Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp minor, BWV 849

Fugue in C♯ minor of the *Well-Tempered Clavier* Book I in Bach's handwriting.^[1]

The Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp minor, BWV 849, is a pair of keyboard compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is the fourth prelude and fugue in the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer.

Prelude

Prelude theme

Prelude performed on the piano:

by Martha Goldstein

by Kimiko Ishizaka

The solemn and expressive, recitative character of the melody is reminiscent of Bach's passion music. A direct relationship between the prelude and its fugue, while not readily apparent, is hinted in the long-held durations of the bass in the first ten measures. If one omits the bass pitches of measures 4–7, what remains of measures 1–10 are the pitches C♯, B♯, E, D♯, C♯ of the fugue's subject. The prelude's most memorable motif is an ascending octave leap, which is heard throughout the piece.

Fugue

Fugue theme

Fugue performed on the piano:

by Martha Goldstein

by Kimiko Ishizaka

At 115 measures in length, and in five voices, this is one of Bach's longest and most densely-crafted fugues. While it contains three themes, it is not properly structured as a triple fugue because only the first idea receives exposition. The other two themes are more in the nature of countersubjects. The five voices are heard at the beginning of the fugue in ascending order, starting with the bass. The subject is heard in stretto in m. 55, and again densely so in mm. 94–99.

The subject (C♯, B♯, E, D♯ C♯) is a cross motif in half and whole notes. The contour of descending half step, ascending diminished fourth, and descending half step is the same as the Advent Chorale "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" (Kerman 2005, 28).

The second theme, which enters in measure 36, is a flowing changing-tone motif, in eighth notes, that can be heard as a diminution and motivic transformation of the main subject.

In measure 49, a third theme enters in concert with the prior two. These three are heard as invertible counterpoint in measures 49–88, at which point the second theme drops away. Thereafter, the first and third themes continue to the end, with a striking dissonance on the downbeat of measure 112, four bars before the end.

References

^ D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 415 at www.bachdigital.de

Sources

Score editions

Kroll, Franz, editor (1866). "Praeludium IV" and "Fuga IV", pp. 14–17 in Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe Volume 14: Clavierwerke Band 3. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel
Dürr, Alfred, editor (1989). New Bach Edition Series V: Keyboard and Lute Works Volume 6.1: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I, Score and Critical Commentary Bärenreiter

Other

Alfred Dürr (1998). Johann Sebastian Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier. Bärenreiter Werkeinführungen. ISBN 9783761812297. (4th edition: 2012)
Cecil Gray: The Forty-eight Preludes and Fugues of J.S. Bach. Oxford University Press, London, New York und Toronto 1938.
Joseph Kerman: The Art of Fugue. Oakland: University of California Press 2005.
Ernst Kurth: Grundlagen des linearen Kontrapunkts. Einführung in Stil und Technik von Bach’s melodischer Polyphonie. Bern, Drechsel 1917.
Bach Digital Work 00992 and 00993 at www.bachdigital.de

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

Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

[1] D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 415 at www.bachdigital.de

[1]

v t e 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 C major, BWV 531 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 B minor, BWV 544 Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 546 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 (doubtful) Prelude (Toccata) and Fugue in E major, BWV 566 Fantasia ("Pièce d'Orgue") in G major, BWV 572 Fugue in G minor ("Little"), BWV 578 Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 Concertos, BWV 592–597 Orgelbüchlein, BWV 599–644 Schübler Chorales, BWV 645–650 Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, BWV 651–668 Chorale partita Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig, BWV 768 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	Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772–801 English Suites, BWV 806–811 French Suites, BWV 812–817 Partitas, BWV 825–830 No. 2 No. 4 No. 6 Overture in the French style, BWV 831 Well-Tempered Clavier, BWV 846–893 Book 1 No. 1 in C major No. 2 in C minor No. 3 in C♯ major No. 4 in C♯ minor No. 7 in E♭ major No. 10 in E minor No. 16 in G minor No. 21 in B♭ major No. 22 in B♭ minor Book 2 No. 1 in C major No. 2 in C minor No. 3 in C♯ major No. 4 in C♯ minor No. 5 in D major No. 6 in D minor No. 12 in F minor No. 13 in F♯ major No. 18 in G♯ minor No. 22 in B♭ minor No. 24 in B minor Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 906 Toccatas, BWV 910–916 Six Little Preludes, BWV 933–938 Italian Concerto Harpsichord solo concertos Goldberg Variations discography Gould recording Aria variata alla maniera italiana Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother
Lute	Suite in G minor, BWV 995 Suite in E minor, BWV 996 Bourrée Suite in C minor, BWV 997 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 transcriptions, BWV 592–596 and 972–987 Klavierbüchlein W. F. Bach Notebook A. M. Bach Twelve Little Preludes
List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach List of fugal works by Johann Sebastian Bach List of concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach

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