Four Modern Piano Compositions Incorporating the B-A-C-H Motive

An Analysis and Comparison of Four Modern Piano §Compositions Incorporating the B-A-C-H Motive: Valse-§improvisation sur le nom de Bach (1932) by Francis §Poulenc, Simbolo from Quaderno Musicale di §Annalibera (1952) by Luigi Dallapiccola,§Variations on BACH (1951) by Jean Coulthard, and §Magnificat (2004) by Sangjick Jun.§This research discusses four compositions written §within the past century that all make use of the B-A-§C-H motive and demonstrate the continuing influence §of Bach upon composers of many nations up to the §present day. Four nations (France, Italy, Canada, §and Korea) are represented in this study by §composers who come from very different backgrounds, §life experiences, and philosophical approaches to §composition. Each work s incorporation of the B-A-C-§H motive is analyzed, with particular attention §going to issues of rhythm, motivic development, §texture, and compositional structure in connection §to the motive. The greatest attention, of course, §goes to the methods each composer uses to employ the §B-A-C-H motive along with its numerous §transformations.