When one speaks of Preludes and Fugues, composers from the Baroque era such as Bach and Buxtehude immediately come to mind. However, many were also written by 19th-century composers like Mendelssohn and Reger, and Clara must not be forgotten as one of them. In January 1845, Robert noted in the household diary, which they kept alternately, that they were diligently pursuing studies in counterpoint and fugue. It seems they used Cherubini's "Treatise on Counterpoint and Fugue" as their textbook. This was after Robert's illness in the autumn of the previous year, and despite ignoring his doctor's advice to stay away from music, Robert became engrossed in fugues for a time. The results of their studies are evident in Robert's Opp. 56, 60, and 70, and in Clara's Three Fugues on Themes from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier Book II, and Three Fugues on Themes by Robert. Robert secretly negotiated with Breitkopf & Härtel to publish Clara's Three Fugues on his own themes, intending to surprise her on her birthday. The autograph manuscript is written on a four-stave system using old clefs, which reinforces its retrospective character. While these are based on Schumann's themes, Bach's counterpoint naturally served as an important model. The remarkable fact that this work was written in the week before Julie's birth is surely a testament to her diligence.