Counterpoint Examples: 18th & 19th Centuries

This era spans the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods. J. S. Bach wrote an incredible amount of contrapuntal music in the early 1700’s. In general, the texture of concert music in the 1800’s became more homophonic, but Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms exhibited mastery of contrapuntal techniques.

J. S. Bach (1685-1750)

Gott durch deine Gute or Gottes Sohn ist Kommen BWV 600 (Chorale Prelude, Organ)   [PDF]  [YouTube] 
Jesu, meine Freude BWV 610  (Chorale Prelude, Organ) [PDF] [YouTube] 
Christ lag in Todes Banden BWV 625 (Chorale Prelude, Organ)  [PDF]  [YouTube]
Two-Part Invention No. 4 in D minor BWV  775  (Keyboard) [PDF] [YouTube]
Two-Part Invention No. 8 in F major BWV 779 (Keyboard)  [PDF] [YouTube]
Two-Part Invention No. 13 in A minor BWV  784 (Keyboard)  [PDF] [YouTube]
Three-Part Sinfonia No. 2 in C minor BWV 788   (Keyboard)  [PDF] [YouTube]
Three-Part Sinfonia No. 4 in D minor BWV  790 (Keyboard)  [PDF] [YouTube]
Three-Part Sinfonia No. 6 in E major BWV  792  (Keyboard)  [PDF] [YouTube]

J. S. Bach (1685-1750)

WTC Book I, Fugue No. II in C minor BWV 847  (Keyboard)   [PDF]  [YouTube]  begin at 1:46
WTC Book I, Fugue No. VI in D minor BWV 857    (Keyboard)   [PDF]  [YouTube]  begin at 1:40
WTC Book I, Fugue No. XVI in G minor BWV 861   (Keyboard)   [PDF]  [YouTube]  begin at 2:09
WTC Book II, Fugue No. V in D major BWV 874  (Keyboard)   [PDF]  [YouTube]  begin at 5:28
WTC Book II, Fugue No. VII in Eb major BWV 876   (Keyboard)   [PDF]  [YouTube]  begin at 2:22
Goldberg Variations, Aria BWV 988   (Keyboard)   [PDF]  [YouTube]  
Goldberg Variations, Canon No. 6 BWV 988  (Keyboard)   [PDF]  [YouTube]
Goldberg Variations, Canon No. 12 BWV 988   (Keyboard)   [PDF]  [YouTube]
Goldberg Variations, Canon No. 18 BWV 988   (Keyboard)   [PDF]  [YouTube]

W.A. Mozart (1756-1791)

String Quartet K. 465, Adagio (String Quartet)   [PDF]  [YouTube]
Fugue in G Minor K. 401 (Organ)   [PDF]  [YouTube]

Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

The Creation, Final Chorus “Singt dem Herren” (Oratorio)    [YouTube]  begin at 0:40
Opus 20, No.5, Finale (String Quartet)   [PDF] [YouTube] begin at 21:36

Ludvig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Fugue in D, Op. 137 (String Quartet)   [PDF]  [YouTube]
String Quartet No. 14 in C# Minor, Op. 131 (String Quartet)   [PDF]  [YouTube]

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Prelude and Fugue in G major, Op. 37, No. 2 (Organ)   [PDF]  [YouTube]  begin at 3:06
Prelude and Fugue in D minor, Op. 37, No. 3 (Organ)   [PDF]  [YouTube]  begin at 5:20

Clara Schumann (1819-1896)

Prelude and Fugue No. III, Op. 16   (Piano)   [PDF]  [YouTube]

Camille Saint Saëns (1835-1921)

Fugues, Op. 52 and Op. 111  (1877/99) (Piano)   [YouTube]

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, Op. 122 (Choral Prelude, Organ)   [PDF]  (Based on a chorale by Michael Praetorius (1609).  [PDF])
Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 52, No. 10 “O wie sanft die Quelle”  (SATB Choir)   [PDF]  

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