In addition to composing and performing, Bach was a sought-after and influential keyboard teacher. He was passionate about musical education; therefore, he composed works specifically for his pupils. According to Bach’s student Heinrich Gerber, the maestro used his Inventions, French Suites, English Suites, and the Well-Tempered Clavier to teach keyboard technique, improvisation, and composition to form a progressive course. Anna Magdalena Bach (née Wilcke), whom he married in late 1721, was the dedicatee of the first five French Suites. These suites, including French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816, form the opening items in Clavierbüchlein (1722) for AN Bach. Despite the nature as teaching tools, the degree of elaboration and emphasis on counterpoint of these suites go beyond those of other suites of Bach’s contemporaries… [334 more words]