Topic: New Bach Video - Prelude n 4 in C-sharp minor BWV 873 WTC 2
Dear Friends,
Bach Prelude n 4 in C-sharp minor is a deeply earnest piece, full of religious ardour, in mood most akin to the Bb- minor prelude of the first book, yet of quite different, and more complicated structure; the contrapuntal writing is strictly in three voices with imitations. The piece can fairly well be divided into two halves, the second of which is a free reproduction of the first; it has, however, no reprise but advances without ceasing; and nearly all the period endings (5 out of 8) can easily be recognized by the rising arpeggio with which the piece opens (preliminary point of stress of highest order, 8 th measure).
Already in the first period imitation takes place, not only between two, but between all three voices; the four measures as they occur successively in soprano (1) bass and alto, are here placed directly one under the other, so that they may be easily compared. Evidently when the movement was first sketched the bass also had the exact theme (two octaves lower than the soprano), perhaps only beginning with it after the fourth measure, whereas now it follows one measure earlier (at a distance of only three measures); its first notes fell a prey to the bass progression of the half-close.
For the rest, it is considerably ornamented, and the harmony of the theme is much changed (and so indeed is it also in the enunciation of the theme by the alto voice). At the half-close of the alto on d7# (8=4) there is, first, a
confirmation of two measures (when the soprano, starting from c J, gives once again, the last measure of the theme), and then a completely new after-section, which closes on the dominant. Herewith ends the principal theme section, and there follows a new, independent theme-group, in which the three voices imitate one another at a short distance (each time after 2 measures); or, -to be more precise, whereas in the first theme-section the upper voice throughout took the lead (hence the free imitation in the bass which is scarcely recognizable), here the lead passes from one voice to another, and the imitation therefore determines the rhythmical structure.
Turn on the audio and let me know what you think!
Greetings from Italy
Carmelo
This video was played with these settings:
Played on Yamaha P125 piano stage, Tamara House. Video Recording Samsung galaxy A54.
VST: Hamburg Steinway D Pianoteq Stage 9.0.3
Editing: Wondershare Filmora
