Bach on the Lute | Volume I

Bach’s “Lute” Works: Suites and Historical Pieces

The so-called “lute” works of Johann Sebastian Bach consist mainly of suites and pieces composed or arranged for the lute or the lautenwerk, a keyboard instrument designed to evoke the timbre of the lute.

This first volume presents the suites BWV 995 to 999, along with major works such as the Prelude, Fugue and AllegroBWV 998, the Fugue BWV 1000, and the Partita BWV 1006a. These pieces reflect Bach’s unique approach: although he never played the lute, he successfully adapted his musical ideas to its sound world.

Edited by Nigel North—an internationally renowned lutenist and leading specialist in Bach’s music—this edition offers a transcription in tablature faithful to eighteenth-century historical practices, based on the principal manuscript sources. It provides performers with a clear, rigorous, and stylistically informed access to this cornerstone of the lute repertoire.

Nigel North – Lutenist, teacher, writer

British lutenist of international renown, Nigel North has played the lute since adolescence. He has taught at Indiana University Bloomington since 1999, after holding positions in London, Berlin, and The Hague. Self-taught on the lute, he was inspired by Michael Schäffer, Gustav Leonhardt, and the duo Tuck and Patti. His love for Bach is central to his career. In 1996, Julian Bream declared to have been “dazzled by the mastery and musicality” of a Bach recital by Nigel in London. Among his major publications and recordings are Continuo Playing on the Lute, Archlute and Theorbo (Faber), Bach on the Lute (Linn Records), works by John Dowland, Silvius Leopold Weiss, and Francesco da Milano.

Jean-Daniel Forget – Computer scientist, lutenist

Passionate about the baroque repertoire, Jean-Daniel Forget is a self-taught lutenist who has been copying and sharing ancient manuscripts for nearly twenty years. A computer scientist by profession, he masters music notation software adapted for tablature. In collaboration with Guy Grangereau, he provides tablatures on a dedicated website. He also assisted Miguel Serdoura in preparing his editions and his Baroque Lute Method.

Urtext Editions The Golden Lute

Urtext Le Luth Doré editions offer scores faithful to historical sources, optimized for musicians and musicologists. Our editions combine careful engraving, practical layout, durable materials and detailed critical apparatus in several languages.

Each text is rigorously established note by note to guarantee an authentic restitution of the works, with original fingerings and ornamentations, as well as relevant stylistic suggestions.

Produced by experts, our editions offer a clear reading and an enlightened interpretation of the old repertoire.

• Editor(s): Nigel North
• Musical period: Baroque
• Instrument(s): Baroque lute 11-course / 13-course
• Instrumentation: Baroque lute solo
• Notation: French tablature
• Modern edition: Urtext
• Publisher: Le Luth Doré Urtext Editions
• Year of publication: 2023
• Collection: Lute and Theorbo Music Collection
• Pages: 208 pp.
• Dimensions: 230x310 mm
• Weight: 0.740 kg
• Binding: Sewn perfect binding
• ISMN: 377-0-0017-8838-8

• Suite in G minor, BWV 995
• Suite in E minor, BWV 996
• Suite in C minor, BWV 997
• Prelude, Fuga and Allegro in E flat major, BWV 998
• Prelude in C minor, BWV 999
• Fuga in G minor, BWV 1000
• Partita in E Major, BWV 1006a

Appendix 1: Tablatures from Bach’s contemporaries
• Suite in G minor, BWV 995
• Suite in C minor, BWV 997
• Fuga in G minor, BWV 1000

Appendix 2: Sacred works with obbligato lute parts and related works
• Aria: “Komm, süßes Kreuz,” (Liuto)
• Arioso: “Betrachte, meine Seel’” (Liuto)