Bach BWV 847 prelude in C minor

[cwjalex]

the third measure of the presto section start with D on the treble clef and G on the bass clef.  I find it a lot easier to play both of these notes with my left so my right hand can make a smoother transition to the following note which is a G in the next octave.  does anyone else do this?

[j_menz]

Since the D is the end of a phrase, no. It's more important to connect it to the G at the end of the previous bar - the next G starts a new phrase, so a breath is appropriate anyway.

 If you can maintain the phrasing effectively while switching hands, that's another matter - but then you wouldn't be asking the question.

[cwjalex]

If you can maintain the phrasing effectively while switching hands, that's another matter - but then you wouldn't be asking the question.

not true.  i feel like i can maintain the phrase while switching hands but i was still curious to see if anyone else did this.  you say a breath is appropriate, so you're saying it's okay to stray from the timing of constant 16th notes?

[j_menz]

you say a breath is appropriate, so you're saying it's okay to stray from the timing of constant 16th notes?

I rarely say anything about timing. But you do need to keep the pulse of constant semiquavers; you also need to mark the phrasing.

[brogers70]

not true.  i feel like i can maintain the phrase while switching hands but i was still curious to see if anyone else did this.  you say a breath is appropriate, so you're saying it's okay to stray from the timing of constant 16th notes?

I don't know about jmenz, but I think that, yes, it is appropriate to "Stray from the timing of constant 16th notes." But breathing is not rubato. You don't briefly slow down the pulse and then bring it back up to speed; instead you stop the pulse completely, for a very, very brief instant, and then resume it. Doing so will not  give the listener the impression that you are playing fast and loose with the rhythm, but it will make the playing sound more open and relaxed, even at fast tempi. The way to practice this kind of breathing is to increase the interval during which you completely stop the pulse, far more than you will do in the end. And then once you've trained yourself to breathe at the spots you want to breathe at, you shorten the interval until it is almost imperceptible.

Take this for what it's worth. It's what my teacher drummed into me about phrasing in Bach, but I am only an amateur.