Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 114

The Minuet in G major is a keyboard piece included in the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach. Until 1970, it was attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV Anh. 114), but it is now universally attributed to Christian Petzold.[1][2][3] It is a 32-measure piece primarily in the key of G major.

\version "2.14.2" \header { tagline = ##f } upper = \relative c'' { \clef treble \key g \major \time 3/4 \tempo 2 = 72  %\autoBeamOff d4 g,8 a b c | d4 g, g | e' c8\mordent d e fis | g4 g, g | c d8\mordent c b a | b4 c8 b a g | fis4 g8 a b g | \grace b8( a2.) } lower = \relative c' { \clef bass \key g \major \time 3/4 < g b d >2 a4 | b2. c2. b2. a2. g2. | d'4 b g | d' d,8 c' b a } \score { \new PianoStaff << \set PianoStaff.instrumentName = #"Menuet" \new Staff = "upper" \upper \new Staff = "lower" \lower >> \layout { \context { \Score \remove "Metronome_mark_engraver" } } \midi { } }

Provenance

The Minuet in G major is found in the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, where it appears with its companion piece, Minuet in G minor, as a pair to be performed da capo. The notebook in question, which belonged to Johann Sebastian Bach's second wife Anna Magdalena, is a compilation of music by various composers of the late 17th and early 18th century, including François Couperin, Georg Böhm, Johann Sebastian Bach himself and possibly some of his sons (e.g., Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach). Most of the entries in the 1725 notebook were made by Anna Magdalena herself, and a few were contributed by Johann Sebastian and various friends of the Bach family. Only a few composers are identified in the notebook. The Minuet in G major and its companion are two of the many anonymous works included. In the 1970s the Minuet in G major was identified as a piece from a harpsichord suite by Dresden organist Christian Petzold.[4]

The melody from the 1965 pop song "A Lover's Concerto", written by American songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, was based on the Minuet in G major. The song was recorded by the girl group The Toys and reached number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 in the UK Singles Chart. "A Lover's Concerto" sold more than two million copies and was awarded gold record certification by the R.I.A.A..[5]

Willie Nelson recorded a version in 1975 during the "Red Headed Stranger" sessions, but this version was not released for a long time.

In the 1984 film Electric Dreams, the piece is the basis for a duet, or a friendly musical duel, between cellist Madeline and Edgar, the computer. This song from the movie soundtrack, titled "The Duel," was composed and performed by Giorgio Moroder.

The 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus has a scene in which the title character, a high school music teacher, explains to his students the connection between "A Lover's Concerto" and the Minuet in G major. He incorrectly identifies the piece as written by Bach, which is appropriate given the scene is set in 1965 when the public still believed the tune to be written by Bach.

The 1986 animated movie The Adventures of the American Rabbit features this song as one of the characters plays this song for a piano lesson.

References

  1. ↑ Wolff, Christoph. "Bach. III. 7. Johann Sebastian Bach. Works". In L. Root, Deane. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Williams, Peter F.. 2007. J.S. Bach: A Life in Music, p. 158. Cambridge University Press.
  3. ↑ Schulenberg, David. 2006. The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach, p. 448.
  4. ↑ Schulze, Hans-Joachim. "Ein 'Dresdner Menuett' im zweiten Klavierbüchlein der Anna Magdalena Bach. Nebst Hinweisen zur Überlieferung einiger Kammermusikwerke Bachs." Bach-Jahrbuch 65 (1979 pp. 45-64), pp. 54-58, 64.
  5. ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 198. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
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