Johann Christoph Bach, the “Eisenach” uncle of Johann Sebastian, is chiefly remembered today for his vocal works. It is impossible to know how many works he ultimately wrote for the “clavier.”

Be that as it may, Pieter Dirksen has gathered together all of Johann Christoph’s surviving non-chorale-related works for this edition. At the center of this little Complete Edition of four substantial keyboard works are three sets of variations which hark back to Johann Pachelbel while anticipating the celebrated Goldberg Variations at the same time.

These lines of influence are easy to trace: Pachelbel was a colleague of Johann Christoph at the court of Eisenach for a short period, and J.S. Bach, in his turn, later performed works by his uncle in Leipzig.

As is typical for the Middle-German tradition, Johann Christoph Bach’s keyboard works do not bear any traits that are unequivocally idiomatic of the organ or the harpsichord. They are thus suited for performance on any keyboard instrument.