The Capriccio for keyboard in Bb Major (BWV 992),
described by its composer J.S. Bach as a "Capriccio
sopra la lontananza del fratello dilettissimo"
(Capriccio on the departure [absence] of his most dear
brother), is among the earliest surviving Bach keyboard
works and was probably composed around the time of his
brother Jacob's entrance into the service of King
Charles XII of Sweden in 1704. It also boasts the
distinction of being a unique example of Bach trying
his hand at a programmatic, or a...(+)
The Capriccio for keyboard in Bb Major (BWV 992),
described by its composer J.S. Bach as a "Capriccio
sopra la lontananza del fratello dilettissimo"
(Capriccio on the departure [absence] of his most dear
brother), is among the earliest surviving Bach keyboard
works and was probably composed around the time of his
brother Jacob's entrance into the service of King
Charles XII of Sweden in 1704. It also boasts the
distinction of being a unique example of Bach trying
his hand at a programmatic, or at least
semi-programmatic, kind of writing. Each of its six
movements -- some of which are substantial, others
quite brief -- is prefaced by a few words that describe
its place in the collective drama of the brother
departing.
In the opening "Arioso" (Adagio), a group of loving
friends tries to talk the brother out of his journey
and in the semi-fugal G minor second movement (no tempo
marking, but clearly an Andante-type movement) they
continue their efforts by describing all the various
catastrophes that could befall him on his way. The
third movement is a chaconne in which the repeating
bass pattern is played 12 times in all, changing a
little each time and growing more active as it goes;
just one upper voice is notated, but Bach has provided
some figured bass indications to fill out some of the
texture. By the time one has reached the slender,
11-bar fourth movement the friends have resigned
themselves to the fact of the brother's departure and
bid him farewell as the music gropes its way back to
the home key of B flat major, by way of some benign
chromatic action. An "Aria di Postiglione" (Postilion's
Aria; Adagio poco) fully partakes of this rich B flat
major broth, and the Capriccio concludes with a fugue
built from a brass fanfare-type subject.
Source: AllMusic
(http://www.allmusic.com/composition/capriccio-sopra-la
-lotananza-del-suo-fratello-dilettissimo-for-keyboard-i
n-b-flat-major-bwv-992-bc-l181-mc0002356…)
Although originally written for Harpsichord. I created
this Transcription of the Capriccio in Bb Major (BWV
992) for Organ (2 Manuals w/o Pedals).