Description
The famous opening prelude of Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Simple broken-chord figures flow steadily through C major, building serene beauty from minimal material. Approachable at an intermediate level, it is an excellent study in controlling the balance and color of arpeggiated harmony.
Bach's collection of preludes and fugues for keyboard, covering all 24 keys and regarded as the summit of contrapuntal writing.
Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach was the towering figure of German Baroque music, serving for decades as Cantor of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Renowned for his mastery of counterpoint, he laid the foundations of keyboard music with works such as The Well-Tempered Clavier and the Inventions. This site includes 229 of his pieces, including numerous chorale settings and arias.
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