About this Piece

Johann Sebastian Bach was famous for his virtuosity on the organ, with tales of cowed wannabe competitors and royal command performances circulating widely during his lifetime. Composed in Leipzig around 1730, the Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 544, features an intricate, restless prelude in 6/8, with two-part canonic writing and distinctive octaves in the bass line. The main fugue subject is a simple up-and-down scale with little turns, but the ensuing counterpoint is intensified by elaborate extensions and Bach’s customary sophisticated harmonic momentum, with a very active pedal part. —Excerpted from a note by John Henken