SHould I do the fugue?

[mark1]

I learned Bach's prelude in C(wtcbk1) a few years back and was wondering if the fugue in C is worth adding to my repertoire? Do they compliment eachother? Any help is good help!                                             Mark

[liszmaninopin]

I would suggest learning the fugue.  It seems to me that in the WTC the Preludes and Fugues nearly always complement each other to some degree or another, and they offer interesting sounds.  You have the nice, tidy preludes followed by the somewhat more intricate fugues.

[bernhard]

I learned Bach's prelude in C(wtcbk1) a few years back and was wondering if the fugue in C is worth adding to my repertoire? Do they compliment eachother? Any help is good help!                                             Mark

Yes, you must play them together. (Although you will not be thrown in jail if you don’t)

They complement each other, and they are meant to be played together.

The fugue is far more difficult than the prelude in this particular case.

Don’t just dive into it and play it. Read about it, study it from a theoretical point of view. We are too far now in time and attitude to understand intuitively what a fugue is all about. Much of the knowledge that was taken for granted in Bach’s time is now gone from our cultural and social context. However, by going back to their original context you will be able to truly appreciate what a wonderful accomplishment this particular fugue is.

If you know nothing about the subject start here:

Eric Lewin Altshuler – Bachanalia – The Essential listener’s guide to Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier (Little Brown)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Beet9]

Yes, you should learn it if you have time.  I really like that fugue, more than the prelude.  The preludes and fugues always have similar ideas, and connect in one way or another.  The fugue is more difficult than the prelude.  In fact, the fugues in general are more difficult, because their complexity.