Eight Short Preludes and Fugues

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attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach

The Preludes and Fugues

Click to sort by BWV number or Title
BWV Title
553 Prelude and Fugue in C Major
554 Prelude and Fugue in D Minor
555 Prelude and Fugue in E Minor
556 Prelude and Fugue in F Major
557 Prelude and Fugue in G Major
558 Prelude and Fugue in G Minor
559 Prelude and Fugue in A Minor
560 Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Major

Background and General Perspectives

Collection of short Preludes and Fugues for manuals and pedals, especially useful for beginners. Each employs a different style and set of techniques that are useful for learning basics of style and technique without the commitment of a long prelude or fugue, but with the advantage of being musically pleasing to player and listener alike.

The authorship of these pieces is highly disputed. There are no autograph copies of the manuscript (i.e., none of the originals are in Bach's handwriting), and though many of the techniques and styles are like other works of JS Bach, some of the pieces use techniques that are rarely found in his other works.[1])

Regardless of whether they were written by JS Bach, or were inspired by his style, the Eight Short Preludes and Fugues stand as a delightful entry into late baroque style and to the organ in general.

For details, see the Wikipedia Article.

Scores and Editions

IMSLP, various editions

Free score download

SHEETMUSICARCHIVE.NET, Edited by Steven Dunlop

Free score download

Recordings

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Free Online

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Pay to Listen

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Other Resources

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Notes

  1. Williams, Peter. The Organ Music of J. S. Bach, 2nd ed., (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 141-42.

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