Bach - Prelude and fugue in C minor BWV 546 - Koopman | Netherlands Bach Society

The most important manuscript of this Prelude and fugue in C minor, performed by Ton Koopman for All of Bach, was written by Johan Peter Kellner (1705-1754). He grew up and worked his whole life in central Germany, where he got to know Bach, whom he greatly admired. It is thanks to pupils and admirers like Kellner that much of Bach’s music has survived at all. The most important manuscript of this Prelude and fugue in C minor was written by Kellner. However, this also leads to questions, as is often the case with music we do not have in Bach’s own hand. Everyone agrees that the monumental prelude is 100% Bach. It forms a stylistic and thematic entity. But opinions are somewhat divided about the fugue. That central section where the theme disappears (and where all the counterpoint even evaporates briefly) – is it really by Bach? Could Kellner have tinkered with the fugue? Or could the fugue be his composition entirely? In any case, we know he did have Bachian improvisation skills. Once, Kellner was sitt