Versuch
German composer
Definition
Short title of CPE Bach's treatise Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen (Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments), published in two parts (1753, 1762). The definitive guide to ornament, fingering, and expression in 18th-century keyboard playing.
Interpretive Guidance
Consult the Versuch directly when editing ornaments in CPE Bach's works — his own notation rules often differ from J.S. Bach's or Baroque convention. Trills, mordents, turns, and appogiaturas each have specific rules detailed in Part I.