The Well Tempered Clavier

[xpletus]

I was recently going to start playing the first Bach Partita, however my teacher told me that I should learn a prelude and fugue first (the only other bach pieces I have learned before are inventions).  Can any of you recommend one? Which ones are the hardest?

[pskim]

There is just too many pieces to choose from and difficulties vary.  I mean he wrote 2 books, each containing 24 preludes and fugues.  I'd recommend the first prelude and fugue from the first book.  There are more easier ones but this one is the most popular of all of them, especially the prelude.  Gounod added the melody to this prelude and is known as the Ave Maria.

[Colette]

which ones are the hardest? that's a question that defies answering. all of bach's preludes and fugues are difficult in their own ways. however, i can suggest some from the wtc bk. II that i particularly like and that are very difficult, for their mood, voicing and special technique: P&f III: the structure of the prelude is not immediately apparent, so to structure it convincingly, you really need do some careful text studying. XI: (the prelude is sooo hard to play with an even tone), XVII: this one is popular but rarely played well. the fugue requires a difficult brand of calmness and clarity. XVI: the prelude is cool. it sounds like a organ. i find the fugue quite interesting. very unusual writing. good luck!

[MzrtMusic]

the fugue No. 2 from WTC book 1 is really cool. It's also very well known, but the articulation is rarely well done. The prelude is very very baroque in style. There is no way you can romanticize it, and the only hard parts about it are the presto section and playing evenly.

Love,

Sarah

[roman]

I've played numerous Preludes and Fugues from TWC, and I have to say that Fugues are the hardest.  Especially the 4-voice ones, where you have 2 hands but you try to make 2 voices per hand, it's just amazing what Bach did.

I'd say start with something easy, not fast, and not that hard.  I remember when I leaped from Inventions to Preludes and Fugues, it was interetsing, because inventions were so hard to me, then came TWC.

I'd suggest you to try the B-Flat Major Prelude, it's fairly easy and not too hard, just try not to play it fast at all for like the first month, because you can just totally screw it up.  Although be warned, the Fugue is pretty difficult on it.

[BoliverAllmon]

WTC was a surprise after inventions? DOPE, I am having some difficulty working on the invention no. 8 because of the legato and staccato at the same time. I was looking for to working the WTC, now it looks as if I will have a task ahead of me.

Boliver Allmon

[SHR]

Chopin based his piano technique on the WTC ("indispensible to the pianist.....") - I consider them to be the bedrock, the cornerstone, of piano technique (even though the piano as we know it, did not exist in JSB's day - a real genius!).  When I started learning them it used to take about a year to get on top of one, but as the years passed and they were mastered one by one, I found it became easier to learn the next one, and now, I can play them all.  You won't be able to play Chopin studies until you can play the 48.  Book 1 #V111 is my favourite - learn the prelude as if it is a Chopin nocturne ("sing" the tune, add a Chopin style bass to accommodate the trills). The fugue is magnificent. Fugue XV11 is beautiful - The 48 have many tunes and excercise one's technique - you must learn them asap!