In 1722, Bach compiled a set of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys, and twenty years later composed another entire set. They were not published during his lifetime, but Bach lent his manuscript to his students and let them make their own personal copies. These copies made their way across Europe and ultimately into the hands of Mozart and Beethoven, among others.
The 19th-century music critic Hans von Bülow called the collection of 48 preludes and fugues “the Pianists’ Old Testament”.
Here is the Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp minor from Book II of the Well-Tempered Clavier:
Bach - Prelude and Fugue, in C# minor, BWV 873
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John Scialdone published this page in Daily Beethoven 2021-07-28 21:31:12 -0400