Suggestions for a first fugue

[ballade_1]

Hi, so I've been playing piano for a while but never touched much Bach, so this summer I'm trying to learn some. I'd like to give a fugue a go but can't really tell just how hard each one is going to be by looking, and am a little ashamed to admit I don't know much of Bach's music. I was wondering if somebody could suggest a good fugue to start with. I'm a fair way into learning to last prelude
(B minor) from the second WTC book and think that fugue might be good, but it looks a bit daunting compared to the prelude, should I give that one a miss? Any suggestions are welcome, though I would like it to be Bach really. I'm aware Czerny did a school of fugue playing but I'd rather stay away thanks!

[jgallag]

If you're not sure about a fugue yet, why not try Bach's Two and Three-part Inventions? They were meant as instruction in contrapuntal playing, and they'll be much better than any Czerny.

[go12_3]

Here are some fugues that I learned and are real nice:
* Fugue in F Minor   from WTC Book 1
* Fugue in G Minor   from WTC  Book 1
* Fugue in C Minor   from WTC Book 1 

Enjoy!   

best wishes,

go12_3

[lontano]

  The quadruplex fugue in the last part of Opus Clavicembalisticum is something to be avoided until a (much) later date!

Maybe it's just me, but the Prelude & Fugue #7 from Shostakovitch's Op. 87, is a charming work, and I've seen it performed by students in mid-college levels of performance (for better or worse). It's a charming fugue, especially combined with the Prelude), but I suppose you're looking for something easier, I can't offer one above another in the lower grade of fugues. Sorry.

[ballade_1]

Thanks for the suggestions. I actually know the Shostakovich fugue well, I had to study it and the prelude at school, it is very nice but not really what I'm looking to learn at the moment.

I might have a look at the fugue in c minor that go12_3 suggested, it seems quite good and I like the prelude before it too.

How about the fugue in the sinfonia from the second partita? Or the gigue from the fourth partita? I like those quite a lot, are they tough?

Thanks again!

[n00bhippy]

More non bach suggestions,

Shostakovitchs' fugues in C major or the e minor one.

[quirky]

I found that when I first went about learning to play a fugue that the Fugue No 5 in D Major in WTC Book 1 was a fantastic introduction. It provided a sufficient amount of interesting features to make me want to persevere without making it overly difficult to negotiate the voices.

Also, I agree wwith the suggestion of the 2 and 3 part inventions, they are really an excellent into to fugues and I believe that he had intended them to be studies for his children in this respect too.