www.bach333.com/en/assets/downloads/bach333_instrumental-and-supplement.pdf Instrumental and Supplement
  15. https://www.bach333.com/en/assets/downloads/bach333_organ-and-keyboard.pdf Organ and Keyboard
  16. Texte / Zur Leipziger / Kirchen-Music, / Auf den andern, dritten, vierdten Sonntage / nach der Erscheinung Christi, / Das Fest Mariä Reinigung, / Und die Sonntage / Septuagesimae, Sexagesimae, / Esto mihi, / Ingleichen / Auf das Fest / der Verkündigung Mariä. Leipzig: Immanuel Tietzen (1724)
  17. Hobohm, BJ 1973: 5ff
  18. Neumann BT: 159, 427
  19. Hofmann, BJ 1982: 51ff
  20. Christine Blanken. "A Cantata-Text Cycle of 1728 from Nuremberg: a Preliminary Report on a Discovery relating to J. S. Bach's so-called 'Third Annual Cantata Cycle'", pp. 9–30 in Understanding Bach, Vol. 10, 2015
  21. Häfner, BJ 1975: 99ff
  22. Brinkmann. "Neues über J. S. Bach in Mühlhausen" in Mühihäuser Geschichtsblätter Vol. 31 (1932): 242ff
  23. Schulze St
  24. [Picander]
  25. Book: Neumann . Werner . Werner Neumann . 1962 . Eine verschollene Ratswechselkantate J. S. Bachs . A lost council change cantata by J. S. Bach . https://doi.org/10.13141/bjb.v19612426 . Dürr . Alfred . Alfred Dürr . Neumann . Werner . Bach-Jahrbuch 1961 . Bach Yearbook 1961 . . de . 48 . . Berlin . . 52–57 . 10.13141/bjb.v1961 .
  26. Book: 1740 . Nützliche Nachrichten Von Denen Bemühen derer Gelehrten und andern Begebenheiten in Leipzig . de . Leipzig . Johann Christian Langenheim . 82ff.
  27. Hudson, NBA I/33, Krit. Bericht: 31ff
  28. BC: Werk [B 12]
  29. Schaumburg-Lippische Hofbibliothek Bückeburg, V 100 F, No. 31
  30. Tiggemann, BJ 1994: 7–22
  31. Schaumburg-Lippische Hofbibliothek Bückeburg, Cb 76 II, Nr. 214
  32. Smend Köthen: 27f, 169, 184f
  33. Breitkopf-Werke, 1. Ausgabe: 33
  34. Neumann BT: 184
  35. Verzeichniß der von dem verstorbenen Doctor und Musikdirector Forkel in Göttingen nachgelassenen Bücher und Musikalien. Göttingen (1819), Nr. 94
  36. Neumann, NBA I/4, Krit. Bericht: 118
  37. Dürr, NBA I/35, Krit. Bericht: 117
  38. Smend Köthen: 27, 69, 195–198
  39. Dürr, NBA I/35, Krit. Bericht: 120, 275f
  40. Dürr, NBA I/35, Krit. Bericht: 118f
  41. Smend Köthen: 27, 69, 199ff
  42. Wäschke. "Die Zerbster Hofkapelle unter Fasch" in Zerbster Jahrbuch II (1906): 47ff
  43. Wäschke. "Eine noch unbekannte Komposition J. S. Bachs" in SIMG 10 (1908/09): 633f
  44. Leipziger Post-Zeitungen (10 August 1723)
  45. Neumann, NBA I/38, Krit. Bericht: 10
  46. Christoph Ernst Sicul. Das frohlockende Leipzig. Leipzig (1727), pp. 3ff
  47. Neumann, NBA I/36, Krit. Bericht: 11ff
  48. Schulze, BJ 1985; 166ff
  49. Geiringer JSB 1971
  50. Neumann, NBA I/36, Krit. Bericht: 20ff
  51. Neumann, NBA I/36, Krit. Bericht: 24ff
  52. [Picander]
  53. Neumann, NBA I/39, Krit. Bericht: 42
  54. Dürr, Bericht Duisburg
  55. Neumann, NBA I/37, Krit. Bericht: 97ff
  56. Wolff, Bericht Duisburg
  57. Als die / von / E. Hoch=Edlen / und / Hoch=Weisen Rathe / der Stadt Leipzig / neugebauete und eingerichtete / Schule zu S. Thomae / den 5. Jun. durch etliche Reden eingeweyhet wurde, / ward folgende / CANTATA / dabey verfertiget und aufgeführet / von / Joh. Sebastian Bach, / Fürstl. Sächs. Weissfels. Capellmeister, und besagter Schulen Cantore / und / M. Johann Heinrich Winckler, / Collega IV Leipzig: Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf (1732)
  58. Dürr, Gs Albrecht: 121ff
  59. Neumann, NBA I/39, Krit. Bericht: 14f
  60. [Christoph Gottsched]
  61. Neumann, NBA I/40, Krit. Bericht: 22ff
  62. Smend, Bach-Gs 1950: 42ff
  63. http://www.geni.com/people/Peter-Freiherr-von-Hohenthal/6000000014195012948 Peter Freiherr von Hohenthal
  64. Spitta 1884, pp. 374 ff.
  65. Frederick Hudson and Alfred Dürr. "An Investigation into the Authenticity of Bach's 'Kleine Magnificat'" in Music and Letters XXXVI (3), 1955, pp. 233–36
  66. [Karl Geiringer|Geiringer, Karl]
  67. [François Couperin]