Prelude and Fugue in B major, WTC II
About this arrangement
This is No. 23 in Book 2 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, compiled around 1742 in Leipzig. The fugue is in the old strict style. Its second subject, of descending eighth notes, enters one bar after the main subject, and the two are combined later. The subject's opening notes echo the prelude's last chord.
Play the prelude's broken chords hands separately in short groups. In the fugue, learn both subjects alone, then play them together. Loop the three-voice episodes at 50%, and mark where the bass brings the subject back in.
Start with short loops.
Use the section list as a practice map. Start at 50% tempo, loop one section, then return to the full piece once the hand shape feels stable.
Choose Right or Left to focus on one hand. Wait for note checks the highlighted notes as you play them on the screen or a connected MIDI keyboard.
Before you practice.
01 How hard is Bach's Prelude and Fugue in B major, BWV 892?
Advanced. The prelude is fast and the fugue is long, with four voices and two subjects to combine.
02 How long is BWV 892?
Our score has 150 bars in total: the prelude is 46 bars in 4/4 and the fugue is 104 bars in cut time.
03 What should I practise first?
Start with the fugue's main subject, the long detached half notes. Then add the second subject of descending eighths.
04 What kind of fugue is it?
A double fugue in four voices. It uses no inversion and no stretto, and the two subjects are combined at the octave and at the twelfth.