Prelude and Fugue in G (WTK, Book I, No.15), BWV 860
Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a … Read Full Bio ↴Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, and vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
The Bach family already counted several composers when Johann Sebastian was born as the last child of a city musician in Eisenach. Having become an orphan at age 10, he lived for five years with his eldest brother, after which he continued his musical formation in Lüneburg. From 1703 he was back in Thuringia, working as a musician for Protestant churches in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen and, for longer stretches of time, at courts in Weimar—where he expanded his repertoire for the organ—and Köthen—where he was mostly engaged with chamber music. From 1723 he was employed as Thomaskantor (cantor at St. Thomas) in Leipzig. He composed music for the principal Lutheran churches of the city, and for its university's student ensemble Collegium Musicum. From 1726 he published some of his keyboard and organ music. In Leipzig, as had happened in some of his earlier positions, he had a difficult relation with his employer, a situation that was little remedied when he was granted the title of court composer by the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland in 1736. In the last decades of his life he reworked and extended many of his earlier compositions. He died of complications after eye surgery in 1750.
Bach enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include hundreds of cantatas, both sacred and secular. He composed Latin church music, Passions, oratorios and motets. He often adopted Lutheran hymns, not only in his larger vocal works, but for instance also in his four-part chorales and his sacred songs. He wrote extensively for organ and for other keyboard instruments. He composed concertos, for instance for violin and for harpsichord, and suites, as chamber music as well as for orchestra. Many of his works employ the genres of canon and fugue.
Throughout the 18th century Bach was primarily valued as an organist, while his keyboard music, such as The Well-Tempered Clavier, was appreciated for its didactic qualities. The 19th century saw the publication of some major Bach biographies, and by the end of that century all of his known music had been printed. Dissemination of scholarship on the composer continued through periodicals and websites exclusively devoted to him, and other publications such as the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, a numbered catalogue of his works) and new critical editions of his compositions. His music was further popularised through a multitude of arrangements, including for instance the Air on the G String, and of recordings, for instance three different box sets with complete performances of the composer's oeuvre marking the 250th anniversary of his death.
The Bach family already counted several composers when Johann Sebastian was born as the last child of a city musician in Eisenach. Having become an orphan at age 10, he lived for five years with his eldest brother, after which he continued his musical formation in Lüneburg. From 1703 he was back in Thuringia, working as a musician for Protestant churches in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen and, for longer stretches of time, at courts in Weimar—where he expanded his repertoire for the organ—and Köthen—where he was mostly engaged with chamber music. From 1723 he was employed as Thomaskantor (cantor at St. Thomas) in Leipzig. He composed music for the principal Lutheran churches of the city, and for its university's student ensemble Collegium Musicum. From 1726 he published some of his keyboard and organ music. In Leipzig, as had happened in some of his earlier positions, he had a difficult relation with his employer, a situation that was little remedied when he was granted the title of court composer by the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland in 1736. In the last decades of his life he reworked and extended many of his earlier compositions. He died of complications after eye surgery in 1750.
Bach enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include hundreds of cantatas, both sacred and secular. He composed Latin church music, Passions, oratorios and motets. He often adopted Lutheran hymns, not only in his larger vocal works, but for instance also in his four-part chorales and his sacred songs. He wrote extensively for organ and for other keyboard instruments. He composed concertos, for instance for violin and for harpsichord, and suites, as chamber music as well as for orchestra. Many of his works employ the genres of canon and fugue.
Throughout the 18th century Bach was primarily valued as an organist, while his keyboard music, such as The Well-Tempered Clavier, was appreciated for its didactic qualities. The 19th century saw the publication of some major Bach biographies, and by the end of that century all of his known music had been printed. Dissemination of scholarship on the composer continued through periodicals and websites exclusively devoted to him, and other publications such as the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, a numbered catalogue of his works) and new critical editions of his compositions. His music was further popularised through a multitude of arrangements, including for instance the Air on the G String, and of recordings, for instance three different box sets with complete performances of the composer's oeuvre marking the 250th anniversary of his death.
Prelude and Fugue in G BWV 860
Johann Sebastian Bach Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Johann Sebastian Bach:
Air Erbarme dich, mein Gott, um meiner Zähren willen! Schaue h…
Air on a G String C21 Miscellaneous Hanging on a String I can't sleep I'm inco…
Ave Maria Ave Maria (De Bach e Gounod) Ave Maria Gratia plena Domin…
Cantata "Christ lag in Todesbanden" BWV 4: 6. Versus 5: "Hier ist das rechte Osterlamm" Стой! Пока ещё не выключен свет Я хочу услышать ответ Скажи,…
Cantata "Du Hirte Israel höre" BWV 104: 1. Chor: Du Hirte Israel höre Стой! Пока ещё не выключен свет Я хочу услышать ответ Скажи,…
Cantata "Du Hirte Israel höre" BWV 104: 5. Arie: Beglückte Herde Jesu Schafe Стой! Пока ещё не выключен свет Я хочу услышать ответ Скажи,…
Cantata 147: Jesus bleibet meine Freude Jesus bleibet meine Freude Meines Herzens Trost und Saft Ju…
Choral: Herzliebster Jesu was hast du verbrochen I and II Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen, Daß man …
Choral: Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen I and II Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen, Daß man …
Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben Muss von Christo Zeugnis…
Jesu bleibet meine Freude Jesus bleibet meine Freude Meines Herzens Trost und Saft Ju…
Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring Jesus, joy of man's desiring Holy wisdom, love most bright D…
Jesu meine Freude Jesus bleibet meine Freude Meines Herzens Trost und Saft Ju…
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Jesus, joy of man's desiring Holy wisdom, love most bright D…
Jesus bleibet meine freud Jesus bleibet meine Freude Meines Herzens Trost und Saft Ju…
Jesus bleibet meine Freude Jesus bleibet meine Freude Meines Herzens Trost und Saft J…
Largo BWV 1056 Hope, can be misleading Just like the boy who falls in…
Mass in B minor BWV 232: I. Kyrie: Kyrie eleison Kyrie Eleison Kyrie Eleison Kyrie Eleison Kyrie Eleison Kyri…
主よ、人の望みの喜びよ (教会カンタータより) イエスこそ私たちが望む喜びの根源 聖なる知恵、もっとも輝かしい愛 あなたに引き寄せられた私たちの魂は 始原の光へ導かれる…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@robbyburns5822
The fugue is funny, it's this happy jubilant piece, and when it's almost over (at the last measure), you can still hear the perfect octave held by the left hand mending the theme to a conclusion. When it's over you can still hear the note of G in your head. What a genius Bach was. Thank you for posting
@Tizohip
because of 7th interval on subject ? :D
@Tizohip
just a joke
@riccardoscarone1388
It's a very beautiful tonic-pedal effect which he also does on his organ pieces and can be heard in many choral pieces from other composers, even from previous periods. It's obviously a much harder case playing this on a piano/harpsichord and keeping the pedal note resonant enough while finishing the piece with the other hand. A similiar (but in my opinion) harder case happens in the c minor fugue from the same WTC book. If you like that effect you'll like what I just pointed out. Cheers
@davisatdavis1
Been working on the prelude for about a week, never listened to a recording till now. Did not expect that tempo.
@steveweinstein3222
I've been struggling with this piece & it's played so quickly it's usually hard to follow the score so many thanks for breaking the audio into bite-sized onscreen nuggets of the score!
@kmpiano1
I actually think he's thinking Shostakovich when he is interpreting it. It's not wrong, but I love a lighter character BUT, if you look at this fugue in light of Shos G major P and F, it somehow works. That's why the flexibility of Bach cannot be underestimated.
@MrTylerNicole1
In case anyone is interested, if you pay close attention, the beginning of the fugue almost sounds like the Westminster chimes melody, since it goes A-G-F#-G-A-B-A-G-D. Ironically those are the notes for the first and third quarter chimes on any chime clock that plays the Westminster quarters. The fugue almost sounds like horse or car racing music and sounds a bit easier to play than the prelude. I’m about to learn this piece myself.
@iguarni
Right! I think Glenn Gould has been the best Bach's interpeter for sure but Richter is incredible. Every composer is not preclude for him!!!!!! Very Great pianist!!!!!
@dsm2240
24/16 was a STRANGE time signature in 1722! (Still is.) The prelude is very much like the one from the D Minor prelude.