First edition of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (1950) In 1950 the
Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis was published, allocating a unique number to every known composition by Bach.
Wolfgang Schmieder, the editor of that catalogue, grouped the compositions by genre, largely following the 19th-century (BG) edition for the collation (e.g. BG cantata number = BWV number of the cantata): •
Kantaten (Cantatas), BWV 1–224 •
Motetten (Motets), BWV 225–231 •
Messen, Messensätze, Magnificat (Masses, Mass movements, Magnificat), BWV 232–243 •
Passionen, Oratorien (Passions, Oratorios), BWV 244–249 •
Vierstimmige Choräle (Four-part chorales), BWV 250–438 •
Lieder, Arien, Quodlibet (Songs, Arias and Quodlibet), BWV 439–524 •
Werke für Orgel (Works for organ), BWV 525–771 •
Werke für Klavier (Keyboard compositions), BWV 772–994 •
Werke für Laute (Lute compositions), BWV 995–1000 •
Kammermusik (Chamber music), BWV 1001–1040 •
Orchesterwerke (Works for orchestra), BWV 1041–1071, originally in two separate chapters: Concertos (BWV 1041–1065) and Overtures (BWV 1066–1071) •
Kanons (Canons), BWV 1072–1078 •
Musikalisches Opfer, Kunst der Fuge (Musical Offering, Art of the Fugue), BWV 1079–1080 The of the BWV listed works that were not suitable for the main catalogue, in three sections: •
I – lost works, or works of which only a tiny fraction had survived (BWV Anh. 1–23) •
II – works of dubious authenticity (BWV Anh. 24–155) •
III – works that were once attributed to Bach, but for which it had been established they were not composed by him (BWV Anh. 156–189) Within each section of the the works are sorted by genre, following the same sequence of genres as the main catalogue.
Second edition of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (1990 and 1998) Schmieder published the BWV's second edition in 1990, with some modifications regarding authenticity discriminations, and more works added to the main catalogue and the . A strict numerical collation was abandoned to insert additions, or when for another reason compositions were regrouped. Authenticity discriminations, based on new research, could lead to such repositionings within the catalogue, e.g. "" became "" indicating it was now considered a spurious work. In 1998
Alfred Dürr and Yoshitake Kobayashi published a small edition of the catalogue, based on the 1990 second edition. This edition, known as BWV2a, contained a few further updates and collation rearrangements. New additions (Nachträge) to BWV2/BWV2a included: •
BWV 1081–1126 •
BWV Anh. 190–213 A few exceptions to the principle that compositions were not renumbered were when a composition from the could be recovered and/or authenticated as Bach's, so that it deserved a place in the main catalogue, in which case it was given a number above 1080. So, for example, BWV Anh. 205 (BWV2) → BWV 1121 (BWV2a, where it is in section 7 as a work for organ). Other renumberings and additional numbers involved alternative or earlier versions of basically the same composition, which were indicated by adding a lower case letter to the BWV number. For example, was renumbered to
BWV 149/1a (earlier abandoned version of the opening movement of Cantata
BWV 149) Slashes indicate movements: e.g.
BWV 149/1 indicates the first movement of the Cantata BWV 149. Another example: the
Agnus Dei of the
Mass in B minor can be indicated as BWV 232/22 (22nd movement of the composition), or alternatively as BWV 232IV/4 (BWV 232, fourth movement of Part IV).
Bachs Notenbibliothek (1992) published
Bachs Notenbibliothek (BNB) in 1992. As a compendium of works in Bach's musical library, it listed as well Bach's own compositions, as works by other composers of which Bach owned a copy. Several compositions of this latter group are listed in the BWV Anh. (mostly Anh. III). For example, the
Kyrie–Gloria Mass for double choir, BWV Anh. 167, is listed as BNB I/An/3 in Beißwenger's catalogue.
21st century As of mid-2018 the
Bach Digital website started to implement the new numbers of the next edition of the
Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis. The editors of this third edition of the
Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV³: officially presented to the public on June 13, 2022, during the Leipzig Bachfest) recognised that the BWV Anh. had become largely unworkable, calling for a new approach. ==List==