Borrowing and adapting were cornerstones of Bach's compositional process. He not only borrowed music and ideas from other composers but also revisited his own works, using them in different contexts. Borrowings from different media and simple revisions or re-workings, especially in the keyboard works, are two distinct practices. An intentional re-use of an existing phrase, theme, section, movement, or work constitutes a borrowing; unintentional quotations or accidental allusions should be considered mere resemblances. Extensive tables with commentary consider borrowings arranged by media: keyboard to keyboard, keyboard to cantata, chamber music to cantata, and the like. Part I of the book covers self-borrowings, while Part II consists of borrowings from others. The datings used are those of Schmieder and Besseler. Dürr and Dadelsen's work on chronology is noted when it is significantly different from Schmieder, thus affecting the source-borrowing relationship.

Index Classifications: 1700s

Contributed by: Felix Cox