Bach's Inventions: Figuration, Register, Structure, and the "Clear Way to Develop Inventions Properly"

Bach's 15 two-part Inventions are viewed from the Schenkerian perspective, focusing on three main topics: (1) the significance of figuration (design) and register as structural determinants, (2) the enlargement of characteristic surface figures, and (3) the significance of the Ursatz for actual musical events. It is argued that these three topics pertain crucially to the musical organization in the Inventions and also offer significant viewpoints for the justification of Schenkerian analysis in Bach research.