Also Bach uses wide range of the time intervals in his Stretto from one to five quarter notes. The leading tone is also the only one pitch which is missing in the subject itself. Bach uses all pitches of the C major, except B which is the leading tone. Stretto involves all four voices in all different combinations. Bach uses eight two-voice Strettos, one three-voice Stretto, and one four-voice Stretto.īach exhausts all the Stretto possibilities. Stretto is the most significant feature of this fugue. Here Bach introduces the first two-voice Stretto (for complete subject entries and stretto look to the Appendixes) between soprano and tenor. From m.7 the extension of the exposition begins. The first six measures are an exposition. The subject itself introduces the key of C major horizontally. The structure of this Fugue is architectural. 23, but even here Bach makes an attempt to employ the subject in the soprano voice. The only measure in the Fugue which has three quarter notes without a subject is m. 25, there is a canon of countersubject and ending of the subject between Soprano and Alto voices. 5-6 (in soprano), here the countersubject is inverted. The most interesting uses of the countersubject are in m. However, Bach still uses beginning (two beats) of the countersubject a lot. Because of so many subject entries, the countersubject does not play such a significant role as in some other fugues. The countersubject starts in measure two on the third beat in the Alto voice.
#Bach prelude in c major full
In these 27 measures, Bach provides 23 full subjects. This Fugue has four voices and is 27 measures long. The note a’ is the highest point in the Fugal subject. Moreover, the highest note of the Prelude is a” (m. 4-7 of the Prelude, because there are two fourths going up (e-a, d-g), exactly as in the Fugal subject.
1-7 of the Prelude obviously correspond with the subject of the Fugue. There is a connection between the Prelude and the Fugue subject. While Prelude is more vertical thinking based on harmonic functions, Fugue is an example of extremely complex contrapuntal writing. Prelude and Fugue complements each other, because Bach uses contrasting techniques in each of them. The entire Prelude shows Bach’s mastery of vertical thinking. The last third of the Prelude, goes back to the Tonic key, and resolves the tension. The second third of the piece moves toward the climax.
In conclusion, the first third of the prelude establishes the Tonic key and moves to the Dominant. 32-34 before resolution into the final Tonic chord. Bach uses the plagal extension in the mm. This last episode is the calming down after the storm. This beginning of the pedal point marks the last third of the Prelude. But instead of resolving it in to the C major triad, he writes the Tonic 4/6 chord with G in the Bass. Interestingly, the top voice reaches the lowest point in the section of the culmination. I think that the most intense chords are two diminished seventh chords in the mm. Bach writes five seventh chords in a row with no resolutions therefore harmony gets very tense. 19 is an exact repetition of the first measure, only the octave lower.įrom this point, music goes into a climactic point. 18-19, which is the halfway of the piece and is proportionally important. The next imperfect authentic cadence, in the Tonic key (C major) is in the mm. The next cadence in the Dominant key (G Major) is in the mm. The first cadence in the Tonic key is in mm. In the first five measures, Bach establishes the Tonic key and after that he moves to the Dominant. In the first third of the Prelude, Bach alternates seventh chords (or inversions) with the resolution therefore the tension is going slightly up and down every two measures. Tension is created by using seventh chords and their inversions. The range is from low C to a” (total range of almost four octaves). Bach changes one harmonic progression per measure. The Bass and Tenor voices are holding notes for a half of measure which gives a solid bass foundation. Although Bach keeps the arpeggio texture throughout the piece, the Prelude is written in five voice texture with a smooth voice leading. The Prelude and Fugue in C major from the WTC I are a very complex set of two pieces which reveals Bach’s mastery of harmonic and contrapuntal writing.