Heightening Levels of Activity and J. S. Bach's Parallel-Section Constructions

Abstract

Abstract Three constructive principles underlie the large-scale thematic and organizational aspects of J. S. Bach's compositions: (1) the opening of a piece states a core of material that is worked with throughout the composition; (2) recurrences of material almost invariably exhibit a heightening level of activity in some or all musical elements; and (3) movements quite frequently subdivide into roughly parallel sections within which these heightened recurrences appear. The interaction of these three principles, all pertinent to contemporaneous theoretical perspectives, provides a unified perspective on Bach's creations in all genres. This essay explores interactions of the latter principles with the more familiar first one.