Prelude and fugue in A minor
BWV 895 performed by Kris Verhelst
at home in Antwerpen, België
Behind the music
Story
Story
Extra videos
Extra videos
Credits
Credits
I'd like more of that
More adventurous, imaginative and tasteful
Right from the start it is clear that this is an early Bach. This sort of fast tune ending suddenly on an unexpected note is a typically whimsical musical gesture that we see in Bach’s other early works. And what follows merely confirms this first impression. If Toccata in D minor, BWV 913, is still fresh in your ears, for example, then you immediately hear all sorts of similarities.
It has been suggested that this piece may be the only surviving work from a series of short preludes and fugues used for teaching purposes. In any case, this is how it is used in the earliest source, which is a manuscript of a whole series of preludes, intonations and fugues in various keys – all of more or less the same length. The other works are by composers like Pachelbel, Wecker, Zachow, Krieger and Werckmeister. The manuscript was started on 3 April 1709 by Johann Christoph Bach (1673-1727), a distant relative (so not Johann Sebastian’s uncle or brother of the same name), who was cantor and organist in the little town of Gehren in the Thuringian forest. This Johann Christoph probably used the piece in his own lessons.
Although this Prelude and fugue in A minor occupies a relatively modest place in Bach’s oeuvre, it really stands out in such a collection manuscript, even without Bach’s name on it. It is just that bit more adventurous, imaginative and tasteful than the rest. How many pupils must have said to Johann Christoph Bach “I’d like more pieces by the composer of that fugue”?
- BWV
- 895
- Title
- Prelude and fugue in A minor
- Instrument
- harpsichord
- Genre
- harpsichord works
- Year
- early work, in any case before 1725
- City
- unknown
- First performance
- unknown
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
Translation
Credits
-
- Release date
- 16 June 2017
-
- Recording date
- 17 September 2016
-
- Location
- Antwerp, Belgium
-
- Harpsichordist
- Kris Verhelst
-
- Harpsichord
- Emile Jobin naar Johannes Daniel Dulcken, 1747
-
- Directors
- Jan Van den Bossche, Hanna Schreuders
-
- Music production, editing and mix
- Guido Tichelman
-
- Camera and interview
- Gijs Besseling
-
- Producer
- Hanna Schreuders
Discover
Help us to complete All of Bach
There are still many recordings to be made before the whole of Bach’s oeuvre is online. And we can’t complete the task without the financial support of our patrons. Please help us to complete the musical heritage of Bach, by supporting us with a donation!