Das Wohltemperierte Clavier I, Praeludium IV

Description

Before one of the few five-voice fugues in the collection, a large work known for handling three subjects, Bach sets this quiet, song-like prelude in C-sharp minor. It is the fourth piece of Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier.

Most editions notate it in 6/4; the 3/2 in this data gives the same bar length but a different feel to the beat. A long-breathed melody in the upper voice is imitated by the other parts, and the harmony shifts gradually at an unhurried pace. The notes run from C2 to C6, so 61 keys suffice.

Rated intermediate, it lasts about 2 minutes 13 seconds with 660 notes in this data. The note count is modest, but the melody moves between voices, so you must constantly decide which notes to bring out; finger substitution to keep the legato is another task. Slow the playback to hear the imitation between voices, and check the hand colours to see which hand has the melody, and the lines that need to sing become clear. Learning to hear how the melody passes between voices is also good preparation for the five-voice fugue that follows.

Bach's collection of preludes and fugues for keyboard, covering all 24 keys and regarded as the summit of contrapuntal writing.