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Institute für Music und Musicology
Faculty of Art and Sports Sciences
Studierende sitzt am Arbeitsplatz und schaut auf den Laptop. © Aliona Kardash​/​TU Dortmund
New Release

Derek Remeš: Realizing Multiple-Bass Chorales in the Circle of J. S. Bach: J. C. Kittel’s 24 Chorales

18th-Century Thoroughbass Harmony and Chorale Harmonization with Multiple Bass Lines from Bach's Circle

Derek Remeš: Realizing Multiple-Bass Chorales in the Circle of J. S. Bach: J. C. Kittel’s 24 Chorales, edited by Victor Duy Phan. Colfax, NC: The Leupold Foundation, 2025.


This volume offers a comprehensive introduction to 18th-century figured bass harmony, focusing on the little-known tradition of chorale harmonization with multiple basses from the circle of Bach. At the center are Johann Christian Kittel’s 194 settings of 24 chorale melodies, with each melody accompanied by eight to nine different figured bass parts. The required realizations of the multiple basses within the given framework of the outer voices range from simple diatonic homophony to advanced chromaticism with complex diminutions, thereby illustrating the rich polyphonic potential of the chorale cantus firmus.


To make these pieces practical for use, the book combines Derek Remeš’s settings of the middle voices with freely available digital worksheets. This allows readers to first create their own realizations of Kittel’s figured bass lines and then compare them with Remeš’s model pieces, making the volume suitable for self-study as well.


A detailed introduction situates the collection historically within the pedagogy of Bach’s circle. Particular emphasis is placed on “chord-degree theory”—the association of specific chord types with certain bass degrees (the “position of the chords”)—which forms the foundation of 18th-century harmonic syntax. Each setting also includes an analysis of the bass degrees to clarify the tonal context and highlight typical chord-degree combinations.


By combining historical insights with practical exercises and sample solutions, this publication offers a practical guide to 18th-century figured bass harmony. It thus makes the long-neglected tradition of chorale harmonization with multiple bass lines from Bach’s immediate circle accessible to today’s musical practice.


Available from The Leupold Foundation in print and digital editions.