Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis facts for kids

Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV) is a special list of all the music pieces written by Johann Sebastian Bach. In English, it means Bach Works Catalogue. It helps musicians and music lovers know exactly which piece of Bach's music they are talking about.

What is the BWV Catalogue?

The BWV catalogue was created by a person named Wolfgang Schmieder in 1950. He gathered all the music by Johann Sebastian Bach that was known at that time. Some of Bach's music has been lost over the years. Schmieder gave each piece of music a unique number.

For example, Bach's famous Mass in B minor is known as BWV 232. This numbering system is very helpful. Imagine there are several "Preludes and Fugues in G major." By adding "BWV 550" to the name, like Prelude and Fugue in G major BWV 550, everyone knows exactly which one it is.

How are the BWV Numbers Organized?

The BWV numbers are not listed in the order Bach wrote the music. Instead, they are grouped by the type of music. For instance, all of Bach's cantatas are listed together. All his concertos are also grouped together. This makes it easier to find specific types of music.

What is BWV Anhang?

Sometimes, music pieces are thought to be by Bach, but we are not completely sure. These pieces are listed separately in a section called BWV Anhang. "Anhang" means "appendix" in German.

Since Schmieder first made the list in 1950, new discoveries have been made. Some new music by Bach has been found. Also, some pieces once thought to be by Bach have now been proven to be by other composers. The BWV catalogue is updated when these changes happen.

Why No Opus Numbers?

Many composers use "opus numbers" to organize their works. An opus number is usually given to a group of works when they are published. Bach, like many composers from a long time ago, did not use opus numbers. This is because very few of his musical works were published during his lifetime.

Using "BWV" Instead of "S"

You might find some older books that use "S" instead of "BWV" (S for Schmieder). However, Wolfgang Schmieder himself did not want this. He preferred that Bach's name be used in the catalogue's title, not his own.

Images for kids

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  The BWV is a thematic catalogue. It helps identify each part of a song by its first few notes. This is the start of BWV 1006, movement 2 (Loure).

See also

In Spanish: Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis para niños