J.S. Bach’s Two-Part Inventions is a collection of fifteen short keyboard works originally written by Bach as technical exercises for his students. They are contrapuntal pieces—two voices of equal value but independent in contour and rhythm—unlike “vertical” pieces that employ melody and harmony, basslines, etc. Born in the Renaissance period and coming of age during the Baroque, the contrapuntal style of writing served as a launch pad for rounds, canons, and ultimately fugues, this last of which Bach is considered the definitive master.

Slawson has arranged three of these inventions as mallet duets, packaged here for extra value as a “three-pack.” The two-part inventions included here are No. 4 (D minor), No. 8 (F Major), and No. 13 (A minor). They can be performed separately or in succession. Performing duets can be one of the most rewarding settings for mallet players, and these arrangements will surely be a hit with both performers and audiences alike.

This piece comes with a full, bound score and includes a CD-Rom containing an audio recording and all individual parts available for printing.

All sounds used in this recording were generated
from Virtual Drumline software also by Tapspace.