Goldberg

Canons
by

Johann Sebastian
Bach
1685-1750
Arranged in 2008 by
Alberto Gomez Gomez
Use freely

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

Fourteen Canons on the First Eight

Notes of the Goldberg Ground
Delightful to hear, these canons were discovered in private possession
in France in 1974. Only numbers 11 and 13 were known before then.

1. Soggetto with its retrograde

Retrograded
Soggetto

2
&4
2
&4

J. S. Bach

..

..

2. Inverted Soggetto with its retrograde

Inverted
Retrograde
Inverted
Soggetto

# 2
& 4

# 2
& 4

3. Soggetto with its inversion

Inverted
Soggetto

2
&4

..

..

Inverted
Soggetto

..

..

..

..

.
..

& 42 .. ..

4. Inverted Soggetto with its inversion

Soggetto

# 2

.
& 4
..
# 2
& 4 .. ..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

5. Four-part Double Mirror Canon

Canon duplex a 4 voci
Two keyboards or SSTB recorders

#
& 42
? # 42

J. S. Bach

# 2

& 4

?# 2

4
# .
& .
? # ..

..

..

# .
& .

? # ..

..

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

5. Four-part Double Mirror Canon

Canon duplex a 4 voci
AT recorders and keyboard
or A recorder and keyboard

#
& 42

# 2
& 4

?# 2

# .
& .

J. S. Bach

..

& ..

? # ..

..

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

6. Two-part Mirror Canon above a Ground Bass

Canon simplex ber besagtes Fundament a 3 voci

Original
arranged here
for T recorder
and keyboard

ATG recorders
or A recorder
and keyboard

T
G

T
G

# 2
& 4

# 2
& 4
?# 2
4

b
b

# .

# ..
& . n #

# .
n ..
& .
b
b

? # ..
..

J. S. Bach

& ..

2
&4

& 42 b

? 42

# #

& .. b

? ..

..

b ..

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

6. Two-part Mirror Canon above a Ground Bass

Canon simplex ber besagtes Fundament a 3 voci

SAB recorders
sounding an
octave higher
than the original

A
B

# 2

4
# 2
b b
& 4

# 2

V 4

# 2

4
# 2
& 4 n b
# 2

V 4

# .

# ..
. n #

# .
b b
n ..

&

# .

..

V .

S
A

SAB saxophones

As
Bs

As
Bs

J. S. Bach

# .
# ..

. n #

# .
..
& . n b
# .

..

V .

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

7. Two-part Mirror Canon above a Ground Bass

Canon simplex ber besagtes Fundament a 3 voci
Original
arranged here
for B recorder
and keyboard

#
&

? #

ATB recorders
or A recorder
and keyboard

T
B

# 42 ..
# 2
& 4
? # 42

..

..

..

..
&b 4
2
&b 4
? 2
b 4

J. S. Bach
#

..

..
n

..

..

..

&b

..

&b

?b
..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

8. Two-part Mirror Canon around the Ground

Canon simplex a 3 voci, il soggetto in Alto

Original
arranged here
for T recorder
and keyboard

# .
& .
# .
& .

b
? # ..

SAB recorders
or S recorder
and keyboard

b ..
&b
?b

J
.. b

..

# 2
& 4

# 2
& 4

b

? # 42

b 42

J n

..

n .
.

..

& b 42 b b

? b 42

J. S. Bach

..

.

b .

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

9. Unison Canon Followed at the Sixteenth

Canon in unisono post semifusam a 3 voci
J. S. Bach

Original
arranged here
for T recorder
and keyboard

..

&

..



&

?#
..

AAT recorders
or A recorder
and keyboard

# 2 .
& 4
. # #
# 2 .
.
#
& 4

? # 42
..

..

2
&4
#

#
2 ..

&4

?2
.
.
4

..

&

.
&

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

10. Syncopated Two-part Double Mirror Canon

Alio modo per syncopationes et per ligaturas a 2 voci
Two keyboards or SATB recorders

# .
& .
?#

.. J

# 2
& 4

J. S. Bach

?# 2
4

# 2
& 4

?# 2
4

..

J ..

# .

& .
J

? # ..

j

..

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

10. Syncopated Two-part Double Mirror Canon

Alio modo per syncopationes et per ligaturas a 2 voci
SATB recorders

# 2
& 4

# 2
V 4

# 2
& 4

# 2
4

# .

# .
J

& .
# . j
& .
V

# .
.

J. S. Bach

..

..

j
..
..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

10

10. Syncopated Two-part Double Mirror Canon

Alio modo per syncopationes et per ligaturas a 2 voci
SATB saxophones

Bs

& b 42

V 42

Bs

As

2
& 4

As

2
b 4

b ..

V ..

J. S. Bach

..

..

& .. J J
J

j

j ..

&b .

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

11

11. Five-part Double Mirror Canon above a Ground

Canon duplex bers Fundament a 5 voci
The cryptic inscriptions 'Christ's Symbol will crown the cross-bearers' and 'Bach wished to commend himself
to the Lord Owner by means of these notes,' on Johann Gottlieb Fulda's notebook containing this canon may
reveal Bach's wish to represent Christ's five wounds through the five descending semitones of the top voice.

#
42

# 2
& 4

# 42

# 2
4

J. S. Bach, 1747 Oct 15

# n #

b b

# #

# . J
.

J #

b b

# .

& .

# #

# 2
& 4

# .
.

NSATB recorders

# . #
& .
# ..

# n #

..

j ..
b ..

..
..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

12

11. Five-part Double Mirror Canon above a Ground

Canon duplex bers Fundament a 5 voci
The cryptic inscriptions 'Christ's Symbol will crown the cross-bearers' and 'Bach wished to commend himself
to the Lord Owner by means of these notes,' on Johann Gottlieb Fulda's notebook containing this canon may
reveal Bach's wish to represent Christ's five wounds through the five descending semitones of the top voice.

Ns

As

Bs

Ns

As

Bs

#
# 42

## 2
& 4

# 2
4
# 2
& 4
## 2
V 4

#
# .. J
# .
.

NSATB saxophones

J #

b b

## .
V .

# #

# #

j
# n #

b b

## .
& . #
# .

& .

J. S. Bach, 1747 Oct 15

j # n #

..

j ..

..
j

..
..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

13

12. Five-part Double Mirror Canon

Canon duplex ber Fundamental-Noten a 5 voci
Original version
Suitable for keyboard and three violins

# 2
& 4
# 2
& 4
# 2
& 4
# 2
& 4
? # 42
#

.
#

..

. #

.. j

#
. #

..

&
# n
&
n
#

&
#

J. S. Bach

J
.

& j
.

?#

. #

..
..
..

j ..

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

14

12. Five-part Double Mirror Canon

Canon duplex ber Fundamental-Noten a 5 voci
Adapted for SSSAB recorders

# 2
4
# 2
4
# 2
4

..

. #

# 2
& 4
# 2
V 4
#

.. j

J .. #

# n

n
#

J. S. Bach

..

J
.
#
.

&
J
J
#

..

. # ..

..

.
J
.

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

15

13. Six-part Triple Mirror Canon

Canon triplex a 6 voci
J. S. Bach
Original version (suitable for SAAATB recorders)
S

# 2
& 4

# 2
V 4

# 2
V 4
# 2
V 4
# 2
V 4

j ..
..

.
..
.
J

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

SAAATB saxophones

# 2
& 4

## 2
& 4

## 2
& 4
# 2
V 4

?# 2
4
J

## 2

& 4

## 2

V 4 J

j
..
..

J

..

..

..

j ..

..

j
..

.
.
..

.
.
..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

16

14. Augmented Canon in Inverted Motion

Canon a 4 per Augmentationem et Diminutionem
Original arranged for two keyboards

# 2

& 4 #

# 2

& 4
# 2
& 4

? # 42

J. S. Bach

..

..

..

..

&
#
#

&

&

?#

..

..

..
..

17

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

14. Augmented Canon in Inverted Motion

Canon a 4 per Augmentationem et Diminutionem
Pitch raised a minor third
J. S. Bach

bb 2

..

& 4
n
b 2
..

&b 4

..

& b 42
J
J
n

? b b 42

..

b b

&

n .
n

bb

..

&

&b

? bb

..
J

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

18

14. Augmented Canon in Inverted Motion

Canon a 4 per Augmentationem et Diminutionem
SSAB recorders

bb 2

..

4
n
b 2
..

b 4

b
.. n

J
& b 42

J. S. Bach

b b 42

..

b b

n .
n

bb

..

bb
..

&

bb

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

19

14. Augmented Canon in Inverted Motion

Canon a 4 per Augmentationem et Diminutionem
AATB saxophones
J. S. Bach

As

As

Bs

As

As

Bs

& 4
# ..
2
& 4

& b 42
V 42

..

.. n

..

&

# ..
#

..

&

b
&
V

J ..

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

20

14. Augmented Canon in Inverted Motion

Canon a 4 per Augmentationem et Diminutionem
SSAB saxophones

bb 2

..

4
n
b 2
..

b 4

J .. n
J
& b 42

J. S. Bach

As

Bs

As

Bs

V b 42

..

b b

n .
n

bb

..

b
&

Vb

J ..

..

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

21

Canons on the First Eight Notes

of the Goldberg Ground
Arrangement for children's recorders
in Baroque fingering
J. S. Bach

1.

<qjhgdfga>

2.

<sdvgjhgw>

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<qjhgdfga> <sdvgjhgw>
3.

Bach, J. S. (1747) Goldberg Canons, BWV 1087

22

Canons on the First Eight Notes

of the Goldberg Ground
Arrangement for children's recorders
in German fingering
J. S. Bach

1.

<qjhgdFga>

2.

<sdVgjhgw>

<ghjqewqt> 4. <t%ewjqwg>
<qjhgdFga> <sdVgjhgw>
3.