My dear friends, Bach's Well Tempered Clavichord is a treasure trove of sublime music. One of my favorites is the sixth Prelude and Fugue in D Minor in both books. To-day I would like to share with you some thoughts on the prelude in D Minor from Book One. Like so much of Bach's music, it sends one into a trance-like state. The triplet pattern in the right hand is repeated relentlessly till the very end , culminating with four cadential chords crowned with a Tierce de Picardi . This repeated pattern without a single break is what builds up a cumulative, hypnotic state. At the same time the music is noble ,inward looking and meditative. But the left hand has an equally important role to play. The pedal point on the tonic with which it starts is a clear indication that the music is going to be serious ( as is also the key of D minor itself). But then the left hand starts to move in fifths and thirds and seconds etc. and begins to have a life of its own. ...
This is a beautiful semi-classical piece redolent of the days of ballroom dancing .
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