ABSTRACT
The Art of Fugue studies have rendered a mass of interpretations and explanations, some of which seem quite plausible, while others are rather improbable. Sometimes, however, theories that sound quite convincing crumble once confronted with the facts. Such was, for example, a general view that The Art of Fugue was not written for a specic instrument but as an abstract musical study, maybe even just ‘music for the eyes’. This assumption generated numerous arrangements for various ensembles, from one or two claviers and organ to chamber ensemble and even to a full orchestra. This perception was predominant until the very end of the twentieth century, with the publication of the document in which Carl Philipp Emanuel, who published the work, stated:1 ‘Es [Die Kunst der Fuge-A.M.] ist aber dennoch alles zu gleicher Zeit zum Gebrauch des Claviers und der Orgel ausdrücklich eingerichtet’.2
