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Prelude in B minor (J. S. Bach, arranged Siloti)
Encyclopedia
The Prelude in B minor is an arrangement
for piano
by Alexander Siloti
of the Prelude in E minor BWV 855a by Johann Sebastian Bach
from his Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
. Bach reused the piece (in a slightly different form) as the tenth prelude in the first volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier
.
This transcription has been described as "perhaps Siloti's most tender and perfect" composition. It transposes
Bach's original down from the original E minor into B minor, and the steady sixteenth note
figuration that was originally given by Bach to the left hand is changed to the right hand. Siloti also adds a repeat
of the entire work, in order to allow for a change of voicing where the melody in the left hand is emphasized. The chord
s in the left hand are arpeggiated
; however according to Siloti's daughter Kyriena (to whom the work was dedicated ), he would omit the arpeggiation on the first pass and restore it on the repeat in order to heighten the effect of the left-hand melody.
It has been performed by many pianists, most famously Emil Gilels
.
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
for piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
by Alexander Siloti
Alexander Siloti
Alexander Ilyich Siloti was a Russian pianist, conductor and composer. Alexander Ilyich Siloti (also Ziloti, , Aleksandr Iljič Ziloti) (9 October 1863, near Kharkiv - 8 December 1945, New York) was a Russian pianist, conductor and composer. Alexander Ilyich Siloti (also Ziloti, , Aleksandr Iljič...
of the Prelude in E minor BWV 855a by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
from his Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach is a collection of keyboard music compiled by the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach for his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann...
. Bach reused the piece (in a slightly different form) as the tenth prelude in the first volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier
The Well-Tempered Clavier
The Well-Tempered Clavier , BWV 846–893, is a collection of solo keyboard music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach...
.
Transposition
Transposition may refer to:Mathematics* Transposition , a permutation which exchanges two elements and keeps all others fixed* Transposition, producing the transpose of a matrix AT, which is computed by swapping columns for rows in the matrix AGames* Transposition , different moves or a different...
Bach's original down from the original E minor into B minor, and the steady sixteenth note
Sixteenth note
thumb|right|Figure 1. A sixteenth note with stem facing up, a sixteenth note with stem facing down, and a sixteenth rest.thumb|right|Figure 2. Four sixteenth notes beamed together....
figuration that was originally given by Bach to the left hand is changed to the right hand. Siloti also adds a repeat
Repeat
In music, a repeat sign is a sign that indicates a section should be repeated. If the piece has one repeat sign alone, then that means to repeat from the beginning, and then continue on . A corresponding sign facing the other way indicates where the repeat is to begin...
of the entire work, in order to allow for a change of voicing where the melody in the left hand is emphasized. The chord
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
s in the left hand are arpeggiated
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
; however according to Siloti's daughter Kyriena (to whom the work was dedicated ), he would omit the arpeggiation on the first pass and restore it on the repeat in order to heighten the effect of the left-hand melody.
It has been performed by many pianists, most famously Emil Gilels
Emil Gilels
Emil Grigoryevich Gilels was a Soviet pianist, widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.His last name is sometimes transliterated Hilels.-Biography:...
.
External links
- Sheet music of the prelude (first page) at Google Books
- Sheet music of Bach's "Six Little Preludes", including Prelude BWV855a, hosted by Werner Icking Music Archive
- Sheet music of the entire Prelude, edited by Ferdinand Gajewski http://webzoom.freewebs.com/fjgajewski/Bach-S4-6-06.pdf