Stems directions on Bach's fugue

[carlosvieira]

I am having a hard time on finding out wich hand should play each voices on Fugue I (BWV 846). If I stand firm to the rule that the stem direction (down to the left hand, up to the right hand), some passages seem impossible to execute.

[lelle]

In a fugue, the stem directions only serve to show you the separate voices, and do not tell you anything about which hand plays what. You'll have to figure that out yourself, though typically what is written in the treble clef will often be possible to play with the right hand, and what is written in the bass clef is often possible to play with the left hand. But sometimes you'll have to use the right hand to play notes in the lower stave and vice versa.

[slurred_beat]

How do you know when stems directions means which hand and when it means voices? It seems like it's different from different pieces. How do you know??

[lostinidlewonder]

I am having a hard time on finding out wich hand should play each voices on Fugue I (BWV 846). If I stand firm to the rule that the stem direction (down to the left hand, up to the right hand), some passages seem impossible to execute.

Post the section up and you can get some advice.

[j_tour]

How do you know when stems directions means which hand and when it means voices? It seems like it's different from different pieces. How do you know??

You can't, generally.  There are more or less legible engraving styles, but I think the expectation is that the reader/performer does the work himself or herself in finding out what is best.

I like the Busoni editions for some of Bach precisely because it's easier to read at a glance (ignoring some of the oddities of the romantic style and editorial [IMO] excesses...you can just filter those out pretty easily, especially when comparing to more modern urtext editions), and there are others, but generally it gets easier.

Pencil and paper is your friend, IMHO.

FWIW, there are some useful engravings for free from Peter Billam including of the WTCI C major fugue.  No, I'm not related to him nor is his stuff monetized, AFAIK:  just some handy, remarkably legible scores of Bach, in particular.  Based on Czerny's fingerings, I believe, but much more legible at a glance for sight-reading.