Now appearing in an English translation, this book by Szymon Paczkowski is the first in-depth exploration of the Polish style in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach spent almost thirty years living and working in Leipzig in Saxony, a country ruled by Friedrich August I and his son Friedrich August II, who were also kings of Poland (as August II and August III). This period of close Polish-Saxon relations left a significant imprint on Bachs music.
Paczkowskis meticulous account of this complex political and cultural dynamic sheds new light on many of Bachs familiar pieces. The book explores the semantic and rhetorical functions that undergird the symbolism of the Polish style in Baroque music. It demonstrates how the notion of a Polish style in music was developed in German music theory, and conjectures that Bachs successful application for the title of Court Composer at the court of the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland would induce the composer to deliberately use elements of the Polish style.
This comprehensive study of the way Bach used the Polish style in his music moves beyond technical analysis to place the pieces within the context of Baroque customs and discourse. This ambitious and inspiring study is an original contribution to the scholarly conversation concerning Bachs music, focusing on the symbolism of the polonaise, the most popular and recognizable Polish dance in 18th-century Saxony. In Saxony at this time the polonaise was associated with the ceremonies of the royal-electoral court in Dresden, and Saxon musicians regarded it as a musical symbol of royalty. Paczkowski explores this symbolism of the Polish royal dance in Bachs instrumental music and, which is also to be found to an even greater extent, in his vocal works.
The Polish Style in the Music of Johann Sebastian Bachprovides wide-ranging interpretations based on a careful analysis of the sources explored within historical and theological context. The book is a valuable source for both teaching and further research, and will find readers not only among musicologists, but also historians, art historians, and readers in cultural studies. All lovers of Bachs music will appreciate this lucid and intriguing study.

Szymon Paczkowski is a professor at the Institute of Musicology, University of Warsaw. He has published extensively on the aesthetics of Baroque music and opera history in the 17th-19th centuries. As an expert he has collaborated on numerous projects with the Warsaw Philharmonic, the National Opera in Warsaw, and Polands National Public Radio.

Introduction
On the Concept of National Style in the Music of the BaroqueBach and National StylesBach and PolandPolish Style in 18th-century German Music
Part One: Polish style in the music of the baroque: a survey of theoretical and historical issues.
Polish Style in the 18th-century Music TheoryPolish Dances in the German Musical Culture of the BaroqueThe polonaises by Johann Sebastian Bach in Instrumental Music
Part Two: The polonaise in the service of metaphor: the theme of the Kingdom of Heaven in religious music by Bach
The motetSinget dem Herrn (BWV 225): Style and Texture vs. Theological MessageThe Cantatas 190, 69a and 137: Praising the King of HeavenCantatas BWV 50 and 184: Heralding the Kingdom of Heaven
Part Three: Around the Mass in B minor (BWV 232)
On the Significance of the Polonaise as Exemplified in the Aria Quoniam tu solus sanctus: A Dedication to the KingOn the Problems of Parody and Styhle in the Mass in B minor as exemplified by the Chorus Et Resurrexit
Part Four: The polonaise in Bachs secular cantatas
The History of an Aria tempo di Polonaise Honouring Joachim Friedrich FlemmingA Polonaise Duet for a Professor, A King and A Merchant: On Cantatas BWV 205, 205a, 216 and 216aThe Cantata for a Queen: Politics and Propaganda in BWV 214The Polish Style in the Service of Musical Satire (BWV 212)
Conclusions
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Index of Names