Notational and Performance Issues in J. S. Bach’s Preludes and Fugues for Organ

Abstract:This article presents the results of a notational study of J. S. Bach’s use of time signatures in his free preludes and fugues for organ. Although studies of these works have focused on stylistic and formal issues, along with descriptions of the organs available to Bach, little attention has been given to Bach’s use of time signatures. The primary purpose of the study is to identify and describe the notational means by which Bach indicates the tempo relationship between the two movements, as well as how the notational markings can serve as a guide to the performer. Beginning with the earliest pairs (1700–1708), I chart Bach’s changing use of the time signature through the Weimar (1708–1717) and Leipzig (1723–1750) periods. This progression proceeds from multisectional forms, through pairs in which prelude and fugue each comprise a separate movement, and finally to Bach’s creation of what I describe as “temporal units,” in which a common beat unites prelude and fugue, each notated with a different time signature. A series of tables illustrates these changes, with the pairs in each group arranged according to their use of a common time signature rather than in the usual BWV order. A secondary purpose of the study is to identify Bach’s use of a single schema as the basis for composing two or more pairs. A procedure commonly seen in the cantatas, it has not previously been recognized in reference to the free preludes and fugues.