Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847

The Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847, is a keyboard composition written by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is the second prelude and fugue in the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer.

Analysis

Prelude

The prelude is 38 bars long, and consists mostly of a repeating motif. The motif consists of running sixteenth notes in the form of broken chords in both hands. Below are the first four bars of the prelude:

${ << \new PianoStaff << \new Staff \relative c'' { \clef treble \key c \minor \time 4/4 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 116 c16 es, d es c es d es c' es, d es c es d es | as16 f e f c f e f as f e f c f e f | b16 f es f d f es f b f es f d f es f | c'16 g f g es g f g c g f g es g f g | } \new Staff \relative c { \clef bass \key c \minor \time 4/4 c16 g' f g es g f g c, g' f g es g f g | c,16 as' g as f as g as c, as' g as f as g as | c,16 as' g as f as g as c, as' g as f as g as | c,16 es d es g es d es c es d es g es d es | } >> >> }$

The prelude continues like so for 33 bars, with different harmony and changes of key. The coda begins at the 34th bar, where a sudden change of texture and tempo occurs. In the first bar of the coda, an arpeggiated chord is followed by a rapid succession of thirty-second notes. This new motif is repeated twice, after which a succession of sixteenth notes ends the prelude on a Picardy third.

Fugue

The fugue is 31 bars long, and is written for 3 voices. Below is the two measure subject of the fugue, which starts in the middle voice:

${ << \new PianoStaff << \new Staff << \clef treble \key c \minor \time 4/4 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 80 \new Voice \relative c'' { \voiceOne R1 | R1 | } \new Voice \relative c'' { \voiceTwo r8 c16 b c8 g as c16 b c8 d | g,8 c16 b c8 d f,16 g as4 g16 f | es16 } >> \new Staff << \clef bass \key c \minor \time 4/4 \new Voice \relative c' { R1 | R1 | s16 } >> >> >> }$

Just like most fugues in the baroque period, the subject is then repeated in the top voice in the dominant key (G minor), and then repeated once more in the lowest voice, again in the home key. The fugue then continues with a development, and then another repetition of the subject in the home key. Just like the prelude, the fugue ends with a Picardy third.

Samples

Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise", from his album "Songs in the Key of Life", is reported to use the prelude's opening bars as the backbone for its repeated chord progression throughout the song.^[1]

References

Bach, Johann Sebastian. "Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C Minor." The Well Tempered Clavier, Books 1 and 2. Ed. Saul Novak.

External links

↑ Songfacts. "Pastime Paradise by Stevie Wonder - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved 2026-09-28.

[1] Songfacts. "Pastime Paradise by Stevie Wonder - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved 2026-09-28.

[1]

v t e Compositions for organ, keyboard and lute by Johann Sebastian Bach
Organ	Fugue in G minor, BWV 131a (doubtful) Sonatas, BWV 525–530 Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 531 Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532 Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537 Toccata and Fugue in D minor ("Dorian"), BWV 538 Toccata and Fugue in F major, BWV 540 Fantasia and Fugue in G minor ("Great"), BWV 542 Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543 Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 544 Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 546 Prelude and Fugue in E minor ("Wedge"), BWV 548 Eight Short Preludes and Fugues, BWV 553–560 (doubtful) Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 562 Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564 Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (doubtful) Prelude (Toccata) and Fugue in E major, BWV 566 Fantasia ("Pièce d'Orgue") in G major, BWV 572 Fugue in G minor ("Little"), BWV 578 Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 Concertos, BWV 592–597 Pedal-Exercitium, BWV 598 Orgelbüchlein, BWV 599–644 Schübler Chorales, BWV 645–650 Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, BWV 651–668 Chorale partita Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig, BWV 768 Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her", BWV 769 Neumeister chorales, BWV 1090–1120 Chorale fantasia Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält, BWV 1128 Chaconne and Fugue in D minor, BWV 1178
Keyboard	Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772–801 English Suites, BWV 806–811 French Suites, BWV 812–817 Partitas, BWV 825–830 No. 2 No. 4 No. 6 Overture in the French style, BWV 831 Well-Tempered Clavier, BWV 846–893 Book 1 No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 7 No. 8 No. 10 No. 12 No. 16 No. 21 No. 22 No. 24 Book 2 No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 10 No. 11 No. 12 No. 13 No. 14 No. 18 No. 22 No. 23 No. 24 Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, BWV 903 Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 906 Toccatas, BWV 910–916 Toccata in E minor, BWV 914 Six Little Preludes, BWV 933–938 Italian Concerto Harpsichord solo concertos Goldberg Variations discography Gould recording Aria variata alla maniera italiana, BWV 989 Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother, BWV 992
Lute	Suite in G minor, BWV 995 Suite in E minor, BWV 996 Bourrée Suite in C minor, BWV 997 Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E♭ major, BWV 998 Prelude in C minor, BWV 999 Fugue in G minor, BWV 1000
Mixed collections	Clavier-Übung III: Prelude and Fugue in E♭ major ("St. Anne"), BWV 552, Chorale preludes, BWV 669–689, Duets, BWV 802–805 Concerto transcriptions, BWV 592–596 and 972–987 Klavierbüchlein W. F. Bach Notebook A. M. Bach Twelve Little Preludes
List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach List of fugal works by Johann Sebastian Bach List of concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach

Authority control databases
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National	France BnF data
Other	MusicBrainz work

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