The Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in E-flat minor, BWV 853 comes from Book 1 of J.S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier. Beginning with the purity of C major, the two-volume collection is made up of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys.
The key of E-flat (or enharmonic D-sharp) was rarely used during the Baroque period. For BWV 853, Bach transposed a previously written D minor fugue into D-sharp minor.
Dutch harpsichordist Bart Jacobs describes the Prelude as a “tombeau-like funeral march.” As with the third movement of Chopin’s Second Piano Sonata, it is set in a somber 3/4 time. The three-part fugue is filled with melancholy and lament. Somehow, as this most highly ordered of musical structures unfolds, tragedy turns to catharsis.
Produced by the Netherlands Bach Society, this performance, featuring Bart Jacobs, was recorded in Belgium in March of 2017:
Featured Image: Title page of The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1
Bach’s WTC stands as one of the greatest achievements of the musical arts. I’m reminded here however, how much I dislike the reverberation twang of the harpsichord, how much better the modern piano brings out Bach’s gorgeous intricate lines. Also IMO, since I’ve played it myself, this performer takes the prelude here way too fast.