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Baroque · prelude

Prelude No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847, Well-Tempered Clavier I

Johann Sebastian Bach · Level 7, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

A manuscript from 1722, a printed afterlife around 1800. Prelude No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847, Well-Tempered Clavier I is a prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach from the Baroque era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 7, an estimate.

On this page
  • prelude
  • Baroque
  • Key of C minor
  • stormy

Also known as Prelude No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847: Well-Tempered Clavier I.

History

Prelude No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847, Well-Tempered Clavier I belongs to the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Bach's collection fair copy is dated 1722. For many years its life was in manuscript: around 1800, publishers in Zurich, Bonn and Vienna/Leipzig brought competing editions into print. That long journey from manuscript to publication is part of this piece's wider history.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. A pattern carries changing harmony

    Continuous repeated figures move through changing pitch groups. Hear the changing harmony without turning every repeated gesture into a new accent.

  2. A low repeated pitch supports a rise

    The lower repeated pitch supports rising upper groups. Follow the upward direction while hearing the repeated foundation underneath.

  3. A quicker continuation expands

    The Presto-marked continuation becomes more active and expansive. Hear its new energy as a contrast with the earlier repeated figuration.

  4. Lower motion leads toward a slower close

    The Allegro-marked continuation moves through lower-staff notes before the closing slowdown. Hear the smaller motion carry the phrase into its final settling.

How to practise it

Align the two continuous patterns without flattening their shapes.

  1. Practise one eight-note figure, then connect its second occurrence at the same pulse.
  2. Practise both patterns together slowly, checking the common starts of their small groups.
  3. Connect the examined opening at a comfortable tempo only when its separate layers feel settled.

How hard is it

Level 7, estimated

Continuous sixteenth-note patterns in both staves require reliable alignment, evenness and harmonic shaping. This provisional placement does not assess the later tempo changes or ending.

About this piece

Interpretive sketch of Johann Sebastian Bach, an illustration and not a verified likeness
An illustration, not a portrait
Collection
The prelude gallery
Licence
CC0
Source
musescore.com

More by Johann Sebastian Bach

  1. Prelude in C major, BWV 846Level 4, estimatedOpen to everyone
  2. Two-Part Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772Level 5, estimatedWith Maestro
  3. Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971: III. PrestoLevel 9, estimatedWith Maestro

With Maestro

Play it, slow it down, hear where you land

Align the two continuous patterns without flattening their shapes.

Practise it in PlayPiano