Fantasia in C minor BWV 906 was written by Johann Sebastian Bach for keyboard during the Baroque period. It is not known exactly which year this piece was written, but the Baroque period spanned from 1600 to 1750, and J S Bach lived from 1685 to 1750. During the Baroque period, the piano as we know it did not exist. Instead, the keyboard instruments used were the harpsichord, clavichord and organ. A lot of Baroque music that we hear played on the piano today was originally written for the harpsichord. The harpsichord did not have the same capabilities as the modern piano, e.g. pedalling, gradation of tone, resonance. Harpsichord players had to find other ways to add expression and richness to their playing instead, e.g: elaborate decoration with ornaments such as trills, turns, mordents and grace notes; interest in articulation such as slurs and staccato in order to give shape to phrases; agogic accentuation – subtle variations in duration and placing of notes in order to give them emphasis, as opposed to just playing the accented note louder.

You can read more about Baroque music and other styles of western art music in my article on classical training.

​I recorded this video in June 2016.

​More Bach recordings: Prelude XV, Prelude XXI, Fugue XXI.

Bach was known to be a great improviser, and improvisation is something that I explore extensively.

I have improvised my own Fantasia here: Fantasia in E — Improvisation in E Aeolian, B♭ Lydian, A Mixolydian ♭6 & E Dorian

You can listen to one of my own improvisations that also incorporates ornamentation and fast arpeggiated patterns, a bit like the Fugue above, but in a more contemporary style: Remnant —  Improvisation in E Aeolian & D Mixolydian ♭6

You might also like Triptych in B♭  – Improvisation in B♭ Mixolydian ♭6 and Dorian