Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp major, WTC II
About this arrangement
This is No. 3 in Book 2 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, compiled around 1742 in Leipzig. The prelude opens with arpeggios like those of the C major prelude in Book 1. Around bar 25 the arpeggios stop and a three-voice fugato in 3/8 begins.
Play the arpeggio half of the prelude hands separately and keep it even. When the 3/8 section starts, treat it like a small fugue and find each entry. In the fugue, build the subject from the notes of the major triad and loop the busy 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-sharp major?
This is advanced. The prelude changes from arpeggios to a 3/8 fugato, and the fugue subject keeps changing shape.
02 How long is BWV 872?
Our score has 85 bars in total: the prelude is 50 bars and the fugue is 35 bars.
03 What should I practise first?
Start with the prelude to get used to the key and the touch. For the fugue, learn the subject on its own, then add the other voices one at a time.
04 What is the subject of the BWV 872 fugue made from?
The subject is built from the notes of the major triad, and it changes shape in many ways as the fugue goes on. The fugue has three voices.