Performance Record of J.S. Bach – Invention No. 6 in E Major, BWV 777

This performance of Invention No. 6 by J.S. Bach was recorded in July 2025 by Reiji at age 9. The interpretation features a structural approach to the repeats, including harmonic variation and overtone manipulation. The performance reflects a deliberate transformation in tonal character, oscillating between major and minor expressions across the repeat structure.

Reiji's Observations

• In this piece, I aimed to create an overall flow by introducing variations in the repeats: applying harmonic changes in the first half’s repeats and altering overtone structures in the second half’s repeats.
• For the first half repeats:
  In the first time through, I interpreted the progression around measure 13 as B→EM7, giving it a major tonality.
  In the second time, I interpreted measure 13 as B→EM7(omit5), which can also be perceived as a fourth-based progression, adding a more minor nuance to the performance.
• For the second half repeats:
  In the first time through, I continued the darker, minor sound from the first half and resonated the overtones to emphasize a minor feel (up to the 19th overtone).
  In the second time, I shaped the overtone structure toward a brighter, major tonality (up to the 41st overtone), to bring out a lighter character.
• With this approach, the overall tonal flow of the piece including the repeats becomes:
  “Major (first half, first repeat) → Minor (first half, second repeat) → Minor (second half, first repeat) → Major (second half, second repeat),”
  and especially for the cadence at the end of the second half, I aimed to make the first cadence feel unresolved and the second cadence conclusive.
• For the minor section from measure 29 onward (G♯m→D♯7→G♯m→D♯7→G♯7→C♯m→F♯7→B→D♯7→G♯m→A→D♯7), in the first time I tried to connect the minor tonal flow smoothly, and in the second time I shifted the overtone structure to a major feel to naturally lead into the final cadence.
• Additionally, in the darker, minor passages, I used the sostenuto pedal to sustain notes and emphasize the somber atmosphere. Although the piece has a bright overall impression, by highlighting the dark sections, the blending of overtones changes and creates a neutral, ambiguous mood that is neither purely major nor minor, which I tried to reflect in my performance.

* These are personal reflections by the performer.