Bach - Prelude and Fugue in B major, BWV868 (WTC I)

[andhow04]

the simple and lovely prlelude and fugue in B major from the first book. the prelude is one of those five-finger exercise ones, a bit like an invention, very simple and short.

the fugue is on eof those four voice fugues in the vein that made bach's fugues the standard for theorists and composers. all the voices are independent melodically, they come to perfect cadences easily, and there is not a single stray note.  It's a lovely fugue and of impeccable craftmanship but not one of the most monumental.

playing the entire wtc has given me an insight into how, even though when bach was writing there was no "standard" fugue per se, there are those that seem to follow rues, and those that seem to transcend the rules.  the amount of creativity in fugues like A major from book I, or g# minor from book II, and many others, is just breathtaking.  That said, there are so many fugues that are impressive for craftmanship, like C major from book i, d minor from book I, or this one, that in my opinion, are not necessarily that interesting on the concert stage of today.  yet to study them in private is very gratifying.


UPDATE: 12/08/12 surreptitiously replcaed this with a new recording, it was recorded originally on a very out of tune piano

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