J. S. Bach - Prelude and Fugue n.2 in C Minor BWV 847 (WTC I)

[HowieP]

A bit of trivia. This Bach movement was the inspiration of Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise".

[jelekbanget123]

It's really a baroque piece! When practicing this piece on a keyboard, I like to transpose down a semitone and switching the sound to harpsichord. It sounds much better that way.

[amburgacker]

Sublime, exquis... Quel doigté juste et fin: du clavecin hautement tempéré!

[NajoTheWolf]

Boss music.

[otirudam]

i have played this prelude in the piano for years, and never didnt feel its profound rich meaning until i hear it here in utube with the harpsichord. I love piano in so many ways, dont misunderstand me, but this piece specially grows big and enticing with the harpsichord. Now its a lush, wonderful, colorful, strange , profound music: its baroque majesty in all its grandeur.

[SonyaPalkina]

I play this prelude on piano and my dream is to play it on harpsichord. :)

Great performance, I love it.

[svendiamond]

stevie wonder was inspired by this for Pastime Paradise

[jfarq16]

so much skill, this is where metals origins began!

[TheSkaterpancreas]

@jfarq16 ....  Mr. you are an idiot .

[KeilDtana]

I made a matlab function that plays this song. cool

[floydordie]

Quand je pense à tous ces *** qui jouent ça au piano ...

[signinname41]

The master of counterpoint. I also think this particular piece is best played with harpsichord. I love this piece also because it kind of sounds joyful and eerie at the same time, which makes it very complex.

[signinname41]

@signinname41 I'm listening to this shit 5 days later high eating spaghetti. Well, now, actually, i'm eating ice cream, but whatever. Anyway, I disagree with you, myself in the past guy. The harpsichord sounds a little creepy. Like my ass (literally) is getting haunted by weird assholes from the 18th century. Fuck that shit, I'm off to watch powerthirst 3.

[TheValdezdj]

@signinname41 Who the fuck do you think your questioning? This was the fucking rap of the 17th century and your'e being a pissy ass bitch just because you don't like it. I will hunt you down and slit your mom's throat while you watch you cocksucking fuck-face piece of shit!

[signinname41]

@TheValdezdj poop. 

[HerrWozzeck]

I've been looking for the WTC on harpsichord for a while. I've got to say, I prefer this to the multiple piano versions. Excellent performances of all the preludes and fugues.

Thank you so much for posting!

[NorbertZF]

@HerrWozzeck

I don't know why anyone would even bother listening to those archaic piano renditions of Bach. They may have been fine back in the early 20th Century when people didn't know anything about harpsichords or early music performance practices. Glenn Gould, Wanda Landowska, Stokowski, to name three, are more than just obsolete when it comes to Baroque music: they were wrong then and are STILL wrong today.

[yenrabaraho]

@NorbertZF

Perhaps Bach's music is so great that you can play it on tuned coffee pots and experience great euphoria. I feel sorry for you that you have cut yourself off from experiencing great personal joy from other artistically valid explorations, all so you can just pontificate from a pretentious, academic stance, void of anything more than a waste of space on the internet, no less.

[NorbertZF]

@yenrabaraho

You speak from musicological ignorance. Study AND listen to "historically informed performances" and then come back and critique what you hear.This music performed on original instruments, or copies, and played in a manner closest to what the composer heard and played himself, literally brings this music to life! But I don't expct you to understand such things. Go watch some more "Idol" vids: that's about your speed.

[StewartCarolan]

One other interesting musical idea as well, is that the fugue ends on a magnificent B Flat Major chord, distinct from most of the minor tonality up to that point. As if Bach wants to say:. Voila.It's done!

[cutefidgety]

@StewartCarolan it was standard practice during the Renaissance and Baroque periods to end a minor piece with a major chord, called a Picardy Third because a minor-chord ending was deemed too weak an ending. Bach is just following the norm in this aspect.

[StewartCarolan]

@cutefidgety Thanks for that. I have ejust read about the Picardy third on Wikipedia. Interesting to see it's use in contemporary music in pieces such as Hello by Lionel Ritchie which is in A minor with a A Major chord for the chorus, Pink Floyd- Wish you were Here, Beatles etc Now I know what it is called. I used to call it a Major chord ;-)

[dedpossum66]

dont usualy care for harpsicord, but it sounds good in this

[TheTimeTraveler100]

Ah! Ecstasy!

[ShipsAreBurned]

why the pauses between each measure? i definately didnt learn it like that

[Nederdien]

@ShipsAreBurned

I guess it is up to the interpreter - I mean there is no right way of playing Bach

There are certain interpretation of Bach I personally don't like, but this actually sounds fine, don't you agree?

[dedpossum66]

@ShipsAreBurned some times you can hear it

[cutefidgety]

@ShipsAreBurned do you mean that the 1st note of every measure is slightly dragged out? that is because the harpsichord can't change it's dynamics, so it is unable to bring out the musically interesting notes using only volume. if you notice, there is an interesting melody line that takes the 1st note of every measure... C, A-flat, B, C and so on. because the harpsichord can't 'accent' those notes like on the piano, it's best recourse is to drag them out a bit to show the emphasis on those notes

[PablitoBodhisattva]

dizzying rendition. I mean, didn't expect to hear what effect this peace brings from clavier

[ANTiRussia1]

watch?v=RatMkovMS9M

[01kenan01]

this is easy to play if you are good with piano :) talk with piano :D listen you will hear a voice talking with you :D

[1972jewish]

better on clavichord than on piano

[feydust]

So expressive... so beautiful.

[googlekopfkind]

1:44 fugue beginns

[baroque500]

by theme do you mean subject? In a fugue there are subjects and countersubjects, two themes that interact throughout the voices. Also, stretto is a pattern of ideas from the sub. or csub. And the last time the subject is played is a coda.

[furdavid1]

Hermoso hermoso !!!

[xXxguitarman93]

außerordentlich!

[jorsitoh]

Esto es mejor a las payasadas de Glen Gould, 5*

[claudiobassist]

@jorsitoh Me gustaría saber,¿ qué te motivó a escribir ese comentario? (:

[01kenan01]

everyone can play this ... if you have expiriens with piano ofcourse like me 12 years playing piano my mum is piano profesor sister 9 years old want to play violin , dad 20 years expiriens with drums WE are SO SO So expiriensed family

[googlekopfkind]

@01kenan01 ok

[ironledtallicafloyd9]

@01kenan01 Your a pompous dickhead

[Nomiko222]

@01kenan01 Whats your point?

[YayBenSpeck]

@01kenan01 Experienced with music maybe, but apparently you've just been aquainted with grammar.

[LiberateEireIRA]

@01kenan01 what the hell?

[ozyush]

@01kenan01 geez can u be more lame?, dude, seriously :-S

[odioigialli]

very good!

[dolceamaro2]

stupendo

[omguanyin]

omg organ? z

[paranapoleon]

@omguanyin cembalo

[EebooTwo]

i dont really like it. The End.

[kyopsis]

one of the best composition all of time, Bach the master of the univers...

This composition i like a light

[andrefavreau]

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”

Bach

[wcbroccoli]

@rancidcaty The choice of the pitch of "A" has nothing to do with temperament.

"Equal temperament" sounds the same at A415 as it does at A440.

A "temperament" is merely a system of tuning that compromises the pure intervals of just intonation to meet some aesthetic requirement, such as having pure triads or being able to modulate to distant keys.

Unlike voices & strings, keyboards can't dynamically adjust intonation, so the tuning must be "tempered " to sound more or less in tune.

[kohtianyi]

plain beautiful

[JohnPetrucciness]

How the fuck do you download this on iTunes. I really want this song on my fucking iPod. lol

[kknots]

You can download this from youtube as an mp4 file, then convert it to fit an iPod (using some sound-converting software from Internet), then use iTunes to add to iPod.

[noospaseisde]

.o_O_o. Harpsichord Imperial .o_O_o.

[thejugglenaut91]

if only I had been a freaking harpsichordist when I was younger! By younger I mean like, starting when I was like 8 or something... my life would be so radically different. I would give up everything I have to be able to play such a beautiful instrument with such great music as beautifully as he does

[robicool]

tell me about it, just to play one chord or scale or something...id give alot!

[Sashomei]

unique!

[fashionblingbling]

It's so wonderful, I love this music!

I'm playing that piece this year, but it isn't the same with piano =)

[DesperateJournalist]

crazy shit right here, like it :)

[napoleoneterzo]

Che MERAVIGLIA.

[Untemperedsteel]

I love harpsicords and viola de gamba, both have a very sparkling sound which is characteristic of baroque music. Pipe organs are also great to hear.

[Robotman42]

It sounds like it's in B flat minor

[charlieputhsongs]

it is in this recording...strange

[Munktube1]

haha found your comment!

[CadaversAskew]

stalker

[Munktube1]

no he posted this vid on twitter and i found his comment haha

[MICHKAC]

Reply to Robotmanr42 and charlieputhsongs

Instruments were tuned lower in Bach's time. Everything back then was at least a semitone lower than today's standard. The piece is being played in c, just not *our* c. And it sounds *so* much better!

[wcbroccoli]

@MICHKAC Not quite. Just listen to recordings on historic Baroque organs.

Organs were tuned around A465 or higher. Chamber music was performed at chamber pitch (A415) or French chamber pitch (A394 in mid-17th c. or A409 in18th c.), depending on the winds. But in early Bach church music, strings tuned UP to organ pitch (A465) and winds parts had to be transposed UP. Later, in Leipzig church music, the organ part was transposed DOWN a 1/2 step and everyone else played at A415.

[lastelin]

@MICHKAC how do you know?

[MICHKAC]

@lastelin

I think your reply may be to wbroccoli, who was replying to an earlier comment of mine regarding pitch and tuning. But for the record, one source of evidence for tuning practices in Bach's time comes from tuning forks from the period which have survived.

[wcbroccoli]

@MICHKAC Not everything in Bach's era was tuned lower than A440. See my earlier comments about "organ pitch" (at least a 1/2 tone higher than A440). When "organ pitch" was used in church music, strings, voices, harpsichord, lutes, etc. tuned up to the organ, but winds built to play at the lower chamber pitch (around A415 or 392) had to have their parts trransposed up to play in tune with the organ.

[Nederdien]

@MICHKAC

Can you actually hear it being tuned lower?

[StewartCarolan]

@MICHKAC

Hi

This Prelude and Fugue recording is not being played in C but in B flat minor - but  I take your point about the tuning at that time.

Go to any instument and check for yourself.

[cutefidgety]

@StewartCarolan you have to understand that our understanding of what is "C" or even "A=442" for that matter has never been fixed in stone. In the Baroque, many different A<442 tunings were used before there was a general standardisation. If you "Go to any instrument and check for yourself", all you will get is the C that is in relation to the A fixed at 442 vibrations per second. Simple as that. You will not be getting the 'historically accurate' C.

[StewartCarolan]

@cutefidgety

I Agree regarding the A= 442 Hz

However, I am not wrong to state that this piece of music is played/recorded in the key of B flat (with no relation to what tuning the harpsichord is in). If I go to my instument and want to find out the key of the piece it is in B flat and not C .

Likewise, many guitar pieces that I play have different tunings(open g, dadgad, c etc) but if musicians play together they want to know (without reference to the tuning) the key of the piece.

[hichrisfriends]

@MICHKAC omgosh! It IS a halfstep lower. I just compared it to another more modern recording, wow. That's amazing, its beautiful =]

[hichrisfriends]

@MICHKAC omgosh! It IS a half step lower. I just compared it to another more modern recording, wow. That's amazing, its beautiful =]

[bedlach]

@MICHKAC NO, having absolute pitch, this sounds terrible, because I hear b minor.

[TheROFLMAOBBH]

@bedlach It is not b minor, b flat minor.

[bedlach]

@TheROFLMAOBBH correct, I accidentally left out out the b (flat sign)

[Jacoblifeinchrist]

@bedlach People didn't have perfect pitch in Bach's day? Get off your high horse and stop musically snobbing about and respect this piece for what it is not what pitch it is played at for Christ's sakes!

[thecolouramanda]

I don't know why, but I find the sound of the harpsichord extremely annoying.

[thecolouramanda]

It's just shrill. My ears? Sorry if you're oh-so offended.

[nickoicool]

Not offended, just knowledgeable that you probably don't know much or don't appreciate music.

[concertobub]

take a listen - this is not A440, not A415 - it is just A392 (A391.995 to be precise, but close enough) which means the note G in our standard A440 tuning - a whole note away from A440). I hate being pedantic, but a fact is a fact. You can even buy tuning forks in all three tunings.

[jdrevenge]

thank you very much for posting this.

[calisienis]

nawet całkiem całkiem

[lichtbroeder]

Look this up as performed by the Swingle Singers for an interesting jazz version that Bach would have no doubt loved.

[Smilthy]

Ohh Beautiful and Pure. I wanna learn this piece... Awesome Bach.

[Frankadelphia]

∏yc ëc l'pµfyst wµxån d' l'vël tëmpµrd släwæèr böque jeux hëbb øærd. Sæp càltâ l'vµque d'ëscëlync.

[Chi7es]

FUGUE C MINOR IS MY FAV. it was the first one i ever learned or heard. it kicks so much ass.

[kittycatcego]

im learning this piece! in fact i just finished piano class and my fingers hurt!

[runfatboyrun101]

these to pieces are very fun to play i can play it for hours

[concertobub]

in today's temperament and A=440 this sounds like b flat minor - I guess the baroque musicians tuned down - but I didn't know it was a whole step!

[cutefidgety]

no, it's not a whole tone, it is only a semitone down.

[concertobub]

please listen carefully - it's in b flat minor (a whole tone). It is not in b minor, it is in b flat minor, a whole tone.

[mkrznar]

it is baroque tuning, A=415 Hz not 440 Hz like today

[zefron4everxox]

Love it. Wow.

[Babejuda]

Bravo! Thanks for uploading.

To jrdnjilly - no mistakes, and the unwritten pauses is a personal interpretation and the harpsichord-playing's way of expression.

[kknots]

It's also done to make the piece sound jass-style

[wolkowy1]

Excellent playing and the harpsichord's sound.

[RatOnAnEvilStar]

Number Two was always one of my favorites of the Preludes.

[ubbddu]

loved it

[jrdnjlly]

the fuga had many mistakes/ unwritten pauses but the idea was well portayed

[ciliaspippi]

Bach's music often didn't have semi stacatto articulation.

[CarlosIsDown]

I don't know Bach wrote any articulation marks. I've been told that he felt that interpretations were up to the musician.

[ciliaspippi]

Yes, I don't know about interpretations, but my piano teacher made me go crazy when I was trying to play his first prelude and fugue. She said the theme had to be played with all this rediculously complex articulation. Semi staccato here, legato there, etc. And none of this was written on the notes!!! All I know, is that people manage to find many ways to believe it has to be played... and all this "made up" articulation may or may not have been bach's intention.

[NihilNominis]

That and he was the musician. In terms of being a church musician, he would have been at the organ or directing, so why waste time writing what was in his head? That's how I've understood it.

[Renshen1957]

Bach did write articulation marks, however like his fingering (numbers) and organ registrations, these are rare and found in only a few autographs (Bach's handwriting). He did place some emphasis in his published works (Italian Concerto).

[IDontWantMyUserName]

It's a whole tone down.

[isausol]

It IS being played in C Minor, but the tuning of the Harpsichord is flatward to B Minor (Or C Flat). That also makes it a semitone flat, not a tone.

[IDontWantMyUserName]

@isausol: No, it is tuned flatward to sound like Bb Minor, that means a whole tone. If you play this piece and transpose it to B minor while having the recording in the background, it won't sound very well, but if you transpose it to Bb minor, it will.

[isausol]

Strange, I am hearing it through my computer in B Minor, not B Flat Minor.

[IDontWantMyUserName]

@isausol What? That's very strange, it seems like most people hear it in B flat. Have you checked if your computer plays more of your music a semitone higher than it should?

[isausol]

@IDontWantMyUserName: It was because I had it in normal quality, and not HQ. I tested it in Sibelius (As I have the score) and played both, and you were right. My apologies :)

[IDontWantMyUserName]

@isausol: Haha, it's nothing to apologize for! But it's strange that the quality has anything to say for the frequency the piece is played in? And if it had an effect, I'd expect that it would be flattened, not sharpened!

[wcbroccoli]

@isausol The pitch here is about a whole step below A440, which corresponds to the French chamber pitch (A394) that was common for winds since the mid 17th c. to early 18th c.

(The pitch of his video doesn't change for me when I switch between normal and HQ.)

[xfilth]

wow

[MiseEnGarde]

Perfect.