Befitting Bach: Prelude and Fugue Transcribed for Horn Quartet

Authors

Caitlin Murphy, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Alan F. Mattingly

Date of this Version

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

Murphy, Caitlin. Befitting Bach: Prelude and Fugue Transcribed for Horn Quartet. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2025.

Comments

Copyright Caitlin Murphy 2025.

Abstract

This thesis, titled “Befitting Bach: Prelude and Fugue Transcribed for Horn Quartet,” consists of horn quartet transcriptions of Prelude 1 and Fugue 1 from Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I. The prelude and fugue pair were originally written for harpsichord during the Baroque period, and the pieces remain commonly performed on keyboard instruments. The transcription translates the pieces into four-part horn music while preserving the original musical ideas and accounting for the different technical capabilities between the instruments. The accompanying written component provides a brief history of the original compositions. Further, the report delves into the transcription process, including rationale for musical decisions and part assignments. Both the scores and individual parts are provided for the transcribed pieces.