Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach

The title Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach () refers to either of two manuscript notebooks that the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach presented to his second wife, Anna Magdalena. Keyboard music (minuets, rondeaux, polonaises, chorales, sonatas, preludes, musettes, marches, gavottes) makes up most of both notebooks, and a few pieces for voice (songs, and arias) are included.
The Notebooks provide a glimpse into the domestic music of the 18th century and the musical tastes of the Bach family.
History.
The two notebooks are known by their title page dates of 1722 and 1725. The title "Anna Magdalena notebook" is commonly used to refer to the latter. The primary difference between the two collections is that the 1722 notebook contains works only by Johann Sebastian Bach (including most of the French Suites), while the 1725 notebook is a compilation of music by both Bach and other composers of the era.
The 1722 notebook: French Suites and miscellany.
This notebook contains 25 unbound sheets (including two blank pages), which is estimated to be approximately a third of the original size. It is not known what happened to the other pages. The back and the corners are decorated with brown leather; greenish paper is used for the cover. The title page is inscribed "" in Anna Magdalena's hand. For a reason so far unknown to researchers, Johann Sebastian wrote the titles of three books by theologian August Pfeiffer (died 1698) in the lower right corner of the title page:
The notebook contains the following works, most in Johann Sebastian's hand:
The 1725 notebook.
The 1725 notebook is larger than the 1722 one, and more richly decorated. Light green paper is used for the front cover, Anna Magdalena's initials and the year number "1725" are printed in gold. All pages feature gilt edging. Most of the entries in the 1725 notebook were made by Anna Magdalena herself, with others written in the hand of Johann Sebastian, some by sons Johann Christian and Carl Philipp Emanuel, and a few by family friends such as Johann Gottfried Bernhard and Johann Gottfried Heinrich. 
Although the 1725 notebook does contain work composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, it also includes works by many other composers. The authorship of several pieces is identified in the notebook itself, while that of others was established by researchers. The composers of still others, including several popular songs of the time, remain unknown. 
Here is a complete list of the pieces included, in order of appearance in the notebook:
Compositions.
The Notebooks contain instrumental as well as vocal music.
Recitative and Aria from Cantata "Ich habe genug", BWV 82.
The recitative "Ich habe genug" and the aria "Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen", the second and third movements of the second version of Cantata "Ich habe genug", BWV 82, appear in the 1725 Notebook.
Four-part chorale "Dir, dir, Jehova, will ich singen", BWV 299.
The four-part chorale "Dir, dir, Jehova, will ich singen", BWV 299, also appears in a two-part setting in Schemellis "Musicalisches Gesang-Buch" (BWV 452).
Songs and arias, BWV 508–518.
The second Notebook contains a number of songs and arias set for voice and continuo.
Aria "Bist du bei mir", BWV 508.
"Bist du bei mir", BWV 508, is an arrangement of an aria of the opera "Diomedes" by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel.
Aria "Gedenke doch, mein Geist", BWV 509.
"Gedenke doch, mein Geist, zurücke", BWV 509 is an aria contained in the second notebook.
Three settings of "Gib dich zufrieden", BWV 510–512.
The sacred songs BWV 510–512 are three settings of "Gib dich zufrieden und sei stille" for voice and continuo.
Sacred song "O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort", BWV 513.
The sacred song "O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort", BWV 513, No. 42 in the second Notebook, is a setting of the chorale melody with the same name, for voice and continuo:
BWV 397 is the four-part realisation of this song.
Sacred song "Schaffs mit mir, Gott", BWV 514.
"Schaffs mit mir, Gott", BWV 514, is a sacred song for voice and continuo.
Aria "So oft ich meine Tobackspfeife", BWV 515–515a.
The aria "So oft ich meine Tobackspfeife" appears in two versions, BWV 515 and 515a, the second a fourth higher than the first.
Aria "Warum betrübst du dich", BWV 516.
The aria "Warum betrübst du dich", BWV 516, is a setting for voice and continuo.
Sacred song "Wie wohl ist mir, o Freund der Seelen", BWV 517.
"Wie wohl ist mir, o Freund der Seelen", BWV 517, is a sacred song for voice and continuo.
"Aria di G[i]ovannini", BWV 518.
The authenticity of "Willst du dein Herz mir schenken", BWV 518, also known as "Aria di G[i]ovannini", is doubted.
For organ.
The first Notebook contains two compositions for organ. The chorale prelude "Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten" is No. 11 in the second Notebook.
Fantasia in C major, BWV 573.
The Fantasia in C major for organ, BWV 573, is a fragment contained in the 1722 Notebook.
Chorale prelude "Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten", BWV 691.
The chorale prelude "Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten", BWV 691, also appears in the Kirnberger Collection.
Chorale setting "Jesus, meine Zuversicht", BWV 728.
The chorale setting "Jesus, meine Zuversicht", BWV 728, is ranged among Bach's chorale preludes for organ.
For keyboard.
The keyboard pieces are the largest group of compositions in both Notebooks.
Five "French Suites", BWV 812–816.
The first Notebook contains early versions of the first five "French Suites", BWV 812–816. the first and the second "French Suite" also appear in the second Notebook.
Third and sixth partita from "Clavier-Übung I", BWV 827 and 830.
The second Notebook starts with the third Partita, BWV 827, from "Clavier-Übung I", followed by the sixth Partita, BWV 830, from that opus.
Minuet in G major, BWV 841.
The Minuet in G major, BWV 841, is also contained in the Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.
First prelude of "The Well-Tempered Clavier", BWV 846/1.
The prelude of Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 846, from "The Well-Tempered Clavier" appears in a short version in the second Notebook.
Aria of the "Goldberg Variations", BWV 988/1.
No. 26 in the second Notebook is the aria with which the "Goldberg Variations" start:
Air with variations, BWV 991.
The Air with variations in C minor, BWV 991, is a fragment contained in the first Notebook.
Minuet in F major, BWV Anh. 113.
The Minuet in F major, BWV Anh. 113, is No. 3 in the second Notebook. Its attribution to J. S. Bach is considered doubtful, and for that reason it is included in Anhang (Anh.) II of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis.
Two Minuets by Christian Petzold, BWV Anh. 114–115.
Start of Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 114:
The two Minuets in G major and G minor, Nos. 4–5 in the second Notebook, BWV Anh. 114 and 115, were composed by Christian Petzold. Because their former attribution to Bach is spurious they appear in Anh. III of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis.
Four Minuets and three Polonaises, BWV Anh. 116–121.
Seven pieces with a doubtful attribution to J. S. Bach:
Two Marches and two Polonaises by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, BWV Anh. 122–125.
Nos. 16–19 (BWV Anh. 122–125) are considered to be early compositions by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach:
Three pieces, BWV Anh. 126–128.
A musette and two other pieces with a doubtful attribution to J. S. Bach:
"Solo per il cembalo" by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, BWV Anh. 129.
Opening bars of "Solo per il cembalo", BWV Anh. 129, by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, piece No. 27 from the 1725 Notebook:
Anh. III 129 – No. 27: "Solo per il cembalo" in E-flat major by C. P. E. Bach (early version of the keyboard sonata Wq 65.7 / H 16).
Polonaise in G major by Johann Adolph Hasse, BWV Anh. 130.
Anh. III 130 – No. 28: Polonaise in G major by Johann Adolph Hasse, i.e. "Polonoise secondo", originally in F major, from his keyboard sonata in F major.
Piece in F major by Johann Christian Bach, BWV Anh. 131.
Untitled movement in F major, , piece No. 32 from the 1725 Notebook:
Anh. III 131 – No. 32: [March] in F major attributed to Johann Christian Bach (W A22), formerly also attributed to Gottfried Heinrich Bach
Minuet in D minor, BWV Anh. 132.
Anh. II 132 – No. 36: Minuet in D minor
"Rondeau" by François Couperin, BWV Anh. 183.
Anh. III 183 – No. 6: Rondeau in B-flat major by François Couperin, "Les Bergeries, Rondeau", sixth piece of the "Sixième ordre", published in Paris in 1717 ("Second Livre de pièces de Clavecin")
"Menuet fait par Mons. Böhm".
No. 21 of the second Notebook, "Menuet fait par Mons. Böhm" (Minuet by Mr. Böhm), in G major, was never assigned a number in the BWV catalogue. It is however included in both the Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (BGA) and the New Bach Edition (Neue Bach-Ausgabe, NBA) of the Notebooks. There is some doubt which composer by the name Böhm may have been intended, Georg Böhm being the best known among them.
Sources.
Manuscripts:
Score editions with critical commentary: