Favorite Bach Fugues from WTC

[dizzyfingers]

I'm trying to figure out which fugues from Bk 1 and 2 Well Tempered Clavier to work on .. curious to hear which are your favorite and a couple words why...

thanks!

[essence]

b minor bk 1.
f sharp minor bk 1

The latter because I learnt it whilst grieving for a lost love. I knew her in the 1970's. She died of various ailments (drugs, depression) about 10 years ago in Spain.

It moves higher and higher through the keys until it climaxes at about 3:20 in Angela Hewitt's performance. It then falls until the coda.

I play it a bit more romantically than Angela! i caress the semi quavers at the peak a little, they are so exceptional. But she is probably as romantic as most. It does of course use tear cliches, but they are so fit for purpose, and ideal for a piano.

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Another alternative. Do you think he looks miserable enough? Even the cat flees the room.

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he also does a great interview on this fugue.

[essence]

been on my mind since I posted. Maybe I will post a terrible performance tomorrow.

[essence]

She's got it. nice and slow. Clears the air prior to climax.

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[essence]

I'm in love.

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[essence]

Whilst doing my research, came across this funny song.

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[frodo10]

b minor bk 1.
f sharp minor bk 1

The latter because I learnt it whilst grieving for a lost love. I knew her in the 1970's. She died of various ailments (drugs, depression) about 10 years ago in Spain.

It moves higher and higher through the keys until it climaxes at about 3:20 in Angela Hewitt's performance. It then falls until the coda.

I play it a bit more romantically than Angela! i caress the semi quavers at the peak a little, they are so exceptional. But she is probably as romantic as most. It does of course use tear cliches, but they are so fit for purpose, and ideal for a piano.

i=4MolbEpGY8dH5y1k



Another alternative. Do you think he looks miserable enough? Even the cat flees the room.

i=dv7xiAf_nIQEQdkN

he also does a great interview on this fugue.

Sorry to hear of your sad story.  This fugue from WTC is a great one.  Unable to play your first link.  The harpsichord performance is fantastic!.

[essence]

Sorry to hear of your sad story.  This fugue from WTC is a great one.  Unable to play your first link.  The harpsichord performance is fantastic!.

Never regret lost loves! She would never have made me happy.

I'm reluctant to make a recording, I am too old and have not practiced, but maybe....

i tried, and it was so awful (in a bad way), I need to loosen up a bit and may be get some stronger glasses so I can see.

[frodo10]

Never regret lost loves! She would never have made me happy.

I'm reluctant to make a recording, I am too old and have not practiced, but maybe....

i tried, and it was so awful (in a bad way), I need to loosen up a bit and may be get some stronger glasses so I can see.

Good news in your first 2 sentences. I got out my Hyperion cd set of Hewitt playing all 48 of WTC.  She does a beautiful performance here as well.  For some reason, just based on sound as I close my eyes and listen, the harpsichordist you posted is the most moving performance I've heard of this great fugue.

[essence]

Did you listen to his interview? He smiles in it! There is a link to it from the youtube.

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[dizzyfingers]

Um, thanks?  There have been like 8 posts and most of them on f# minor book 1.

I was hoping to get a variety of input and suggestions...
So far we have 2 suggestions:
book 1 b minor
book 1 f# minor

[frodo10]

Book 1:
C Major – Use of stretto.  Conveys whole range of deep emotions in a very short period of time.
C# Major – Pure joy
C# minor – Old world fugue.  I get the feeling that this fugue was written in an older time than Bach's time. Ricercar style. Perhaps my favorite fugue of entire WTC. 2 countersubjects that are introduced sequentially latter in the work. 
…..
F-sharp minor – Already mentioned.  Also an old world fugue to my ear. Ricercar style.  It's a gem!

This is a tough question for me – I love them all!    I got out my Henle Urtext edition and was going to try to answer this. But I’m discovering it would take me at least a full 8-hour day to figure out my top 10 list!  So, I stop here. 

[essence]

Yes to C# minor. I did learn this once.

Let me add Ab major. Very mellow.

[frodo10]

Did you listen to his interview? He smiles in it! There is a link to it from the youtube.

No.  Thank you for providing this link.  I did listen to it just now.  His love of Bach shows in this interview and in his playing.

I took a quick look at the 48 fugues just now.  I know this is not what this thread is looking for, but I found only 2 fugues that I'm not wild about:  Both from book 2 1) C# minor and 2) G# minor.  Both have always sounded a little dry to me, especially the G# minor.

Couple good ones from Book 2:
Here is another one in the "old style".  I believe the fugue subject is taken from a Froberger Ricercare.
E major fugue - would probably not make my top 10 list of 48 but I wanted to include as an "old style" example

&index=18

G minor fugue - this one might make my top 10.

&index=32

[lelle]

If we are talking fugues only, I have a lot of favorites in book one and a couple in book two.

Book I:
C major
C minor
C sharp major
C sharp minor
D major
F sharp major
G minor
A flat major
G sharp minor
A minor
B flat major

Book II:
C minor
D major
F sharp major
F sharp minor
G major
G minor
A minor

[dizzyfingers]

Thank you all for the feedback, this will give me a starting point for picking my next few Bach fugue projects!