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Bach, Johann Sebastian : 9 kleine Praeludien Nr.3 d-moll BWV 926

Work Overview

Music ID : 22570
Instrumentation:Piano Solo 
Genre:prelude
Total Playing Time:1 min 10 sec
Copyright:Public Domain

Commentary (1)

Author : Ooi, Kazurou

Last Updated: November 20, 2023
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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

This prelude has no theme in the conventional sense, consisting merely of a series of arpeggios. Therefore, if one were to convert it into chords and play it, similar to Prelude No. 1 from Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier, it becomes much clearer how to apply dynamics.

In other words, taking measures 1-8 as an example, one can consider there to be four chords, each spanning two measures.

  • 1-2 DFA
  • 3-4 DGB
  • 5-6 C#EG
  • 7-8 ADF

When these four chords are played on the piano, the first and fourth are simple tonic chords, so they are not particularly prominent. However, one interpretation is that the tension slightly increases with the second chord, further increases with the third, and then settles again with the fourth. Alternatively, one could consider reversing the tension between the second and third chords, with the second having higher tension, which then gradually decreases towards the fourth.

This approach can be applied to all sections where arpeggios are written, meaning the same can be done from measure 21 onwards.

Furthermore, it is important to always be conscious of the beat, feeling the triple meter, and taking care not to perceive it as a duple meter (e.g., DAF DAF).

Measures 39-43 are an improvisatory section, so strict adherence to the metronome is not necessary.

Writer: Ooi, Kazurou