Eight Short Preludes and Fugues

The Eight Short Preludes and Fugues (also Eight Little Preludes and Fugues), BWV 553–560, are a collection of works for keyboard and pedal formerly attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach. They are now believed to have been composed by one of Bach's pupils, possibly Johann Tobias Krebs or his son Johann Ludwig Krebs.^[1]

Background

While originally attributed to Bach, scholars suggest that the eight preludes and fugues might have been composed by one of his pupils, Johann Ludwig Krebs, based on certain unusual characteristics and simplicity unusual to most of Bach's music when played on the organ.^[2] However, Philipp Spitta noted that they bore the "stamp of commanding mastery."^[3] Additionally, Sir George Grove wrote that "on stylistic grounds neither [Johann Tobias or Johann Ludwig] seems likely."^[4]

Preludes and Fugues

	Little Prelude in G minor, BWV 558 Performed by Steven Dunlop
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These pieces came to be played often on the organ in the 19th and 20th centuries, and were especially useful as teaching pieces for beginners.^[5] Subsequent scholarship has suggested that this collection was conceived specifically for the pedal clavichord, thereby making the stylistic claim of inauthenticity far less tenable. Several elements of the pieces, including the rolling of large chords, octave doublings and repeated notes, and the patterns of movement of the fingers and feet, the rhythm, and overall texture are idiomatic on the clavichord but make little sense on the organ. Performer Harald Vogel has recorded the collection on a pedal clavichord along with an essay by Joel Speerstra (see liner notes) on the clavichordistic nature of these pieces and a discussion of the manuscript indications.

These works continue to be performed frequently in Christian churches because of their short length (about 3 minutes each) and ease of performance compared to preludes and fugues attributed with greater certainty to J.S. Bach.

In order, the eight preludes and fugues are:

Prelude and Fugue in C major (BWV 553)
Prelude and Fugue in D minor (BWV 554)
Prelude and Fugue in E minor (BWV 555)
Prelude and Fugue in F major (BWV 556)
Prelude and Fugue in G major (BWV 557)
Prelude and Fugue in G minor (BWV 558)
Prelude and Fugue in A minor (BWV 559)
Prelude and Fugue in B-flat major (BWV 560)

References

↑ Dürr, Alfred. "Eight Little Preludes and Fugues formerly ascribed to Bach, BWV 553–560". Bärenreiter. Missing or empty |url= (help)
↑ Hammer, Michael. "Who really wrote the 8 short preludes and fugues?". Pianonoise. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
↑ Williams, Peter (1980). The Organ Music of J. S. Bach: Volume 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 192. ISBN 9780521217231.
↑ Sir Grove, George (1980). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Volume 10. MacMillan Publishers. ISBN 9780333231111.
↑ Arnold, Corliss Richard (2003). Organ Literature: Historical Survey. Scarecrow Press. p. 101. ISBN 9780810846975.

External links

Bach Gesellschaft edition of the Eight Short Preludes and Fugues, BWV 549–560: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

Compositions for Organ, Keyboard and Lute by Johann Sebastian Bach

Organ	Fugue in G minor, BWV 131a (doubtful) Sonatas, BWV 525–530 Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532 Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537 Toccata and Fugue in D minor ("Dorian"), BWV 538 Toccata and Fugue in F major, BWV 540 Fantasia and Fugue in G minor ("Great"), BWV 542 Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543 Prelude and Fugue in E minor ("Wedge"), BWV 548 Eight Short Preludes and Fugues, BWV 553–560 (doubtful) Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 562 Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564 Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 Prelude (Toccata) and Fugue in E major, BWV 566 Fugue in G minor ("Little"), BWV 578 Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 Orgelbüchlein, BWV 599–644 Schübler Chorales, BWV 645–650 Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, BWV 651–668 Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her", BWV 769 Neumeister chorales, BWV 1090–1120 Chorale fantasia Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält, BWV 1128

Keyboard	Aria variata alla maniera italiana Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue English Suites French Suites Goldberg Variations (discography, Gould recording) Inventions and Sinfonias Italian Concerto Overture in the French style Partitas for Keyboard (No. 4, No. 6) Prelude in E minor, BWV 855a Six Little Preludes The Well-Tempered Clavier, BWV 846–893 (Preludes and Fugues in Book I: C major, BWV 846, C♯ minor, BWV 849, G minor, BWV 861; in Book II: C major, BWV 870, F minor, BWV 881)

Lute	Suite in G minor, BWV 995 Suite in E minor, BWV 996 (Bourrée) Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E♭ major, BWV 998 Prelude in C minor, BWV 999 Fugue in G minor, BWV 1000

Mixed collections	Clavier-Übung III: Prelude and Fugue in E♭ major ("St. Anne"), BWV 552 / Chorale preludes, BWV 669–689 / Duets, BWV 802–805 Concerto arrangements for solo keyboard, BWV 592–597 and 972–987 Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach Twelve Little Preludes

List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach List of fugal works by Johann Sebastian Bach

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