Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner 48, most fun to play

sorry to bother you with this kind of question, but I need a little help: as I cannot choose between all the marvels Bach composed, and have to pick a few for students that have to play a p+f for competitions, what pair would you like to play?

Make a giant paper circle and divide it into 48 equal sections.
Make each section one of the preludes/fugues.
Put it on your wall.
Get a dart.
Turn around so you are facing away from the giant circle on your wall.
Throw the dart behind you.
Whatever it lands on is the prelude/fugue you'll teach your student!

did it, it's e-flat minor in both books...

I love them ALL!!! It's VERY hard to choose favorites. If I had to choose just one pair...hmmm...I have a real affinity for the Emajor, Fmajor, fminor, gminor from Bk II, but honestly I'd probably choose either the Cmajor from Bk II (the fugue is a blast), or the c#minor from Bk I (the fugue is one of those rarities that leaves you speechless and spent).

Here are some of my favorites to play. Top-level recommendation: F# minor Book II.


Book I

C major: you just can't beat it. The fugue theme is heard exactly 24 times. How perfect!
F# major: really delightful pair
Ab major: the fugue has some of my favorite sequences.
B major: underrated fugue, theme derived from the prelude
B minor: for me, the deepest of the preludes. And as for the "twelve-tone fugue"... what is there to say?

***

Book II

C minor: very satisfying. Underrated fugue.
D major: virtuoso prelude, calm deep fugue
E major: the "choral fugue" may be one of the best of the 48. Too bad the prelude is so dreadful. (sarcasm)
F# minor: probably my favorite pair of the 48


-Jason

i always wanted to play g- from book ii but was never allowed because it was believed we would quibble over whether to double dot or not ENDLESSLY.

i played g#- from book i as my first, and B+ from book two was relatively easy to put together. a- from book one could be enjoyed by many!

good good good, continue, please:)

I'm so glad you added (sarcasm) at the end there. It's one of my very favorite preludes!

Love:

G minor Bk I
F# minor Bk I
G major Bk II
A major Bk II

Yes, it's one of the most un-dreadful compositions ever, isn't it?

stores, since you're working them all up, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on some things, like which one is the most taxing, which requires the most concentration, which you think is the deepest, the most trivial, which is the most sublime, which is the most fun to play, etc. Don't feel you really have to answer if these aren't meaningful questions to you. It's just that I rarely get a chance to talk to someone who has actual playing familiarity with all 48. (I have listening familiarity with all of them, and playing familiarity with about a third).

-Jason

I don't mind at all and don't find the questions meaningless. I think they ALL require a high degree of concentration (as is the case with all Bach). When you're playing a complete set of 24 your concentration needs to be quite intense, because with Bach one misplaced finger can send you off the rails and it can be very difficult to find your place again. You have to immediately clear your mind between pieces and focus on the next. In some cases, however that's not always easy to do (the c#minor fugue from Bk I is one such case).
At any rate...
Most taxing...from a technical standpoint the Amajor fugue/Bk I. Most emotionally taxing...by far the c#minor fugue/Bk I, which I, personally, find the deepest and most sublime all at once. There are many, many others which I absolutely adore and love playing, but this fugue has a special place within the 48. There is such raw emotion here and so soon too! And then immediately we're launched into the Dmajor prelude, which is completely on the opposite end of the spectrum and very likely my favorite to play of the 48. It's been part of my warm up routine for well over 25 years, so it's a part of me and it dances like none of the other 47. I can't answer for most trivial, because there isn't a trivial moment in either book...this is music for the ages.
My favorite aspect of practising now is staying true while holding my little Yorkie, Ludwig, in my lap. He used to come sit at my feet while I practised, but for the past few months it's been up onto the bench and then my lap. I think he prefers the Eflat fugue from Bk I. =)

I cast my vote for the A-flat P&F from the first book.

Thanks stores. What an honor it must be to play all 48. Maybe I'll do it someday...

You really meant A major and not A minor?? Whenever I've read through the A major fugue it's fit into my hands so easily. While A minor, as everyone says, and as my reading through confirms, seems a finger-twisting workout!

Good luck with the recital.

-Jason

It's hard to go wrong, but FWIW - My favorites:

WTC I:

C# Major
C# Minor
Eb Major
Eb Minor
E Major
Ab Major
B Major

WTC II:

D Major
Eb Major
F Minor
G Minor

You're welcome and yes, it is quite an honor to play this music. I hope you're able to do the same some day.
Yes, I meant the aminor fugue and not the Amajor.

And thank you!

I love G# minor book 2, especially the prelude. Very unusual rhythms.

What my teacher has done is tell me to listen to them (yes all of them) and choose one. She also said that a good way to choose is to listen to the theme of the fugue, and make sure it is one you like because you will have to live with it through the whole fugue . I think this is a good strategy, because the student has a special connection with the piece because they pick it themselves, and they also get to listen to Bach's awesome music!

Anyways, the first time I picked F major from Book II, and the second time I picked B flat Major from Book I.

Actually, my single favorite moment from all 48 is from that fugue: the low C#2 at the start of the theme, m.73.




I didn't know your dog was named Ludwig. Are you familiar with this book?

-Jason

So far not mentioned -if I have read the previous posts correctly- is the Bb from Book 1! It was the 2nd P&F I studied after the obligatory C minor, and I just loved it. The prelude falls beautifully under the hands and is very satisfying for a young pianist.

The fugue subject haunted me for days, and I well remember waxing enthusiastically about it with my teacher.