Topic: New Bach Video Fugue n 23 in B Major BWV 868 WTC1
Dear Friends,
Bach Fugue n 23 in B Major BWV 868 (à 4) certainly makes use of the device of inversion of the theme, but is, nevertheless, one of the more simple and easily understood numbers. The similarity of the themes of both fugue and prelude shows that they were not joined together by chance, or in a supplementary manner, but were planned the one for the other; the fugue, however, is of less value, and a little more conventional than the prelude. The theme, extending from under to upper fourth, moves in plagal position
around the fundamental note of the key.
In the answer the departure from the usual rule is by no means self-evident; the custom which, indeed. Bach as a rule follows, requires, since the theme begins and ends with the tonic, the Comes to modulate to the dominant
from the harmony of the tonic (with f#(, the first note, as 5 in b+);Bach might then have written (in combination with the first counterpoint, and this Comes and its counterpoint would have presented no difficulties even for the fourth entry; thus the supposition that Bach restrained from this most regular form
on account of the continuation, is excluded. Jadassohn's supposition, that Bach was concerned about keeping the step of the fifth with which the second motive joins on to the first {c#—f#, f#—b), can with difficulty be maintained, and still less that Bach was especially anxious about answering the fifth (fifth note of the theme) with the octave (b) it was assuredly rather the harmonic progression from the first to the second measure, which prompted Bach to follow a diff'erent path. The answer, appearing in normal form, as given on the last page, has a change of harmony in one place which is not in the corresponding part of the theme.
Enjoy your listening.
My actual setting is:
Played on Yamaha P125 piano stage Video Recording Samsung Galaxy A54.
VST: Hamburg Steinway D Pianoteq Stage 8.4.0
