Bach: Prelude and Fugue Watson Li Bach's Praeludium 21 is assembled in two main components: a rapid prelude and a more

complicated fugue. Praeludium 21 is one of Bach's Great !: two series of fugues "and their corresponding preludes# which were written in all of the twent$%four ma&or and minor 'e$s. (he prelude itself is in two parts. )t is rather toccata%li'e* and features a +uic' tempo and beat with a single ,oice. (he melod$ comes through in a pattern of repeated bro'en four%note chords* and occasionall$ e-hibits scale passages with .2nd note runs. /lthough a e,enl$%distributed beat is used throughout the ma&orit$ of the piece* in certain sections "such as measure 11# the rh$thm changes into an arpeggiated dotted rh$thm. (he speed at which these caden0as are pla$ed are meant to bring out the ,irtuosit$ of the pla$er. /ppro-imatel$ midwa$ into the prelude* the 'e$ changes from B flat ma&or to F ma&or in a bridge that connects the first portion into the second.(he second part of the prelude features significanl$ more scale runs than the first part and also includes some bloc'ed 1th chords. / coda is seen at bar 1! following the second part and the coda e-hibits traits from the first section of the prelude as well as some additional ornaments. (he prelude ends with a pattern of climbing bro'en four%note chords. /fter the prelude comes the fugue. Fugue 21 is a tonal fugue in three ,oices and three main components: an e-position "measures 1%11#* modulator$ section "measures 11% 1#* and a recapitulation "measures 1% !#. (he e-position starts off with the sub&ect in B flat ma&or in the soprano range. What is notable about this sub&ect is the fact that it is unusuall$ long2 in fact* the sub&ect of this fugue can be di,ided into two parts* the first being a dis&unct motif and the second being a con&unct motif. /s soon as the sub&ect is pla$ed once* the first counter%sub&ect in F ma&or* also in the soprano range* is pla$ed b$ the right hand as the tonal answer in the dominant 'e$ is e-pressed in the alto range b$ the left hand. (hese two ,oices again end directl$ as the sub&ect comes bac' in the bass range as the first counter%sub&ect is pla$ed in the alto and the second counter%sub&ect is pla$ed in the soprano range in B flat ma&or as well. /gain* these end in four measures and a new series of three come on: the final three before entering the modulator$ section of the fugue. (he$ are the answer* in the soprano range* the second counter%sub&ect in the alto range* and the first counter%sub&ect in the bass range. )t should also be noted that there are se,eral special parts to the e-position: in the first counter%sub&ect* Bach places a series of tied and repeated notes as well as a set of chords in the second counter%sub&ect. (he modulator$ section is comprised of the three ,oices as well as two episodes that do not seem to fit under an$ particular ,oice categor$. (he first episode is introduced from bars 11 to 22* and it is deri,ed from part of the con&unct motif found in the sub&ect. (he 'e$ of the piece changes o,er from F ma&or to G minor during the first episode. (he first episode also pla$s the re,erse of the dis&unct motif in the sub&ect with the left hand in measures 13 to 22. /fter the first episode is pla$ed* the ,oices come bac' with the first counter%suib&ect in G minor being pla$ed in the soprano* the sub&ect in G minor in the alto* and the second counter%sub&ect* also in G minor* in the bass. (hese morph into the second counter%sub&ect in 4 minor in the soprano* along with the first counter%sub&ect in 4 minor in the alto and the answer in 4 minor in the bass. (he second episode follows in measures .5 to .6* transitioning from 4 minor to G minor and bac' to 4 minor. )t is an in,ersion of the first episode* and the three ,oices resume once again in measure .7. (he ,oices continue to switch* with the first counter%sub&ect continuing all the wa$ through in 8 flat ma&or until the recapitulator$ section. (he sub&ect carries through in the alto range in the 'e$ of B flat ma&or* accompanied b$ the first counter%sub&ect in the soprano and the second counter%sub&ect in the bass* both in B flat ma&or as well. (he fugue approaches its end starting at bar 6* where it once again pla$s the motif in the second part of the sub&ect* with the repeating notes. /n echo of the sub&ect is seen until the fugue ends with a perfect cadence.