Download or read book Bach and the Riddle of the Number Alphabet written by Ruth Tatlow and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1991-02-21 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1947 Friedrich Smend published a study claiming that J. S. Bach used a natural-order alphabet (A = 1 to Z = 24) in his works. He demonstrated that Bach incorporated significant words into his music, and provided himself with a symbolic compositional theme. Here, Dr Tatlow investigates the plausibility of Smend's claims with new evidence, challenging Smend's conclusions.