Bach “Sinfonias”: Difficulty Ranking and Piano Practice Tips!

What comes to mind when you think of Bach?

The first thing I think of is the portrait with his curly white-haired wig. Back in the day, portraits of composers used to hang in music classrooms. I wonder if they still do now.

Bach is always featured in music textbooks, and we were taught that he is the “Father of Music.” I wonder how Bach himself would feel about this title.

After all, he wasn’t the first composer to create music. How would he feel about being called the “Father of Music”? Personally, I think it would’ve been better if the title were something more specific to him.

But perhaps it’s better than what Handel might have been called—“Mother of Music”? That changes his gender entirely… Handel would probably be furious.

If you’ve played any of Bach’s works, you may have felt that they are difficult. Indeed, Bach’s compositions are challenging to play. However, they are incredibly educational. My hope is that this article will spark your interest in his works and help you grow to like Bach even more.

In this article, I’ll discuss what makes Bach’s music difficult and focus on his Sinfonias.

What Makes Bach’s Music Difficult

Bach’s works are numerous, but as I mentioned in a previous article comparing sheet music, his compositions weren’t written with the modern piano in mind. This presents the question of how best to play them on today’s piano.

Because of this, interpretations of the scores vary depending on the publisher.

There are various editions, including urtext editions and interpretative editions, but starting with an urtext edition like Henle’s is a good choice.

Henle Edition
I studied using this Henle edition.

Wiener Urtext Edition
The Wiener Urtext Edition is another widely used score. The fact that it includes explanations in Japanese is a great feature. It provides more fingering indications than the Henle edition.

Busoni Edition
This is an interpretative edition. The Busoni edition includes detailed tempo markings and dynamics. It also features explanations translated into Japanese.

Playing with this edition can feel quite pianistic. While I recommend it, I don’t think it’s suitable as the first edition to purchase. Jumping into this edition without understanding what it means to play Bach might not be ideal. However, it’s an excellent reference after mastering an urtext edition.

Many editions of Bach’s sheet music are available, and opinions on which is best or how to interpret the music vary among teachers. Compared to other composers, Bach’s works elicit much more debate, which adds to their complexity.

Another factor contributing to the difficulty is Bach’s compositional style, which many find challenging to play.

Piano learners generally start with pieces where the right hand plays the melody, and the left hand plays the accompaniment. Gradually, they work their way up to more complex pieces. After mastering this basic format, they may take on Bach’s works.

However, Bach’s compositions don’t follow the typical melody-and-accompaniment structure. Instead, both hands often carry equal importance.

The leading role doesn’t always belong to the same part. The dominant part depends on where the main subject appears, and the other parts don’t just rest—they continue with separate yet harmonious melodies.

In Inventions (two voices), you must consider which part takes the lead and play accordingly. In Sinfonias, there’s an additional voice, making it three parts.

It’s said that Bach was highly intelligent, possibly with an extraordinary IQ. Harmonizing independent melodies requires more advanced compositional techniques than simply adding accompaniment to a melody.

Now, do you see how Bach’s works differ entirely from the right-hand melody and left-hand accompaniment structure you may have played before?

For learners, adjusting the balance between the right and left hands is a significant milestone. But with Sinfonias, you’ll need to go beyond that and manage the balance of three voices.

What does this mean? While the upper and lower voices can often be assigned to the right and left hands, the middle voice might be played by either hand. It could flow from the left hand to the right hand (or vice versa), depending on the passage.

In such cases, balancing just the right and left hands isn’t enough. You’ll need to balance each finger individually. This is where the challenge of managing three voices lies.

About the Difficulty of the Sinfonias

For learners who are not used to playing pieces like Bach’s inventions—two-voice works that do not involve fixed accompaniment patterns like “Do So Mi So”—these pieces may feel challenging. The three-voice sinfonias, which are even more complex, can be even more demanding to play.

Determining the level at which one can play the three-voice sinfonias is quite a tricky question.

Since the technique required is different, it’s not as simple as saying that being able to play sonatinas means you can play them. If you are not accustomed to playing polyphonic music, you may struggle with sinfonias even if you are at the level where you can play sonatas.

For those unfamiliar with playing polyphonic music, it might be a good idea to first try a few pieces from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, then move on to the Inventions, or select a few pieces from the French Suites (which consist of sets of shorter pieces such as allemandes and courantes). After that, you can proceed to the sinfonias.



Recommended pieces from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach are Minuet in G minor (No. 3), Minuet in G major (No. 5), March in D major (No. 12), and Musette in D major (No. 18).



While all the pieces in the Inventions are delightful and worth playing, it is recommended to start with No. 1.



In the French Suites, recommended pieces include the Gavotte from Suite No. 5, and the Allemande, Gavotte, Polonaise, Bourrée, and Gigue from Suite No. 6.

Originally, They Weren’t Called Sinfonias

What does the term “sinfonia” actually mean?

According to music dictionaries, it is the Italian word for “symphony.” In Japan, “symphony” is translated as “交響曲” (kōkyōkyoku, symphony). The word “symphony” originates from the Greek word meaning “complete harmony.”

In the Baroque period, during which Bach was active, the term “sinfonia” had various meanings. It could refer to orchestral music played at the opening of an opera or to independent instrumental works. The sinfonia of the Baroque era eventually developed into the symphony as we know it today.

The three-voice pieces currently known and loved as “sinfonias” did not originally have that title.

Inventions and Sinfonias were written in 1723, but prior to that, Bach had composed a work titled Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1720) for his son. This collection included 15 two-voice pieces named “Preambulum” and 14 three-voice pieces named “Fantasia.”

The “Preambulum” pieces were renamed as “Inventions,” and the “Fantasia” pieces as “Sinfonias,” combining them into a single collection. At the same time, both were organized into 15 pieces each, and their order was rearranged.

Because these pieces were originally written for his son, Inventions and Sinfonias are highly educational works.

In the preface, Bach himself expressed his desire for learners to become well-acquainted with two-voice playing, learn how to perform three-voice pieces beautifully, and develop the ability to “sing and play” through these works. Additionally, he intended for learners to gain an understanding of composition methods.

The Difficulty Order of the Sinfonias

It seems there are various opinions regarding the difficulty order of the Sinfonias. When you research this, you can find difficulty rankings assigned by Toshio Nagaoka and Takahiro Sonoda, but there are significant differences between their orders.

I also compared these orders with the sequence in which I learned the Sinfonias, and they did not match either. From this, I believe it can be said that there isn’t a significant difference in difficulty among the 15 Sinfonias.

I looked at other difficulty rankings as well, but there were differences among them, and none were identical.

However, there are some commonalities. In all the difficulty orders, the three pieces Nos. 5, 9, and 14 are positioned in the latter half, and the order I learned them in also placed these three pieces towards the end.

I personally feel that Nos. 5, 9, and 14 are more challenging compared to the others, so it would be a good idea to leave these numbers for later. Personally, I find No. 9 to be the most difficult. While it doesn’t appear particularly challenging on the sheet music, the way it needs to be sung is quite tricky.

If I were to assign my own difficulty ranking, starting from the easiest, it would be:

1. No. 1 in C Major, BWV 787 (4/4 time)
2. No. 3 in D Major, BWV 789 (4/4 time)
3. No. 4 in D Minor, BWV 790 (4/4 time)
4. No. 8 in F Major, BWV 794 (4/4 time)
5. No. 10 in G Major, BWV 796 (3/4 time)
6. No. 6 in E Major, BWV 792 (9/8 time)
7. No. 11 in G Minor, BWV 797 (3/8 time)
8. No. 12 in A Major, BWV 798 (4/4 time)
9. No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 788 (12/8 time)
10. No. 15 in B Minor, BWV 801 (9/16 time)
11. No. 7 in E Minor, BWV 793 (3/4 time)
12. No. 13 in A Minor, BWV 799 (9/8 time)
13. No. 5 in E-flat Major, BWV 791 (3/4 time)
14. No. 14 in B-flat Major, BWV 800 (4/4 time)
15. No. 9 in F Minor, BWV 795 (4/4 time)

Although I’ve assigned an order, Nos. 5 (with its variety of ornamentations), 9 (which requires expressing notes that move forward and backward), and 14 (which becomes more complex in the latter half) each have their challenges. Therefore, it’s perfectly fine to start with your favorite pieces and tackle these later.

How to Practice Sinfonias

↑ Detailed explanation about the structure is provided.

To beautifully play three voices, you first need to understand how each voice moves. While the upper and lower voices are easy to identify, the middle voice is more challenging to follow because it alternates between the treble and bass clefs.

Instead of jumping into playing, start by analyzing the movements of the middle voice.

① Write out each voice on a separate staff. It is crucial to ensure the vertical alignment of the notes. If the vertical alignment isn’t correct, it will be impossible to play later.

If writing it all out is too laborious, you can copy the sheet music and use colored pencils to differentiate each voice.

② Once this is done, practice playing each voice individually.

③ Next, try playing two voices at a time.

Start with the soprano (upper part) and bass (lower part). Once comfortable, move to soprano and alto (middle part), and finally, alto and bass. Practice by changing the combinations of parts.

The following practice method is also effective for Inventions, so give it a try.

The method involves playing one (or two) parts while singing the remaining parts. If you haven’t fully grasped each voice, there will be moments when you can’t sing without being influenced by the soprano or the part presenting the theme.

This practice can be mentally overwhelming, but if you can sing without being influenced, it proves that you’ve completely internalized each voice and can hear the flow of each part clearly.

How was this discussion about Bach’s Sinfonias?

I believe Bach’s Sinfonias not only improve performance skills but also train the ear. It might be challenging until you get used to playing, but with perseverance, you’ll gradually start to hear the sounds of each part.

These pieces will undoubtedly help you grow, so take on the challenge!

Summary

◆ Playing Sinfonias is difficult without experience with two-voice works like Inventions.
◆ Originally written for his son.
◆ Inventions and Sinfonias are highly educational works.
◆ Understanding the alto part is essential.