Inventions and Sinfonias (Bach)

The Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772–801, also known as the Two- and Three-Part Inventions, are a collection of thirty short keyboard compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): 15 inventions, which are two-part contrapuntal pieces, and 15 sinfonias, which are three-part contrapuntal pieces. They were originally written as musical exercises for his students.

Bach titled the collection:

Honest method, by which the amateurs of the keyboard – especially, however, those desirous of learning – are shown a clear way not only (1) to learn to play cleanly in two parts, but also, after further progress, (2) to handle three obligate parts correctly and well; and along with this not only to obtain good inventions (ideas) but to develop the same well; above all, however, to achieve a cantabile style in playing and at the same time acquire a strong foretaste of composition.

The two groups of pieces are both arranged in order of ascending key, each group covering eight major and seven minor keys.

The inventions were composed in Köthen; the sinfonias, on the other hand, were probably not finished until the beginning of the Leipzig period.

Media

KeyInventionSinfonia
C major No. 1, BWV 772 No. 1, BWV 787
C minor No. 2, BWV 773 No. 2, BWV 788
D major No. 3, BWV 774 No. 3, BWV 789
D minor No. 4, BWV 775 No. 4, BWV 790
E major No. 5, BWV 776 No. 5, BWV 791
E major No. 6, BWV 777 No. 6, BWV 792
E minor No. 7, BWV 778 No. 7, BWV 793
F major No. 8, BWV 779 No. 8, BWV 794
F minor No. 9, BWV 780 No. 9, BWV 795
G major No. 10, BWV 781 No. 10, BWV 796
G minor No. 11, BWV 782 No. 11, BWV 797
A major No. 12, BWV 783 No. 12, BWV 798
A minor No. 13, BWV 784 No. 13, BWV 799
B major No. 14, BWV 785 No. 14, BWV 800
B minor No. 15, BWV 786 No. 15, BWV 801
 To play the MIDI files (Inventions), click their titles.
For information on the MIDI files, click the speaker icon.
These are computer-generated representations of Bach's music,
and do not convey how a human pianist would perform them.
All Sinfonia performances above were played by Randolph Hokanson.
Additionally, here is another version of Sinfonia No. 8 (BWV 794), for clarinet, violin and cello: and, another version of Sinfonia No. 15 (BWV 801) is  here. 
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