Bach, Fugue 22, Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, B-flat minor

FAQ

Prelude 22 in B-flat minor from Book II of J. S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, arranged for woodwind quartet by Stephen Malinowski.

Q: I'd like to play this arrangement with my (string/woodwind/brass/) quartet; where can I get the parts?
A: Send me an email, and I'll see what I can do ...
http://www.musanim.com/mam/contact.html

Q: I can't understand what's going on; what do all the colors mean? How does this piece work?
A: The four color groups indicate the four instruments (oboe, English horn, bass clarinet, bassoon), and for each color group, the dark, vivid color shows when an instrument has the theme. The theme appear for upright (normal) and inverted (up and down motion are reversed, but all the intervals stay the same). The piece starts simple and gets more complicated as it goes:
0:07 - 0:53 is the "exposition," in which each of the parts has the theme;
1:05 - 1:29 is the first "stretto" section, in which two parts at a time have the theme overlapping;
1:37 - 2:23 is the "inverted exposition," in which each part has the theme inverted;
2:32 - 2:56 is the "inverted stretto," in which two parts at a time have the inverted theme;
3:01 - 3:31 is the "combined stretto"; one part has the theme inverted and one part has it upright;
3:37 - 3:48 is a "doubled combined stretto," with each version of the theme played by two parts.
The parts where the theme is not being played are called "episodes," and give you a breather while you wait for the theme to return.

Q: Who is playing this piece?
A: Nobody. I put the score into the notation program Sibelius, and played it back from that.

Q: Is there a way I could make the bar-graph scores myself?
A: The Music Animation Machine MIDI file player will generate this display; you can get the (Windows) software here:
http://www.musanim.com/player/
There are lots of places on the web where you can get MIDI files; I usually go to the Classical Archives site first:
http://www.classicalarchives.com/

Q: Could you please do a MAM video of _________?
A: First, check my "to do" list:
http://www.musanim.com/all/MAMToDoList.html ...
If the piece isn't listed, read the "Could you please do a MAM video of _________?" item on my main FAQ:
http://www.musanim.com/mam/mamfaq.html#copyright ...
and if you think I'd consider doing it, email me
http://www.musanim.com/mam/contact.html
.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• harpsichord
• keyboard
• piano
• klavier
• counterpoint
• baroque
• classical

[HerlockSholmes123]

*Snarky British accent* I expected a better performance of what is arguably one of Bach's most brilliant fugues. Seriously, woodwind quartet?

[smalin]

@HerlockSholmes123  This isn't a performance; it's just the notation program playing it back. If you want to hear a good performance, this isn't the video for you; this video is for understanding the music.

[plangentmusic]

Is there another section to this? Because this is in Dm.

[smalin]

@plangentmusic Like it says in the FAQ, this is an arrangement.

[yumeybaconcutout]

hey, on your "to do" list, i saw the Goldberg Variations. i think that would be incredible! i'm not insinuating that it might be easy... *clears throat* and i'm not trying to implore you to prioritize it... but just here to let you know that there are people that would love it!

[smalin]

@yumeybaconcutout Don't worry, I want to do the Goldbergs as much as you want me to.

[ModdingNation1]

This truly describes life how it is.

[jayliew1]

@delavega78 This is argubly the best fugue in the WTC. The architecture is superb. The use of dissonances is amazing, which is why the harmonies are so rich. It is baroque, romantic and modern. It is truly in all aspects, a "stupendous miracle".

[Ianprime0509]

The theme at the beginning reminds me a little of Toccata and Fugue...

[delavega78]

@Lisztman88

mostly in his ear^^ no offense,i'm not a musician and i think that's great, but it's lightly different from what I knew of bach.