Prelude and Fugue in D Minor (BWV 554)

Organ and Registration

Prelude: Though nothing in the music or the score requires it, this is one of the few of the Eight Short preludes and fugues that has the possibility of a smooth manual change without interrupting the musical lines. You could try, for example, changing manuals at mm. 13-23. To move back to the original manual, leave out the quarter-note 'd' in the left hand of m. 23, return to the original manual, and start the sixteenth-note runs there.

Fingering and Pedaling

Potential challenges: watch for the scale figures, for example in m. 1, and the longer running passage in mm. 7-12. Finger these deliberately to allow for smooth execution and tempo consistency (i.e., to avoid rushing or tripping over a misplaced finger).

Also, be aware of the parallel sixths in m. 27. The leap upward in the pattern of descending notes is a good place to articulate a new phrase.

Articulation and Phrasing

Fugue: the fugue subject begins with a series of jumps. Use agogic accents (small ones) to emphasize the downbeat in this section. This will help avoid a 'siren effect' where the notes toggle back and forth without definition (like an ambulance siren).

Resources

Scores

http://imslp.org/wiki/8_Kleine_Pr%C3%A4ludien_und_Fugen,_BWV_553-560_(Bach,_Johann_Sebastian)