BachGesellschafts

The Bach-Gesellschaft (BG) was a German musicological society founded in 1850, the centenary year of Johann Sebastian Bach's death. Its primary objective was to publish a complete critical edition of Bach's works. This ambitious project was the first attempt to gather and disseminate all of Bach's compositions in a scholarly and accessible format.

The BG's publication series, known as the "Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe," commenced in 1851 and concluded in 1900. It comprised forty-six volumes, covering a vast array of cantatas, oratorios, passions, masses, keyboard works, chamber music, and orchestral pieces. The editions were based on the best available manuscripts and early prints, and included critical commentary, though modern scholarship has since identified some inaccuracies and omissions.

The society's efforts were instrumental in raising Bach's profile and facilitating his study and performance by musicians and scholars worldwide. It played a crucial role in the Bach revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While its editorial standards have been superseded by later editions, particularly the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (New Bach Edition) initiated in 1954, the Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe remains a historically significant achievement in music publishing and Bach scholarship. The society officially dissolved in 1900, its mission fulfilled.