Tightly woven
32nd note scales, suspensions,
dramatic octave pedal effects, tension-building through repetition, and
appoggiatura harmonies characterize this movement. The opening theme is followed by contrasting
fugal episodes. The complex
ritornello structure of this prelude makes the work structurally similar to that of other mature organ works, such as the
BWV 548 and
BWV 546 preludes.[4]
Fugue
The
4/4 fugue is more restrained compared to the
6/8 prelude, containing a relatively straightforward subject that moves in single note steps up and down the B minor scale.
Arrangements
Piano transcriptions
The piece has been included in
Franz Liszt's transcriptions of Bach's six "Great" organ Preludes and Fugues, BWV 543 - 548, for solo piano (
S. 462). The piece was also transcribed by Ivan Karlovitsch Tscherlitzky.[5]
Williams, Peter (2003), The Organ Music of J. S. Bach (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press,
ISBN0-521-89115-9
Jones, Richard D.P. (2013), The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach, Volume II: 1717–1750: Music to Delight the Spirit. Oxford University Press,
ISBN978-0-19-969628-4