{"product_id":"bach-and-the-riddle-of-the-number-alphabet-hardback-9780521361910","title":"Bach and the Riddle of the Number Alphabet (Hardback) 9780521361910","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eBach and the Riddle of the Number Alphabet\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDr Tatlow's painstaking research will fascinate all those with an interest in the music of J. S. Bach and German Baroque culture, and will be of particular importance for music historians and analysts.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eRuth Tatlow (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780521361910, Cambridge University Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 21 February 1991\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e204 pages, 11 b\/w illus.\u003cbr\u003e23.7 x 15.9 x 2.2 cm, 0.465 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e'Thanks to Dr Tatlow's researches, we now have a solid basis of fact for speculations as to the role of numerology, and in particular the number alphabet, in the music of Bach and his contemporaries.' Malcolm Boyd, The Times Literary Supplement\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eIn 1947 the theologian and musicologist Friedrich Smend published a study which claimed that J. S. Bach regularly employed the natural-order number alphabet (A=1 to Z=24) in his works. Smend provided historical evidence and music examples to support his theory which demonstrated that by this means Bach incorporated significant words into his music, and provided himself with a symbolic compositional scheme. Since then many people have taken up Smend's theory, interpreting numbers of bars and notes in Bach scores according to the natural-order alphabet. By presenting a thorough survey of different number alphabets and their uses in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Germany, Dr Tatlow investigates the plausibility of Smend's claims. Her new evidence fundamentally challenges Smend's conclusions and the book sounds a note of caution to all who continue to use his number-alphabet theory. Dr Tatlow's painstaking research will fascinate all those with an interest in the music of J. S. Bach and German Baroque culture, and will be of particular importance for music historians and analysts.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eList of illustrations\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgements\u003cbr\u003e Introduction\u003cbr\u003e 1. Friedrich Smend\u003cbr\u003e 2. Number alphabets\u003cbr\u003e 3. The poetical paragram\u003cbr\u003e 4. A musical paragram?\u003cbr\u003e 5. Links to Bach\u003cbr\u003e Appendixes\u003cbr\u003e Bibliography\u003cbr\u003e Index.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Individual composers \u0026amp; musicians, specific bands \u0026amp; groups [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Individual composers \u0026amp; musicians, specific bands \u0026amp; groups\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Individual%20composers%20\u0026amp;%20musicians,%20specific%20bands%20\u0026amp;%20groups%20%5BAVH%5D%22\"\u003eAVH\u003c\/a\u003e], Baroque music [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Baroque music\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Baroque%20music%20%5Bc%201600%20to%20c%201750%5D%20%5BAVGC3%5D%22\"\u003ec 1600 to c 1750 AVGC3\u003c\/a\u003e], Theory of music \u0026amp; musicology [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Theory of music \u0026amp; musicology\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Theory%20of%20music%20\u0026amp;%20musicology%20%5BAVA%5D%22\"\u003eAVA\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46005706424600,"sku":"9780521361910","price":88.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/products\/9780521361910i_774123ea-5b59-4f79-ab4f-a1056864be25.jpg?v=1691375710","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/bach-and-the-riddle-of-the-number-alphabet-hardback-9780521361910","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}