Bach - Prelude and Fugue in b-flat minor, BWV867 (WTC I)

[andhow04]

the pensive prelude and fugue in b-flat minor from the first book. the prelude is a pretty simple concept of shifting harmony over an eighth note pulsing ostinato, though of course with bach nothing is ever totally straightforward. the fugue is one of two (i think there are only two in the wtc) in five voices.  the subject is quite simple, as it probably has to be with five voices, and there is little episodic material, mostly just subjects in various forms of stretto. at one point, the alto and tenor intone the subject simultaneously; i;'m not aware of any other fugue in the wtc where two voices have the subject at the same time (not in stretto).

somehow in a way the five-voice element is not that difficult; maybe because you end up playing a lot of vertical chords, or because the rhythm is not as complex as some of the others where the voices have more space; or because the voices basically move stepwise.  anyways, its  a lovely preude and fugue.

(41)

UPDATE: 11/16/12 i surreptitiously replaced this with a newer version, when i recorded it originally, the piano was very unfortunately out of tune, especially the leading-tone which was unacceptably flat. surprisingly the fugue was almost a minute longer in my new version...