The Collected Works of Johann Christian Bach, 1735-1782, vol. 48, Thematic Catalogue and Music Supplement (review)

Abstract

Today the music of the late eighteenth century is known primarily through the works of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Yet the musical production of this rather short time span was voluminous, and the works of the Viennese masters constitute only a limited portion of the total repertory; the rest was the product of dozens of other capable composers working in centers throughout Europe. A full understanding of the music of this period depends upon an appreciation of the accomplishments of these so-called Kleinmeister. First, however, the repertory must be identified, its sources evaluated, and the music itself made available for study and performance. The Collected Works of Johann Christian Bach, 1735-1782, published by Garland under the general editorship of Ernest Warburton, might well serve as a model for how such a comprehensive study should be carried out. This project, which began in 1984 (the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth), has produced forty-two volumes of edited music and five of librettos. Volume 48, the final element in this monumental undertaking, is the Thematic Catalogue and Music Supplement that is the subject of the present review.