Prelude in C major, BWV 846

E299512

Prelude in C major, BWV 846 is one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s most famous keyboard pieces, renowned for its flowing arpeggios and often used as an introductory work for piano students and performers.

All labels observed (5)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf keyboard composition ⓘ
prelude ⓘ
solo instrumental piece ⓘ
approximateCompositionPeriod early 18th century ⓘ
associatedCollection Das wohltemperierte Klavier I ⓘ
associatedComposer Johann Sebastian Bach ⓘ
catalogNumber BWV 846 ⓘ
characteristicFeature continuous flowing arpeggios ⓘ
regular broken-chord pattern in the right hand ⓘ
simple harmonic progression underpinning the figuration ⓘ
commonInstrumentToday piano ⓘ
composer Johann Sebastian Bach ⓘ
countryOfOrigin Germany ⓘ
culturalStatus one of Bach’s most famous keyboard pieces ⓘ
educationalUse introductory piece for piano students ⓘ
used to introduce Baroque keyboard style ⓘ
used to teach broken-chord patterns ⓘ
famousArrangement Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod) ⓘ
linked to: Ave Maria
genre keyboard prelude ⓘ
harmonicFunction demonstrates functional harmony in C major ⓘ
inspiredWork Charles Gounod’s Ave Maria ⓘ
linked to: Ave Maria
instrumentation keyboard ⓘ
key C major ⓘ
languageOfTitle Latin alphabet, German/Italian musical terminology ⓘ
movementType prelude ⓘ
notableFeature clear, stepwise harmonic progression ⓘ
widely recognized opening of The Well-Tempered Clavier ⓘ
notation written in common time ⓘ
numberOfBars commonly around 35 measures (depending on edition) ⓘ
opusNumber none (catalogued by BWV number rather than opus) ⓘ
originalInstrument harpsichord ⓘ
pairedWith Fugue in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ
partOf The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I ⓘ
pedagogicalReputation frequently included in beginner and intermediate piano curricula ⓘ
performancePractice also performed on harpsichord ⓘ
often performed on modern piano ⓘ
period Baroque ⓘ
positionInWork first piece in The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I ⓘ
recordingAvailability extensively recorded by classical pianists ⓘ
style Baroque keyboard style ⓘ
tempoIndication not explicitly marked by Bach ⓘ
texture homophonic with broken chords ⓘ
tonalCenter C major ⓘ
tuningContext example piece for well-tempered tuning systems ⓘ
typicalDifficultyLevel early intermediate for piano students ⓘ
workNumberInCollection No. 1 in The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (11)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

The Well-Tempered Clavier → contains → Prelude in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ
Piano Book → includesWork → Prelude in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ
subject linked to: album “Piano Book”
Prelude in C major, BWV 846 → workNumberInCollection → No. 1 in The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I ⓘ
linked to: Prelude in C major, BWV 846
Fugue in C major, BWV 846 → precededBy → Prelude in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ
Fugue in C major, BWV 846 → follows → Prelude in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ
Fugue in C major, BWV 846 → hasCompanionPiece → Prelude in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ
Prelude in C minor, BWV 847 → precededBy → Prelude in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ
Fugue in C minor, BWV 847 → isPrecededBy → Prelude in C major, BWV 846 (in the WTC ordering) ⓘ
linked to: Prelude in C major, BWV 846
After Bach → hasTrack → Prelude in C Major ⓘ
linked to: Prelude in C major, BWV 846
Book I (The Well-Tempered Clavier) → contains → Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ
subject linked to: Book I
linked to: Prelude in C major, BWV 846
Book I, number in the sequence of 24 preludes and fugues → hasPart → Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ
linked to: Prelude in C major, BWV 846