The Well-Tempered Clavier I - Fugue 16, BWV 861

About this work

The first voice in this G minor fugue enters alone, after a rest. Later entries thicken the texture while the original shape remains audible: you can follow the subject as another line becomes more active around it. This piece from Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier rewards listening to several phrases moving at once.

At the piano, the division between the hands does not tell you where every voice goes. A held note still needs to be heard while neighbouring fingers play semiquavers. Start by singing and playing one line, then add a second voice slowly. Once both lines remain distinct to the ear, keep that balance as you restore the intervening notes. Give the rests within the subject as much attention as its attacks.

Near the end, the lines become more concentrated before the sustained final chord and its fermata. Keep the last figures from rushing so that the longer values retain their place.
Score and files
Three-page PDF typeset for Mutopia by Stelios Samelis, based on the Bach-Gesellschaft edition (1866), with a MIDI file. The typesetting is declared public domain. The PDF retains this edition’s printed markings.

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