Prelude and Fugue in B-flat minor, BWV 867

The Prelude and Fugue in B-flat minor, BWV 867, is a keyboard composition by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is the 22nd prelude and fugue in the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer. It was composed in 1722 or earlier.^[1]

Prelude

Fugue

Performed by Kimiko Ishizaka

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The prelude is in the style of an arioso, with up to seven nominal voices manifesting in only three distinct strands. The prelude's structure is bipartite, divided in half by a cadence. British music critic John Alexander Fuller Maitland compared it with the St Matthew Passion.^[2]

Below are the opening bars of the prelude:

$\new PianoStaff << \new Staff = "up" \with { \consists "Merge_rests_engraver" } << \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 8 = 80 \clef treble \key bes \minor \time 4/4 \new Voice \relative c'' { \voiceOne r8 bes16 c16 <bes des>8 8 8 <a c>16 <bes des>16 <c ees>8 8 8 <bes des>16 <c ees>16 <des f>8 8 8 <c ees>16 <des f>16 <ees ges>8 8 } \new Voice \relative c' { \voiceTwo r8 e8\rest e8\rest f8 ges4 e8\rest \stemUp a8 } >> \new Staff = "down" << \clef bass \key bes \minor \time 4/4 \new Voice \relative c' { \voiceThree \showStaffSwitch <des f>8 e8\rest e8\rest des8 ees4 \change Staff = "up" \stemDown e8\rest <c ges'>8 <des f>4 e8\rest <des f bes>8 <c a'>4 e8\rest <c a'>8 } \new Voice \relative c' { \voiceFour bes8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 } >> >>$

Fugue

Among the fugues in The Well-Tempered Clavier's first book, BWV 867's fugue is the closest to stile antico. The fugue is in five voices, and its subject stands out for its use of a wide minor ninth interval^[3] and "rhetorical" pause. Instead of substantial episodes, there are only two canonic bridges. The fugue climaxes in a five-part stretto before ending on a Picardy third.^[4]

Below are the first two statements of the subject in the fugue's opening:

$\new PianoStaff << \new Staff = "up" << \clef treble \key bes \minor \time 4/4 \new Voice \relative c'' { \voiceOne bes2 f g'4\rest ges f ees des c des ees f e8 f g2~ g4 aes8 g f2~ f4 ees8 des ees4 } \new Voice \relative c' { \voiceTwo b1\rest b1\rest f'2 bes, r4 des' c bes aes g aes bes c2. } >> >>$

References

^ Netherlands Bach Society.
^ Schulenberg 1992, pp. 192–193.
^ Ledbetter 2008, p. 224.
^ Schulenberg 1992, p. 193.

Sources

Ledbetter, David (2008). Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier: The 48 Preludes and Fugues. Yale University Press. pp. 222–226. doi:10.12987/9780300128987. ISBN 978-0300128987. S2CID 246101671.
Schulenberg, David (1992). The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 9780028732756. LCCN 91039348.
"The Well-Tempered Clavier I No. 22 in B-flat minor". Netherlands Bach Society. Retrieved April 23, 2021.

External links

Prelude and Fugue in B-flat minor, BWV 867: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

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[FOOTNOTENetherlands_Bach_Society-1] Netherlands Bach Society.

[FOOTNOTESchulenberg1992192–193-2] Schulenberg 1992, pp. 192–193.

[FOOTNOTELedbetter2008224-3] Ledbetter 2008, p. 224.

[FOOTNOTESchulenberg1992193-4] Schulenberg 1992, p. 193.

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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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