Essay on the True Manner of Playing the Clavier
Translated by Tobias Plebuch and Derek Remeš
Introduction
Probestück(e)
demonstration piece(s)
| Piece(s) composed by Bach to illustrate concepts discussed in the Versuch. For the first edition (1753), Bach composed eighteen movements making up six sonatas (Wq 63/1–6), and for the third edition (1787), after receiving complaints that the original sonatas were too difficult for beginners, he added six easier pieces (Wq 63/7–12), which he labelled “Sonatinas.” |
Achtzehn Probestücke in Sechs Sonaten, Wq 63/1–6
From CPEB:CW, I/3, pp. 3–35, edited by David Schulenberg
| Sonata I | ||
| Allegretto tranquillemente | C Major | Wq 63/1/i |
| Andante ma innocentemente | E Minor | Wq 63/1/ii |
| Tempo di minuetto con tenerezza | G Major | Wq 63/1/iii |
| Sonata II | ||
| Allegro con spirito | D Minor | Wq 63/2/i |
| Adagio sostenuto | B-flat Major | Wq 63/2/ii |
| Presto | G Minor | Wq 63/2/iii |
| Sonata III | ||
| Poco allegro ma cantabile | A Major | Wq 63/3/i |
| Andante lusingando | A Minor | Wq 63/3/ii |
| Allegro | E Major | Wq 63/3/iii |
| Sonata IV | ||
| Allegretto grazioso | B Minor | Wq 63/4/i |
| Largo maestoso | D Major | Wq 63/4/ii |
| Allegro siciliano e scherzando | F-sharp Minor | Wq 63/4/iii |
| Sonata V | ||
| Allegro di molto | E-flat Major | Wq 63/5/i |
| Adagio assai mesto e sostenuto | B-flat Minor | Wq 63/5/ii |
| Allegretto arioso ed amoroso | F Major | Wq 63/5/iii |
| Sonata VI | ||
| Allegro di molto | F Minor | Wq 63/6/i |
| Adagio affetuoso e sostenuto | A-flat Major | Wq 63/6/ii |
| Fantasia | C Minor | Wq 63/6/iii |
Sechs neue Clavier-Stücke, Wq 63/7–12
From CPEB:CW, I/3, pp. 143–49, edited by David Schulenberg
| Sonatina I | ||
| Allegro | G Major | Wq 63/7 |
| Sonatina II | ||
| Largo | E Major | Wq 63/8 |
| Sonatina III | ||
| Allegretto | D Major | Wq 63/9 |
| Sonatina IV | ||
| Allegretto | B-flat Major | Wq 63/10 |
| Sonatina IV | ||
| Andante | F Major | Wq 63/11 |
| Sonatina VI | ||
| Prestissimo | D Minor | Wq 63/12 |
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Translation © 2026 The Packard Humanities Institute