Progressive Bach

About the Book

Progressive Bach is a new edition of the 371 Bach Chorales in a unique condensation. All of the nonharmonic tones have been removed, so as to more obviously reveal chordal progressions and harmonic structures. This is not a performance edition, but rather one for theoretical study. The emphasis here is not on how Bach used texts, but rather in his abstract pitch associations. These versions enable music majors and lifetime learners to get closer to the original versions, and are more easily playable at the keyboard. Since the nonharmonic tones have been removed, study in that area is enhanced when these versions are compared with the originals. (The accepted numerical system has been retained.) Thus many aspects of Bach’s harmonizations become more obvious, and to a greater number of people. Such a book is useful in first-year Theory courses, in Class Piano, and possibly by organist wishing unique versions that precede performances of the full versions.

About the Author

Michael G. Cunningham was born in Warren, Michigan in 1937 and holds music degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit, the University of Michigan, and Indiana University. Composition has been one of his primary lifetime activities, and since 1958 he has concentrated on creating a large music catalog of various types of music for all manner of performance combinations. Since 1973, he has been a professor of Theory/Composition at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Clare, and during that time has created a number of Theory and Composition workbooks.