This guide is a list of uniform titles or official terms to use when trying to locate the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach in library catalogs. Notice that many are in the German language and for those that are not, word order is important. It is better to be broad and have LUCIA help you get to the specific. For example if you are looking for a particular harpsichord concerto, still enter concertos, harpsichord. If you have any questions please ask the Music Librarian by calling x6995 or by sending an e-mail to antoinette.powell@lawrence.edu.
See also Understanding Uniform Titles
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| Common Name | Name to Use When Searching |
| St. Matthew's Passion | Matthäuspassion |
| St. John's Passion | Johannespassion |
| St. Mark's Passion | Markuspassion |
| Easter Oratorio | Oster Oratorium |
| Christmas Oratorio | Weihnachts Oratorium |
| Mass BWV 232 | Masses |
| Magnificat | Magnificat |
There are too many Bach cantatas to list here. They need to be searched with their German title. For example...
| Common Name | Name to Use When Searching |
| Cantata 147 | Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben |
| My Lord Jesus I'll not leave | Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht |
You can locate the titles of sacred cantatas and secular cantatas in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Works lists can also be found at the end of Bach's entry in the paper edition (Ref. ML100 .N48 2001)
| Common Name | Name to Use When Searching |
| Brandenburg Concertos | Brandenburgische Konzerte |
| Violin Concertos | Concertos, violin |
| Organ Concertos | Concertos, organ |
| Piano Concertos | Concertos, harpsichord |
| Concerto for 2 harpsichords | Concertos, harpsichords 2 |
| Concertos for 2 violins | Concertos, violins 2 |
| Common Name | Name to Use When Searching |
| Art of Fugue | Kunst der Fuge |
| Chorale Preludes | Orgelbüchlein or try Chorale preludes selections |
| Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue | Chromatische fantasie und fuge |
| Concerto for 2 harpsichords | Concertos, harpsichords 2 |
| English Suites | Englische Suiten |
| French Suites | Französische Suiten |
| Fugue on a theme by Corelli | Fuge über ein thema von Corelli |
| Fugue on a theme by Albinoni | Fuge über ein thema von Tomaso Albinoni |
| Goldberg Variations | Goldberg Variationen |
| Inventions, two-part or three-part | Inventions |
| Organ Concertos | Concertos, organ |
| Organ Sonatas | Sonatas, organ |
| Partitas | Partitas |
| Piano Concertos | Concertos, harpsichord |
| Preludes and Fugues | Präludium und fuge |
| Toccata BWV914 | Toccatas, harpsichord |
| Well-tempered Clavier | Wohltemperierte klavier |
| Common Name | Name to Use When Searching |
| Partitas | Sonaten und Partiten, violin |
| Solo Sonatas | Sonaten und Partiten, violin |
| Sonatas for violin and piano | Sonatas, violin, harpsichord see also Sonatas, violin, continuo |
| Cello Suites | Suites, violoncello |
| Cello Sonatas | Sonatas, viola da gamba, harpsichord |