What is the Analysis of invention no 13 in A minor Bach?

Answer 1

This piece is in the key of A minor, and is in simple quadruple metre, known as common or 4/4 time. The tempo is allegro - 100 crotchet bpm, and there are no changes to the tempo. There is a definite strong beat however there are accents used with 'off-beat' rhythms to avoid a sense of repetition. The composer predominantly uses short notes, which are quavers and semiquavers. The reason in using such short notes is that Bach wrote this piece of music for the harpsichord, which had no pedal to join notes, and the note had a very short natural sustain time. The lack of dynamics is also due to the design of the harpsichord. The rhythmic texture is polyrhythmic, which means the right hand and left hand are playing independently, but there is a call and response between them, which helps to join the musical phrases. The recurring use of sequences adds interest to the music, as was often the case with Baroque music.