Prelude and Fugue in F minor, BWV 881

The Prelude and Fugue in F minor, BWV 881, is a keyboard composition written by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is the twelfth prelude and fugue in the second book of The Well-Tempered Clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer.

Analysis

Prelude

The prelude is 70 bars long, and is written in binary form, of which the first half is 28 bars long and ends in A-flat major. The second half modulates through a variety of keys before returning to the home key of F minor. Below is the opening sentence of the prelude:

$\new PianoStaff << \new Staff << \new Voice \relative c'' { \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 80 \key f \minor \voiceOne b8\rest as | as8 g b\rest bes | bes8 as b\rest as' | as8 g b,\rest f' | f8 e r16 g, c, g' | r16 as c, as' r f c f | r16 g c, g' r bes c, bes' | r16 as c, as' r f c f | r16 g c, g' b8\rest as | } \new Voice \relative c' { \voiceTwo s8 f | f8 e s g | g8 f s c' | c8 bes s as | as8 g e s | f8 s d s | e8 s g s | f8 s d s | e8 s4 f8 | } >> \new Staff \relative c { \key f \minor \time 2/4 \clef bass \partial 4 f4 | c'4 c, | f4 f, | bes4 b | c4 r | R1*2/4*3 | r4 f | } >>$

The first four measures of this sentence have two voices leading the melody in thirds, and another voice leading the bass line. After four measures, only two voices continue. One voice plays the root of a chord, while the second voice plays a broken chord around it. This continues like so for another four measures, and ends with an imperfect cadence. After this, the sentence is repeated, except modulating to E♭ major at one point and ending on a perfect cadence. Together, these two sentences create a compound period, and the first part of a small binary.

Following the compound period, the second part of the small binary starts. It consists of one voice playing broken chords and two other voices leading a melody, and is eight measures long. A perfect cadence in A♭ major concludes the small binary, and thus ending the theme of the prelude.

The prelude ends with a two-measure codetta, which consists of a perfect cadence in the home key.

Fugue

The fugue is 85 bars long, and is written for 3 voices. Below is the 4-measure subject of the fugue:

$\new PianoStaff << \new Staff \relative c'' { \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 88 \key f \minor \time 2/4 \partial 8 c8 | f,8 f f des'16 bes | e,8 e e16 f g as | bes16 as g as bes des c bes | as16 g f g << { as16 bes c d } \\ { s8 f, } >> | } \new Staff { \key f \minor \clef bass r8 | R1*2/4*4 | } >>$

Just like most fugues in the baroque period, the subject is then repeated in the middle voice in the dominant key (C minor), and then repeated once more in the lowest voice, again in the home key. This final repetition of the subject is followed a small episode that consists of a descending fifths sequence. This is followed by the development of the fugue, which has many additional repetitions of the subject in various voices and keys, and occasionally episodes with the same descending fifths sequence as before in between. After the final repetition of the subject in the tonic key, the descending fifths episode is repeated as a codetta with a Picardy third, which concludes the fugue.

References

Sources

Bach, Johann Sebastian. "Prelude and Fugue No. 12 in F Minor." The Well Tempered Clavier, Books 1 and 2. Ed. Saul Novak.

Interactive media

BWV 881 Fugue (Flash) - David Korevaar performing
BWV 846-869 Prelude and Fugue (Flash) at the BinAural Collaborative Hypertext David Korevaar, Philip Goeth, and Edward Parmentier performing

External links

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

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