J.S.Bach (1685-1750) Lute Suite BWV 997 Bach's BWV 997 suite was originally written in C minor in c1740, although guitarists throughout the years have tended to perform it in the keys of A or D minor, to accommodate the guitar's use of open strings to facilitate a convincing interpretation. Whilst officially regarded as one of Bach's Lute suites, manuscripts suggest that it may have been written for a keyboard instrument such as the clavichord; the subject is of much debate in the world of musicology. Like a lot of Bach's work, multiple copies exist of this piece. One thing we can be certain of is that the piece was at least written with the lute in mind. The exploitation of things idiomatic to the lute, such as pedal notes on the open strings and the positions of the hand to facilitate the Double for instance, make it almost certain that Bach thought of this piece as a lute piece. It is a very intense piece, seething with emotion underneath the structure and formality that defines it. S.L.Weiss (1687-1750) Weiss was a contemporary of Bach's and a highly regarded improviser and composer of his day. Weiss wrote over six hundred pieces for the lute, many being titled Sonatas, (not to be confused with the Sonata form that was such a big part of the classical movement) and much of his work is characterised by a more melodic emphasis, helped by the less complex use of counterpoint than in the writing of Bach. There is certainly a greater freedom for the performer playing Weiss' music in this respect, as full attention can be given to the main melody. The Passacaglia and Ciacona are sets of variations based on an opening theme that returns at the end of the music, whilst the Overture and Fantasie are both pieces that would be used as a precursor to a set of pieces in a public performance. The Fantasie has an almost improvised quality to it; with its flamboyant gestures and use of the full range of the guitar, it isn't difficult to see why the Fantasie as a musical form was regarded as a piece that possessed inspiration and freedom. Weiss composed in a variety of styles; in contrast to the Fantasie, the Overture, with its stately dotted rhythm in the introduction, sets a much more formal mood. Both these composers met and actually performed together on the lute. We can only imagine and speculate as to how these two masters would have sounded together! www.matthewsearguitarist.co.uk