Bach- Prelude and Fugue in g-minor, BWV 861

[ihck]

Hello,

My teacher, who studied in the Soviet Union, once told me that the g-minor prelude & fugue from book 1 of the WTC was given to the "less talented" students. I was following the score today while choosing new repertoire, and was curious as to how this piece ranks among the other selections from the Well-Temepered Clavier. Is this an "easier" prelude/fugue?

[j_menz]

No. It's a four part fugue and a reasonably complex prelude. The only thing that could be though to make it easier is that it is one of the shorter P&Fs.

[ihck]

No. It's a four part fugue and a reasonably complex prelude. The only thing that could be though to make it easier is that it is one of the shorter P&Fs.

This was my first impression while looking at the score. I don't know why my teacher disliked it so much, but he highly recommended that I stay away from it. Another pianist (who's an associate piano professor at Juilliard) told me that I should consider this P/F, which made me a bit nervous considering my teacher thought so lowly of it, lol.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

probably something I should learn...

[j_menz]

probably something I should learn...

My lad, you should learn the whole WTC. Both books. 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

My lad, you should learn the whole WTC. Both books. 

That would probably take me a lifetime to finish.  You know, I'm still working on that extra small a flat major prelude and fugue and it's been like around half a year now?

[j_menz]

That would probably take me a lifetime to finish.  You know, I'm still working on that extra small a flat major prelude and fugue and it's been like around half a year now?

It would be a lifetime well spent, but I suspect somewhere along the way, things would click into place and you'd see that they're actually not that difficult after all.

[scott13]

I studied this P&F last year.

My thoughts:

Firstly it did wonders for my control of trills. The prelude has them in both hands and they really do require a very fine balance. I also found the prelude an excellent exercise in piano-pianissimo playing. This prelude never struck me as being one that should sound forced, so it certainly helps with the development of a singing tone in the softer dynamics, so by extension it is also an exercise in touch.

In my opinion, the fugue is actually one of the more difficult ones from book 1. If you are using a Henle edition, the last system on the first page of the fugue was particularly difficult to complete with all four voices together, however that was only where i encountered the most difficulty.

I also like this piece as I feel it's a side of Bach we don't see too often. It reminds me very much of the prelude of the Bb Partita.

But to answer the initial question I would certainly study this  work. If your teacher is less than happy about it, perhaps ask why? Or simply don't tell him/her that you are studying it.

[ihck]

I studied this P&F last year.

My thoughts:

Firstly it did wonders for my control of trills. The prelude has them in both hands and they really do require a very fine balance. I also found the prelude an excellent exercise in piano-pianissimo playing. This prelude never struck me as being one that should sound forced, so it certainly helps with the development of a singing tone in the softer dynamics, so by extension it is also an exercise in touch.

In my opinion, the fugue is actually one of the more difficult ones from book 1. If you are using a Henle edition, the last system on the first page of the fugue was particularly difficult to complete with all four voices together, however that was only where i encountered the most difficulty.

I also like this piece as I feel it's a side of Bach we don't see too often. It reminds me very much of the prelude of the Bb Partita.

But to answer the initial question I would certainly study this  work. If your teacher is less than happy about it, perhaps ask why? Or simply don't tell him/her that you are studying it.

Thank you for your insight. I have already begun studying the prelude, and am (so far) happily immersed in the work. My teacher double majored in piano and organ, and so he is a relatively knowledgeable Bachist. What he basically told me was that this was one of his least favorite P&Fs, and he remembered it being assigned to students who were struggling with Bach at the Moscow Conservatory.

[krajcher]

probably something I should learn...

Don't you like Bach? It seems to me impossible . And A-flat major p&f is very charming.

Not without reason WTC is considered as one of the greatest and the most influental works in western music. It is simply beautiful.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Don't you like Bach? It seems to me impossible . And A-flat major p&f is very charming.

Not without reason WTC is considered as one of the greatest and the most influental works in western music. It is simply beautiful.

I don't like him because he's soooooooo hard!!!  I could probably learn the whole Rach 3 before I could learn another Bach prelude and fugue.

[krajcher]

I don't like him because he's soooooooo hard!!!  I could probably learn the whole Rach 3 before I could learn another Bach prelude and fugue.

Oh, yes, it is . But I don't care I am not able to play WTC yet. I play easier Bach pieces now and I am confident that in few years I will be ready to tackle it.

And one thing is the best. When you learn Bach, the rest will be piece of cake, I hope so .

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Woooooooooow this is soo petty!

My ex teacher postponed Appasionata and Scriabins 9th until I learn Beethoven's Op. 49 No. 2 and this Bach prelude and fugue 

I'll probably spend the rest of the summer on the Bach 

[j_menz]

Woooooooooow this is soo petty!

My ex teacher postponed Appasionata and Scriabins 9th until I learn Beethoven's Op. 49 No. 2 and this Bach prelude and fugue 

I'll probably spend the rest of the summer on the Bach 

No, it's not petty. If you can't do justice to the P&F, you certainly can't do justice to either the Appassionata or the Scriabin. 

This is clearly frustrating you, and it would appear that there is a mental block you need to overcome in order to get past it. The P&F you are doing is clearly within your technical capabilities in terms of getting the notes together, so your issue is one of musical understanding and you need to perservere until you make that breakthrough. There are a few things I could suggest that may help, if you  are interested, though you probably won't like them.