Prelude and Fugue in C major, WTC II
About this arrangement
This is No. 1 in Book 2 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, compiled around 1742 in Leipzig. The four-bar fugue subject enters in the alto, then the soprano and the bass. Glenn Gould's recording of this piece was included on the Voyager Golden Record, launched on Voyager 1 and 2 in 1977.
Play the prelude hands separately first and shape the long melodic lines. For the fugue, learn the four-bar subject alone, find its entries in alto, soprano and bass, and loop the closing bars at 50%.
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 C major, BWV 870?
The prelude is moderate, but the three-voice fugue over 83 bars is advanced.
02 How long is BWV 870?
Our score has 117 bars in total: the prelude is 34 bars and the fugue is 83.
03 What should I practise first?
Start with the prelude's opening bars, hands separately, then learn the fugue subject before joining the voices.
04 Has this piece been in space?
Yes. Glenn Gould's recording of this prelude and fugue was included on the Voyager Golden Record, carried on the Voyager 1 and 2 probes launched in 1977.