Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp minor, BWV 849 (WTC I)

History

Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp minor, BWV 849 (WTC 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

• blog.henle.de

What to listen for

1. 1

   Slow entries gradually fill the texture

   The slow bass line is joined gradually by other sustained entries. Hear each new strand arrive without losing the earlier long sounds.

2. 2

   A flowing strand changes the texture

   A running eighth-note strand enters while sustained gestures continue elsewhere. Listen for the new flowing layer alongside the longer notes.

3. 3

   Contrasting kinds of motion circulate

   Sustained, flowing and repeated-note textures move among five strands. Follow a chosen kind of motion as its register changes.

4. 4

   Long supports carry the final C-sharp

   Extended low support and changing inner parts continue beneath a tied upper C-sharp. Hear the active layers gather into the final cadence.

How to practise it

Carry the long chromatic subject while keeping later voice entrances distinct.

1. Sing the subject slowly and name B-sharp distinctly; play it with counted full durations rather than shortening the whole notes.
2. Count the tenor's silence against the opening bass subject, then add its entrance without making the earlier line disappear.

How hard is it

About this piece

Licence

Public Domain

Source

mutopiaproject.org

More by Johann Sebastian Bach

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