Among Bach's last instrumental compositions are two splendid works that reflect his genius for working complex contrapuntal figures into an expressive, apparently seamless musical texture. The Art of the Fugue, composed ca. 1745–50, consists of nineteen canons and fugues that progressively illustrate the rich variety and complexity of fugal writing. This edition, reproduced directly from the authoritative Breitkopf & Härtel score, includes a keyboard reproduction printed directly beneath the score.
A Musical Offering (1747), composed for King Frederick the Great of Prussia, comprises a three-part ricercar and a six-part ricercar for keyboard, a famous sonata for flute and violin, and a set of canons, all based on a theme devised by the King himself. Solutions of the canons and a realization of the keyboard part are included in an appendix.
