favorite Bach WTC?

[h_chopin148]

Which Bach WTCs are your favorite? I personally love the C minor from book one. Its so intense and I like the contrast between the prelude and the fugue. I'd love to hear your opinions

[maestro57]

I'd probably say WTC I: Prelude and Fugue No. 10 in E minor, BWV 855. I like Bob van Asperen playing this on harpsichord, but even better when played by Glenn Gould on the piano.

[brogers70]

Book 1, C# minor and Eb major. The C# minor prelude has some of the most beautiful descending sequences in all of Baroque music. The C# minor fugue has such a slow build up of energy, movement, and passion. The Eb prelude is a prelude and double fugue all rolled into one, beautiful and majestic. And then then final cadence of the prelude has just a hint of the humor that follows in the fugue.

[h_chopin148]

The Eb prelude is a prelude and double fugue all rolled into one, beautiful and majestic. And then then final cadence of the prelude has just a hint of the humor that follows in the fugue.

I just finished the Eb major P&F. Its so nice! The prelude has some sections that are like a fugatto. I think that's how you spell it...

[robertschumann]

BWV 849 C# minor WTC book 1. Also BWV 867 Bb minor has a beautiful prelude.

[porcupine]

I've always rather liked both the D major and D minor preludes and fugues from Book 1.

[andhow04]

so far everyone's is from book I! recently (over the past year) i learned and recorded the whole thing, i posted them all here and you can find links to my recordings in my signature below.

in book II bach invested a lot more artistry into the preludes, so they weren't just harmonic patterns like so many in book I, but became concert pieces by themselves. if you look at the preludes for instance to c# minor, D major, E major, F major, f minor, f# minor, g minor, A-flat major, B-flat major, b-flat minor, and B major, they are really highly developed pieces that would work by themselves in concert.

i think overall b-flat minor from Book II is the hugest in terms of prelude and fugue, and most complex.

but i think my favorite would have to be F major from Book II, because the prelude is in the more developed style, and the fugue is a contrasting light-hearted and totally energetic.

for pure fun i love G major Book I, but the prelude is not really comparable!