Little preludes and fugues (J.S. Bach)
Little preludes and fugues
from BWV 924 to BWV 931, that are in the "Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach" [Little Clavier Book for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach]:
Little preludes from “Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach” |
[Little preludes from the “Little Clavier Book for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach”] |
from BWV 933 to BWV 938, originally published as:
“Six Preludes (für Anfänger auf dem Clavier) par. J.S. Bach” |
[Six Little Preludes (for beginners at the clavier) by J.S. Bach] |
from BWV 939 to BWV 943 togheter with the little prelude BWV 999, existing in only one handwritten source and known as:
“Sechs kleine Präludien aus der Sammlung Johann Peter Kellner” |
[Six Little Preludes from the collection of Johann Peter Kellner] |
BWV 952, 953 and 961, contained in most editions (in particular fugue BWV 953 comes from the "Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach"):
“Kleine Fugue” |
[Little fugues] |
4 Little preludes with fughettas
BWV 895, 899, 900, 902, not available in all editions:
“Kleine Præludien mit Fughetten” |
[Little Preludes and Fughettas] |
"Little preludes and fugues" by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of piano pieces from different sources and of varying degrees of difficulty, collected together in modern editions according to different principles.
The pieces are composed by J.S. Bach or by some of his children under his supervision at different times, frequently re-copied by students and compiled in different collections to be used as a basic teaching method to familiarize students with the different polyphonic styles.
The expressive characteristics, harmonic equilibrium and the stylistic and formal varieties have guaranteed their dissemination testifying to the fact that they have been widely appreciated and studied by many.
Because of their varying degrees of complexity they can, from a technical/musical point of view, be studied right throughout the entire five courses. The last preludes and fugues are already preparatory for the language of "Das wohltemperierte Clavier" ["The Well-tempered Clavier”].
The sources I have used for reference and the subsequent recordings come from the original manuscript of the “Clavier-Büchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach” which can be found in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, located at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (USA), from the first edition of “Six préludes à l'usage des commençants pour le clavecin” [Six Preludes for piano for beginners], located at Harvard University Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA) and from the large collection on manuscripts held in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Musikabteilung mit Mendelssohn-Archiv [Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage, Music Department with Mendelssohn archive] in Germany.
I have, however, made some bibliographical references alongside the titles of each work.
Below, in detail, the individual tracks that make up the preludes and fughettas, listed by their original title:
9 little preludes, from BWV 924 to BWV 931, including the BWV 924a version. | |||
01. | Præambulum | BWV 924 | in C Maj. |
02. | Præludium | BWV 924a | in C Maj. |
03. | Præludium | BWV 925 | in D Maj. |
04. | Præludium | BWV 926 | in D Min. |
05. | Præambulum | BWV 927 | in F Maj. |
06. | Præludium | BWV 928 | in F Maj. |
07. | Menuet di Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel + Menuet Trio | BWV 929 | in G Min. |
08. | Præambulum | BWV 930 | in G Min. |
09. | Præludium | BWV 931 | in A Min. |
6 little preludes, from BWV 933 to BWV 938. | |||
01. | Præludium | BWV 933 | in C Maj. |
02. | Præludium | BWV 934 | in C Min. |
03. | Præludium | BWV 935 | in D Min. |
04. | Præludium | BWV 936 | in D Maj. |
05. | Præludium | BWV 937 | in E Maj. |
06. | Præludium | BWV 938 | in E Min. |
5 little preludes, from BWV 939 to BWV 943 including little prelude BWV 999. | |||
01. | ...(Without title)... | BWV 939 | in C Maj. |
02. | ...(Without title)... | BWV 940 | in D Min. |
03. | ...(Without title)... | BWV 941 | in E Min. |
04. | ...(Without title)... | BWV 942 | in A Min. |
05. | Præludium | BWV 943 | in C Maj. |
06. | Prelude | BWV 999 | in C Min. |
3 little fugues, BWV 952, 953 e 961. | |||
01. | Fugue | BWV 952 | in C Maj. |
02. | Fuga à 3 | BWV 953 | in C Maj. |
03. | Fughetta | BWV 961 | in C Min. |
4 little preludes and fughettas BWV 895, 899, 900, 902. | |||
01. | Præludium cum Fuga in A b. di J.S.Bach | BWV 895 | in A Min. |
02. | Prelude in D b. Fughetta | BWV 899 | in D Min. |
03. | Præludium. Fuga | BWV 900 | in E Min. |
04. | Præludium. Fuga | BWV 902 | in G Maj. |
Tullio Forlenza