Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 879

Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 879, is the tenth piece in the second book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach, compiled between 1739 and 1744.

The prelude, written in the style of an invention, features a courante-like motion with interweaving patterns between the hands. The three-voice fugue contains an unusually long subject and varied rhythmic elements, and is structurally elaborate. Despite its apparent simplicity and lack of ornamentation, it is among the less frequently regarded fugues in the collection.

Prelude

The prelude, written in ³
₈ and comprising 108 measures, is structured in two repeated sections (AA–BB), consisting of 48 and 60 measures respectively, with a volta marking—a unique feature within The Well-Tempered Clavier.

It closely resembles the two-voice inventions, ^[1] with the theme alternating between hands in echo-like exchanges, including trills and swirling figures, and is structurally similar to the Prelude and Fugue in D-sharp minor, BWV 877  [ fr ]. The style is reminiscent of a courante. ^[2] The first section ends on the dominant, while the second resumes the theme in contrary motion. ^[3]

The theme is developed throughout the piece through transposition, inversion, and canonic treatment (measures 24–28). Ornamented thirty-second notes appear in later copies, notably in measures 3, 4, 12, and 22. ^[4]

Fugue

The fugue, in three voices, written in , contains 86 measures.

The subject is unusually long, spanning six measures—the longest in either volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier. It is characterized by an energetic style, with dotted rhythms appearing in the autograph score. ^[4] The subject incorporates a wide range of rhythmic values, including triplets, sixteenth notes, dotted eighth–sixteenth patterns, quarter notes, and tied quarters, though the dotted figures are generally interpreted as triplets, as in the Prelude in D major. ^[5] Despite its rhythmic complexity ^[1] and the difficulty of identifying its thematic identity, the fugue maintains a straightforward contrapuntal style and a simple formal structure. ^[6]

Due to the length of the subject, the exposition extends over 19 measures. The autograph manuscript originally ends at measure 60, on the dominant, marked with a fermata. The fugue ultimately concludes with a final statement of the subject, followed by a cadence, a ritardando, and another fermata. This is succeeded by four additional measures, ending on a final fermata with a sounded major third. At measure 81, the descending motion recalls the pedal point found after the organ prelude BWV 543. ^[7]

The countersubject is similarly intricate but features two contrasting sections that render it more distinguishable: ^[8]

Relationship

Despite their structural and stylistic differences, the prelude and fugue are related.

Manuscripts

The manuscripts considered most important are in the hand of Bach himself or Anna Magdalena:

• Source “A”, British Library, London (Add. MS. 35 021), compiled between 1739 and 1742. ^[9] It contains 21 pairs of preludes and fugues: C minor, D major, and F minor (numbers 4, 5, and 12) are missing, presumed lost. ^[9]
• Source “B”, Berlin State Library (P 430), a copy dated 1744, by Johann Christoph Altnikol. ^[10]

Legacy

Théodore Dubois created a version for piano four hands, published in 1914. ^[11]

References

1. Sacre 1998 , p. 216
2. Keller 1973, p. 173.
3. Tranchefort 1987, p. 37.
4. Keller 1973 , p. 174
5. Schulenberg 2006, p. 257.
6. Keller 1973, p. 175.
7. Keller 1973, p. 176.
8. Gray 1938, p. 108.
9. Tomita 2007 , p. X
10. "Jean-Sébastien Bach, « Le clavier bien tempéré », vol. II (copie d'Altnikol)" [Johann Sebastian Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, vol. II (Altnikol copy)](PDF). International Music Score Library Project (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
11. "Prelude X" . Retrieved 6 August 2025.

Sources

• Gray, Cecil (1938). Forty-Eight Preludes and Fugues of J. S. Bach. Oxford University Press. pp. 106–108. OCLC   603425933.
• Keller, Hermann (1973). Le clavier bien tempéré de Johann Sebastian Bach : l'œuvre, l'interprétation [The Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach: The Works, the Performance]. Études (in French). Paris: Bordas. pp. 173–176. OCLC   373521522 . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
• Tranchefort, François-René (1987). Guide de la musique de piano et de clavecin [Guide to Piano and Harpsichord Music]. Les Indispensables de la musique (in French). Paris: Fayard. p. 37. ISBN   978-2-213-01639-9. OCLC   17967083 . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
• Sacre, Guy (1998). La musique pour piano : dictionnaire des compositeurs et des œuvres[Piano Music: Dictionary of Composers and Works]. Bouquins (in French). Vol. I (A-I). Paris: Robert Laffont. pp. 216–217. ISBN   2-221-05017-7.
• Schulenberg, David (2006). The keyboard music of J.S. Bach. New York: Routledge. pp. 256–257. ISBN   0-415-97399-6. OCLC   63472907 . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
• Tomita, Yo (2007). "préface" [preface]. Clavier bien tempéré[Well-Tempered Clavier] (in French). Henle. OCLC   786251450.

Further reading

• Tomita, Yo (1990). J. S. Bach's 'Das Wohltemperierte Clavier II' : A Study of Its Aim, Historical Significance and Compiling Process (PDF). Leeds: University of Leeds. OCLC   246834603 . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
• Tomita, Yo (1995). J. S. Bach's 'Das Wohltemperierte Clavier II' : A Critical Commentary. Vol. 2: All the extant manuscripts. Leeds: Household World Publisher. pp. 57–62. ISBN   978-0-9521516-7-8. OCLC   313150901 . Retrieved 6 August 2025.

External links

• Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 879 : Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• "Praeludium X / Fuga X" (PDF). Retrieved 6 August 2025.