Who wrote Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 144? Bach or Petzold?
One of the most popular repertoire, Minuet in G Major was thought to be written by J.S. Bach (1685-1750) for a long time, but it was originally composed by Christian Petzold (1677-1733). How do we know that?
The Minuet is clearly in the collection book made by J.S. Bach, which is titled “Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach” (1725). The book contains pieces written by J.S. Bach and some other composers, such as C.P.E. Bach, Francis Couperin etc. Since there was no indication of the composer’s name in the Minuet, scholars once concluded that it was Bach’s original piece. However, not long time ago from now, the manuscript of Petzolt’s harpsichord music collection (1729) was found in 1970, and the exactly same Minuet is included. This manuscript became the significant evidence to establish that the minuet was originally written by Petzold. Bach and Petzold had a good friendship, so there is no doubt that they had shared their music and inspired each other.