Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 846

The Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 846, is a keyboard composition written by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is the first prelude and fugue in the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer. An alternative version of the prelude, BWV 846A, is found in the Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.

Analysis

Prelude

The prelude is 35 bars long and consists mostly of broken chords. Below are the first four bars of the prelude:

The first four bars of the prelude.

Listen

The prelude continues like this with different variations on harmony, and change of key. The prelude ends with a single C major chord.

The "Schwencke measure"

Play

Some earlier editions of the prelude contain an extra bar between bars 22 and 23 known as the "Schwencke measure", a measure apparently added by Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke in an attempt to correct what he allegedly deemed a "faulty" progression, even though this sort of progression was standard in Bach's music.^[1]

Fugue

The fugue is 27 bars long and is written for four voices. It starts with a 2 measure subject in the alto voice, which can be seen below:

The subject of Fugue No. 1 in C Major, in the alto voice. The soprano voice joins the alto at the end of the subject.

Listen

The alto voice is joined by the soprano at the end of the subject, which signals the beginning of the answer in the dominant key (G major). The answer is repeated in the tenor and bass voice, respectively, when they join. The piece then modulates through various related keys, with the subject being repeated in each of the four voices. The piece eventually ends up back in the home key. It ends with each voice stopping at a note and holding it until the end, forming a C major chord.

Legacy

	Ave Maria by Gounod Gounod's Ave Maria, arranged for piano and cello. Performed by John Michel
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Charles Gounod composed a melody that was designed to be based on the prelude; a setting of that melody to Ave Maria is popular. The edition of the prelude used by Gounod contains the Schwencke measure.^[1]

Mstislav Rostropovich compared this Prelude to the introductory bars of Bach's famous Prelude of Cello Suite No. 1, in a video named Rostropovich interprets Bach, filmed in 1991 at the Basilique Sainte Madeleine in Vézelay, France.

"Repent Walpurgis", the last track on the debut album by progressive rock group Procol Harum contains an arrangement of the prelude by band leader Gary Brooker.^[2]^[3]

Further media

Full length audio of the prelude or fugue

Fugue in C major (BWV 846)

Performed on a piano by Kimiko Ishizaka

Fugue in C major (BWV 846)

performed on a Flemish harpsichord by Martha Goldstein

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Notes

1 2 Barber, Elinore (1970). "Questions to the editor". Bach. 1 (1): 19–22. JSTOR 41639775.
↑ Johanson, Claes (2000). Procol Harum: Beyond the Pale. SAF Publishing. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-946-71928-0.
↑ The Foundations of Rock : From "Blue Suede Shoes" to "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes". Oxford University Press. 2008. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-199-71870-2.

References

Bach, Johann Sebastian. "Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C Major." The Well Tempered Clavier, Books 1 and 2. Ed. Saul Novak.

External links

Interactive media

BWV 846 Fugue (Flash) - David Korevaar performing
BWV 846-869 Prelude and Fugue (Flash) at the BinAural Collaborative Hypertext David Korevaar, Philip Goeth, and Edward Parmentier performing

Sheet Music

Compositions for Organ, Keyboard and Lute by Johann Sebastian Bach

Organ	Fugue in G minor, BWV 131a (doubtful) Sonatas, BWV 525–530 Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532 Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537 Toccata and Fugue in D minor ("Dorian"), BWV 538 Toccata and Fugue in F major, BWV 540 Fantasia and Fugue in G minor ("Great"), BWV 542 Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543 Prelude and Fugue in E minor ("Wedge"), BWV 548 Eight Short Preludes and Fugues, BWV 553–560 (doubtful) Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 562 Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564 Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 Prelude (Toccata) and Fugue in E major, BWV 566 Fugue in G minor ("Little"), BWV 578 Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 Orgelbüchlein, BWV 599–644 Schübler Chorales, BWV 645–650 Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, BWV 651–668 Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her", BWV 769 Neumeister chorales, BWV 1090–1120 Chorale fantasia Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält, BWV 1128

Keyboard	Aria variata alla maniera italiana Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue English Suites French Suites Goldberg Variations (discography, Gould recording) Inventions and Sinfonias Italian Concerto Overture in the French style Partitas for Keyboard (No. 4, No. 6) Prelude in E minor, BWV 855a Six Little Preludes The Well-Tempered Clavier, BWV 846–893 (Preludes and Fugues in Book I: C major, BWV 846, C♯ minor, BWV 849, G minor, BWV 861; in Book II: C major, BWV 870, F minor, BWV 881)

Lute	Suite in G minor, BWV 995 Suite in E minor, BWV 996 (Bourrée) Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E♭ major, BWV 998 Prelude in C minor, BWV 999 Fugue in G minor, BWV 1000

Mixed collections	Clavier-Übung III: Prelude and Fugue in E♭ major ("St. Anne"), BWV 552 / Chorale preludes, BWV 669–689 / Duets, BWV 802–805 Concerto arrangements for solo keyboard, BWV 592–597 and 972–987 Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach Twelve Little Preludes

List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach List of fugal works by Johann Sebastian Bach

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