The BWV Legacy: Bach, Schmieder, and the Cataloging of Genius

This book explains the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, the catalogue behind every BWV number. It explores why Bach's music needed a comprehensive list, Wolfgang Schmieder's 1950 first edition and the cataloging process, and how later editions in 1990 and 2022 changed it. Further chapters explain the catalogue's structure and numbering, its cultural and scholarly impact, and future directions. An illuminating read for Bach lovers, musicians and anyone curious about how musical knowledge is organized. 166 pages.