Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 870

Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 870, is a keyboard composition written by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is the first prelude and fugue in the second book of The Well-Tempered Clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues in every major and minor key.

Analysis

Prelude

Unlike the Prelude in C major, BWV 846, that opens book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, which consists mostly of broken chords, this prelude features a continuously flowing sequence of melodic ideas that Cecil Gray (1938, p. 82) says is "very much freer and subtler in form and procedure."^[1] Ledbetter (2002, p. 28) compares it to "an organ improvisation".^[2] According to Levinson (1997, p. 88), "few pieces of traditional music are more purely processive than this. It develops without break or pause, without arrivals of significance, from beginning to end."^[3] Tovey (1951, p. 21) sees this prelude as being "full of the double meanings obtainable on keyboard instruments by holding the notes of a melody so that they grow into sustained chords (bar 3) and, on the other hand, by allowing two separate parts to combine in a melodic sense different from that of either":^[4]

The uninterrupted flow of notes tends to conceal the fact that the prelude as a whole is carefully constructed. Tovey continues, "with the middle of bar 5, the design begins to develop":

A linking section passes seamlessly through a series of related keys in bars 14 to 19:

The entire passage of bars 5 to 13 is then repeated, with some small alterations, a perfect fourth higher in bars 20 to 28:

The concluding bars follow, with a final cadence in C major, the only decisive point of arrival in the entire piece:

Fugue

The fugue is 83 bars long and is written for three voices. It starts with a 4 measure subject in the alto voice:

Fugue subject

The subject is then followed with entries in the soprano and bass voices. According to Tovey^[4] "the Fugue reaches a climax in a spirited Coda":

Tovey^[4] asks us to "note Bach's favourite device of cumulative repetition in the tonic" which contributes to "the sonorous vigour of the last eight bars."

Legacy

A recording by Glenn Gould was sent into space in 1977 on the Voyager Golden Record.^[5]

References

^ Gray, C. (1938) The Forty-Eight Preludes and Fugues of J. S. Bach. Oxford University Press.
^ Ledbetter, David (2002) Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, the 48 Preludes and Fugues. Yale University Press.
^ Levinson, Jerrold (1997) Music in the Moment. New York, Cornell University Press.
^ ^a ^b ^c Tovey, D. F. (1951) Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues, Book 2. London, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
^ "Golden Record / Whats on the Record: Music from Earth", Jet Propulsion Laboratory

External links

Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 870: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

[1] Gray, C. (1938) The Forty-Eight Preludes and Fugues of J. S. Bach. Oxford University Press.

[2] Ledbetter, David (2002) Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, the 48 Preludes and Fugues. Yale University Press.

[3] Levinson, Jerrold (1997) Music in the Moment. New York, Cornell University Press.

[Tovey-4] Tovey, D. F. (1951) Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues, Book 2. London, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

[5] "Golden Record / Whats on the Record: Music from Earth", Jet Propulsion Laboratory

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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