August Listening Activity – J.S. Bach’s Invention No. 4

Music Listening Activity
Written By Christopher LaRosa

Here is a fun listening activity you can do with your student at home. Listen to three very different interpretations (linked below) of this short, one-minute piece that sounds remarkably different in each version. Play each recording a couple of times, and notice how unique each performance feels. The interpretations are so distinct, it might sound like the pianists are playing three completely different pieces!

💬 Discussion Questions

  • How do the performers handle articulation differently?

  • How does each one use time and tempo in their interpretation?

  • What do you enjoy about each performance?

  • Which interpretation do you prefer, and why?

  • If you were to play this piece, how would you want to express it?

🎧 Listen to these three versions:

András Schiff – Bach Invention No. 4

Glenn Gould – Bach Invention No. 4

Simone Dinnerstein – Bach Invention No. 4

Christopher LaRosa
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