Prelude and Fugue in D Minor (BWV 554)

from Eight Short Preludes and Fugues attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach

Background

Replace this text with any general perspectives that do not fit under the categories listed below

Registration and Organs

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.

See the footnote in the "Notes" section at the bottom of the page

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).

Ornamentation

Replace this text with any specific information on ornamentation

Tempo and Meter

Replace this text with any specific information on tempo and meter

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

Recordings

Replace this text with any specific information on recordings

Free Online

Replace this text with any specific information on online recordings that are available free

Pay to Listen

Replace this text with any specific information on online recordings that are available for a fee

Other Resources

Replace this text with other resources pertinent to performing this piece

Notes

This space is for automatic insertion of footnotes. To enter a footnote from anywhere in the article, start by typing the tag <ref> and then enter the text, and type the tag </ref> to end the footnote. The footnote will then appear in this "Notes" section automatically.