Like most of Bach's organ compositions, this piece was
written during his tenure in Weimar between 1709 and
1717. Many of his greatest and most well known organ
works were written during this period, including, for
example, the Prelude and Fugue in E major, BWV 566. The
composer was residing in Weimar after being hired by
the ruling duke of Weimar, Wilhelm Ernst, in 1709 as an
organist and member of the court orchestra; he was
particularly encouraged to make use of his unique
talents with the or...(+)
Like most of Bach's organ compositions, this piece was
written during his tenure in Weimar between 1709 and
1717. Many of his greatest and most well known organ
works were written during this period, including, for
example, the Prelude and Fugue in E major, BWV 566. The
composer was residing in Weimar after being hired by
the ruling duke of Weimar, Wilhelm Ernst, in 1709 as an
organist and member of the court orchestra; he was
particularly encouraged to make use of his unique
talents with the organ by the duke. Indeed, his fame on
the instrument grew and he was visited by many students
of the organ to hear him play and to try to learn from
his technique. The Prelude and Fugue in D major was
probably composed in 1710, although this is not
certain. However, it was definitely written before Bach
codified the clear two-section prelude and fugue in the
form of what is used in the The Well-Tempered Clavier,
BWV 846–893, which was composed in 1722. This is
because BWV 532 features a lengthy, complex,
self-contained fugue preceded by a multisectional
prelude.
The piece is in two sections: a prelude and a fugue.
Both the sections are in D major but, to begin with,
there is no tempo marking given on either section. Both
pieces are in 4/4.
The prelude commences with a semi-quaver scale from the
pedals, and then the manuals begin with an intricate
quaver pattern between the hands. Another run from the
pedals is then followed by a continuation of the quaver
pattern from the right-hand. The quaver pattern then
repeats one octave lower. The pedals then play
arpeggiated patterns which begin a repeated theme and
slow down throughout. This lasts for four bars. A
sustained pedal then accompanies the manuals, which
have a dotted quaver, semi-quaver rhythm. This then
turns into a repeated G♯, B demi-semi-quaver
rhythm. This then slows to a series of repeated
cadences.
A new phrase then begins with an ascending scale in the
manuals leading up to a large D major chord. A new
tempo is then introduced: Alla breve, and then a large
phrase is introduced with a very polyphonic texture and
a prominent tune. A section then starts with chords
played in the manuals and the quavers played in the
pedals. This continues for another long period of time
until the left hand takes the tune and the right hand
plays the quavers.
When this section finishes, a new tempo of Adagio
begins. A new theme then arrives with slow quavers on
the lower manual and pedal and ascending scales in the
upper manual. The prelude then concludes with a slow
theme, on broken arpeggios and some slow, elongated
final chords.
The subject of the fugue is eight measures long and
consist of tight figurations encompassing an entire
octave. Bach takes this subject firstly through the
relative minor and then the mediant minor, and then to
the minor harmony of the leading tone and the major
harmony on the supertonic. After this progression we
enter an episode with a flurry of figures on the
dominant and then a full entry of the subject on the
tonic that works to resolve the preceding tension so
well that the eventual coda almost has the nature of an
afterthought.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelude_and_Fugue_in_D_m
ajor,_BWV_532).
I created this transcription of the Prelude and Fugue
in D Major (BWV 532) for Pipe Organ.
SHEET MUSIC