Piano Forum

Hello everyone,

I am trying to play this nice prelude in G minor from Book 1 and I have a question about the trills. The consensus in Baroque music is to start trills from the upper note, at least this is usually taught. It seems that there are exceptions to this rule, depending on musical context. Most performances of this piece start the trill on the main note and I wonder why this is so.
A google search led me to a resource by Siglind Bruhn, a german musicologist and pianist, which has analysed the WTC. So her opinion on that matter is:

"As to the beginning, a commencement on the main note is evident in the case of four of the five trills, either because of stepwise approach (see bars 3, 7 and 19) or because the trill appears at the very outset of the piece (see bar 1). Although the context of the trill in bar 11 would allow a different solution, this ornament should probably follow the example set in the three corresponding trills before and also begin on the main note."

Do you agree with her? Is this a rule of thumb in deciding whether to start the trill "from above" or from the main note?

about the fugue:

Does anyone have the Alfred edition with the "articulation table" of the fugue subjects? Or any suggestions on how to articulate the subject?

Thanks

Clouseau