Invention in A Minor “Contravention #17” for Harpsichord

The Invention in A minor was conceived as a companion piece to the Invention in C Major Op. 17. Like the Invention in C Major, this composition was written at the suggestion of composer Jerry Grant as a study of Bach’s 15 Two-Part Inventions for keyboard. Like the C Major Invention the piece quickly modulates (one of the characteristics of Bach’s compositional style) through C Major, D7 leading to G Major, G7 to C Major and a quick modulation through C7, F7, F# minor diminished seventh through B7 back through E minor to E Major before returning to A minor. The piece ends with a Picardy third. The Intervention was originally written for piano but alternatives have been created for harpsichord as well as harp.

Bach’s inventions were studies in “fugal” contrapuntal techniques some in canonic style using alternating tonic and dominant. As with Bach’s first Invention (written in C Major), the current “invention” is written in A minor in canonic style. The term “Contravention” was used as the title of this piece in a rather tongue-in-cheek statement to note that I cannot begin to have the genius of Bach as well as to state that after writing 15 Inventions, Bach definitely needed an “Intervention”. This works is in “contravention” to the “intervention”.

The Invention in A minor was composed from 13 November 2012 through 30 August 2013. The current piece was mastered with Digital Performer (version 9.2) employing a Flemish Rucker’s harpsichord sound set from Pianoteq.