Prelude in C major (WTC Book I)

J. S. BachBWV 846

Key

C

Time

C

Tempo

♩=80

AO focus

AO3

Form

Prelude — the opening of The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I. 35 bars of broken chords. Each bar is a single harmony arpeggiated in a fixed pattern; the only musical element that changes is the harmony.

Teaching points

• One pattern, 35 bars — the entire piece uses the same RH/LH figuration
• Harmonic study: identify the chord in each bar (I–ii7–V7/V–V7–I in the first 5 bars). The piece is essentially a slowed-down chord progression
• AO3: minimalist Baroque — what does Bach achieve with such restricted means? Compare to Steve Reich
• Practical: a Grade 4 piano staple. Hands stay in fixed positions; the challenge is evenness and pedalling