Prelude and fugue in A minor, BWV 865 (Bach)
Movements
i Prelude, ii Fugue
Notes
This is the 20th prelude and fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier. The Prelude is as compact as the Fugue is expansive. Two parts zigzag in turn on two little motifs: jumpy triads and a sort of trill, which can each be extended to form rippling runs. Now and then, Bach adds chords, sometimes in blocks and sometimes in a sort of written-out legato. Here, too, he interrupts the landing towards the fundamental with a diversion that leaves the listener unsatisfied. And just like the Fugue, the Prelude closes with a pedal point, along with the triumphant return of the trill motif.
