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Bach, Johann Sebastian : Englische Suiten Nr.5 Prelude

Work Overview

Music ID : 39109
Instrumentation:Piano Solo 
Genre:suite
Total Playing Time:4 min 30 sec
Copyright:Public Domain

Commentary (1)

Author : Ooi, Kazurou

Last Updated: February 19, 2024
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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 is a long prelude, totaling 156 measures. Except for the initial two measures and the concluding section from measures 155-156, almost all other measures are filled with 16th notes.

Pieces of this type often lack clear structural divisions, causing the music to progress monotonously and endlessly, which can make it feel very long to the listener. The objective should be to aim for a performance style that makes the piece sound shorter, even if its actual duration remains the same.

For this purpose, musical analysis is essential; one must understand each section, each key, and which parts represent the climactic points. There are many sequences, mostly ascending or descending in one-measure units, making it even more crucial to view the piece with a long-term perspective.

In such cases, cadences (terminations) can be helpful, but as mentioned, the 16th notes continue endlessly without stopping. Although easily overlooked, measures such as 40, 82, and 105 should be considered structural turning points where one section concludes and a new one begins. At these cadential points, slightly broadening the tempo to convey the sense of a termination to the listener can be an effective method.

By segmenting such a piece, the music becomes clearer, and even long compositions can be made to feel shorter.

Writer: Ooi, Kazurou