Bach: WTC1 No. 4 in c sharp minor BWV 849 (Richter)

Red: First subject (except one single instance where I colored it purple for easier readability)
Blue: Secondary subject
Pink: Secondary subject when there is too much stuff going on to color everything blue (i e, strettos)

There is another subject, a "brook" motif using 8th notes that keeps going in sequences that I chose not to color, I decided that it was unecessary and this fugue would've become a LSD explosion of color if I included it anyway.


For more great, scored videos, check out my channel!

List of The Welltempered Clavier videos I have uploaded (I will continue to add videos until the list is full!):

1. in C major http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkt75juxvxw
2. in c minor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GXHjxvSi24
3. in C# major http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-c8WG2GTaI
4. in c# minor
5. in D major http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_85VWhfSRA
6. in d minor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNMYHy8B7KU
7. in Eb major
8. in eb minor
9. in E major http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMEITKQI7ao
10. in e minor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp5mPL7IPMc
11. in F major http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njXeHu5znZ0 (new!)
12. in f minor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Z_FVjMSWc (new!)
13. in F# major http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJCpUW1Q1yc
14. in f# minor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjAQLU23keI
15. in G major http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNlXYLsC_Vs
16. in g minor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZKif28jMUg
17. in Ab major http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCL5Zvnt0TU
18. in g# minor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfrI046SU3E
19. in A major http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRZfA5gv-dE
20. in a minor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj4lPhfG98o
21. in Bb major http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzwlNtcWV34 (new!)
22. in bb minor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL00B8TQMBQ (new!)
23. in B major
24. in b minor

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bach
• Richter
• Sviatoslav
• Das
• Wohltemperierte
• Klavier
• Well
• Tempered
• Clavier
• Fugue
• Prelude
• no
• sharp
• minor
• BWV
• 849

[gilbertoagostinho]

Hello Pianoplayer002, don't you think this is actually a triple fugue and not a double one as your analysis suggests? In my opnion, the descending notes in the upper voice at 5:04 has to be considerated as a theme. Bach waited 1/3 of the fugue to introduce it, and it surerly sounds like something new. Else, thank you for this video, it is very well done and instructive. Cheers.

[Pianoplayer002]

yes, I had a very hard time deciding if I should mark it or not. The video would be flooded with color but be more accurate, so at the time I made this video I decided against it. Now I'm not so sure if it was the right decision :P

I've wanted to do the eb minor fugue for a long time, but for this kind of reasons I've held it back. I still can't decide how to colour all the subjects/if I should exclude too elaborate rythmic variations/too short entries etc.

[raven1234]

ooo, Thank you. This is one of my favorite piece from Bach. Richter's interpretation is really very different from Gould. I heard that this piece have something to do with the crucifixion of Christ, right?

[Pianoplayer002]

Yeah, it was tough to decide if I should include an analysis of that in the video. In the end, I decided against it. Too many colours you know... :P

But yeah, that is true, marks resembling Jesus' five wounds have been impressed on this fugue. This is one of only two fugues with five voices. Ever looked closely at the main subject? It is very short, in fact the shortest in WTC, and it consists of five notes.

[Pianoplayer002]

Listen to the upper voice at 6:51 and 8:33. It is a descending chromatic melody that conscists of, yes, five notes. In Bach's time, descending chromatic melodies in general were called "lamenti" by the Italians, this fugue is a lament.

It is not just a coincidence, lutherans in Bach's time associated five with the wounds on Jesus body, and Bach was a religious man.

[Pianoplayer002]

There is even more stuff, but I wont go into that since my knowledge is somewhat limited and I don't want to say stuff I am not sure about.

[seahyimin]

wow thanks for the coloured notes. especially those for the second subject, which are hard for me to pick out just by listening. now i can see how fluent bach was with fugue writing

[Mozeroscar]

thanks for uploading all this ;)

[edwolf1127n]

This is a very "condemned" video. =p

[russmassey615]

This video went viral on Moroni

[LifeforArt]

Why didn't wrote Bach a P&F in WTC for D-flat-major? I know, there is one in C-sharp-major (7 crosses!). 7# are the same as 5b.

[rfmenyi]

7:35 3 subjects in 1 hand...

[MusicPredominates]

... it was said by Landowska that the prelude is a courante without the upbeat ! ... Now. I am glad that I listened to this. The way ; the tempo of the fugue ... well this is the way to play it. Those that rush are naiave.

[MusicPredominates]

... it was said by Landowska that the prelude is a courante without the upbeat !

[awindscale]

@yumeybaconcutout yes i think it s one of the purest and deepest he has written and thx for posting it.

[yumeybaconcutout]

in my opinion, this is one of the most magnificent fugues ever written. i feel it throughout my entire body!

[johnnylifelive]

@gilbertoagostinho

Don't think it's a fugue. Uses imitation, sure....even what feel like episodes have the subject....

[MRTincho23ify]

maybe this analysis can be helpful:

ttp://jan.ucc.nau.edu/tas3/wtc­/i04.html#movie

home page:

ttp://jan.ucc.nau.edu/tas3/wtc­.html