BachAusgabe

BachAusgabe is the term used for the standard scholarly editions of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. It historically refers most prominently to two major editorial projects: the Die Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (BGA) of the 19th century and the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA) initiated in the mid-20th century. These editions function as textual authorities for Bach’s music and are used by scholars and performers around the world.

Die Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (BGA) was published in Leipzig between 1851 and 1869. It produced a comprehensive collection of Bach’s works in numerous volumes, with prefatory material and editorial notes. While it was groundbreaking for its time, the BGA did not always conform to later, more rigorous critical standards, and its readings sometimes diverged from what scholars now consider the most authoritative sources.

The Neue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA) began in 1954 as a long-term project to produce a comprehensive, critically researched edition based on primary sources such as autographs, early prints, and reliable copies. Editors associated with the NBA, working with major publishers and institutions, aimed to present Bach’s works with apparatuses that document variants and source decisions. The NBA gradually superseded many readings in the BGA and remains a major reference for modern Bach scholarship and performance practice, though some volumes and updates continue to be published as scholarly work progresses.

In practice, BachAusgabe influences scholarly editions, performance editions, and musicological reference; it is closely linked to the decoding and organization of Bach’s œuvre through the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV) catalog and the activities of the Bach-Archiv.