C Major Prelude, Book 2 WTC

[automorphism]

I am learning to play the C Major Prelude from Bach's Well Tempered Clavier, and the Alfred Masterworks edition I have has an unusual fingering style for the sixth bar of this prelude in the left hand. The first four fingers for the left hand are:

3-5-1-5

Which to me is really bizarre because of the 1-5 transition. It seems much more comfortable to use

3-5-3-2-1-3...

Which only involves passing over the thumb with the third finger, instead of the fifth. Does anyone have any explanation of why the recommended one in the book is better somehow?

[brogers70]

The fingering in your edition has 2 possible advantages 1. You play the 32 notes without shifting your hand position - that makes it easier to play them precisely 2. The hand shift from 1 to 5 forces you to make a "breathmark" before the 32nd s, which is a perfectly reasonable way to articulate the line. You shouldn't try to pass 5 over 1 at that point, just shift your whole hand quickly; there will be a break in the legato, but that's deliberate.