It was during his youthful tenure in Weimar (1708-1713) that J.S. Bach composed the “Great” Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543.
Only a few years earlier, the 20-year-old Bach walked north 200 miles to Lübeck to hear the celebrated organist, Dieterich Buxtehude, and “to comprehend one thing and another about his art.” The influence of Buxtehude’s style, along with the Italian music of Corelli, can be heard in BWV 543, even as Bach’s bold and distinct voice ultimately shines through.
The Prelude begins with swirling rhapsodic lines over a pedal point. The Fugue shifts into a dancing 6/8 meter. In the opening, its subject can be heard four times, the last of which can be heard deep in the pedals. A brilliant, toccata-like cadenza brings the work to a close.
Here is a recording by the French organist, Marie-Claire Alain:
Recordings
- J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543, Marie-Claire Alain Amazon
Featured Image: “Herderplatz from the southeast” (1840), L. Oeder