Bach, Johann Sebastian.

with the title page "Suiten und Fugen von J.S. Bach", the music notated in dark brown ink on six two-stave systems per page, with many important additional passages (including alternative movements) added in brown ink on the free staves and three inserted leaves, in another early hand, evidently that of a Bach scholar, the manuscript also annotated with various musicological and bibliographical information throughout, 73 pages in all, folio (c.35 x 21cms), 14-stave paper, the inserted leaves on 16-stave paper, both with the same watermark of a double C interlaced crowned (cf Nostitz no 752), contemporary manuscript price & numbering to title ("17...R...mk 8"), early annotation to title in pencil ("aus dem Nachlass von Carl Phil. Em: Bach"), no place or date [Hamburg], before 1788,  light browning to title, and on the inserted leaves

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This is a substantial eighteenth-century manuscript of Bach's French Suites, containing new information about the transmission of the text through Bach's sources.  JS Bach's autograph manuscripts of the French Suites do not survive complete, and the autograph of the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue is lost altogether.

It is an important unrecorded source, not only for Bach's keyboard music, but also for the history of the Bach revival. Recent research has revealed a kernel of enthusiasts for Bach's music congregated around C.P.E. Bach in Hamburg and W.F. Bach in Berlin. Bach's name was kept alive long before the celebrated revival of the St Matthew Passion by Mendelssohn in 1829. It is likely that this manuscript was owned by a member of C.P.E. Bach's Hamburg circle and there is some evidence to suggest that it may have been owned by Emanuel himself.

This manuscript of the French Suites and the "Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue" was written around a quarter of a century before its first appearance in print.  The readings of some passages shows that it is derived from the earliest stemma of manuscripts, whilst an early Bach scholar has evidently completed the manuscript by adding variant dance-movements and later readings derived from slightly later manuscripts.  The main manuscript is laid out and paginated as follows: 

pp.1-9: Suite no 1 in D minor, BWV 812
pp.10-17: Suite no.2 in C minor, BWV 813 version A, i.e. without Menuet II
pp.18-25: Suite no.3 in B minor, BWV 814, the Gavotte placed third
pp.26-33: Suite no.4 in E flat major, BWV 815 version A, i.e. without the additional Menuet and Gavotte: for which see the inserted section below ("Siehe das eingelegte Blatt")
pp.34-43: Suite no.6 in E major, BWV 817
pp.44-47: Fuga in C minor, from the Lute Suite BWV 997
pp.48-49: Sarabande in C minor, from the Lute Suite BWV 997
pp.50-51: Fuga in D minor, BWV Anhang III 180 (a composition by J.P. Kellner)
pp.52-56: Prelude, from the English Suite no.3 in G minor BWV 808
pp.57-66: [Chromatic] Fantasia and Fuga in D minor, BWV 903
pp.66-67: Fuga in C major, BWV 952

The three inserted leaves (unpaginated) in the same hand as the annotations, is on similar paper, but with 16 staves, comprising:
Suite in E flat, BWV 819, ("Suit 6 (oder 7.)"), Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, 4 pages
Additional Trio for Suite no.3, BWV 814; Additional Menuet for Suite no.4, BWV 815; Additional Gavotte for Suite no.4 ("ad pag.29"), 2 pages

This manuscript probably dates from the 1770s or 1780s, but certainly before 1788, when it was listed in the catalogue of the Hamburg music copyist Johann Christoph Westphal (priced as on the present title page). The additional movements and annotations appear to be only slightly later; they are inserted on paper bearing the same watermark as the main manuscript.  This second copyist and annotator has evidently compared the text of the French Suites with other manuscripts (these pieces were first published only in 1801-1803); he copied variant readings of  the Allemandes from Suites nos 3 and 4, as well as additional movements.  The Trio for Suite no.3 is particularly noteworthy, as the only other known source for this movement is a manuscript in Berlin (D-B, Mus ms. P 514).  Our manuscript seems to be connected with another source of the Suites in Leipzig, which also contains the two movements from the Lute Suite BWV 997 and the fugue BWV Anhang 180, actually by J.P. Kellner (D-LEm, Ms. 2a).

We are most grateful to Dr Peter Wollny for his assistance in our cataloguing of this manuscript.