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BACH’S PRELUDE and FUGUE
in D MAJOR BWV 532
One of the most virtuosic and technically demanding organ pieces by J. S. Bach. It is a testament to his immense talent as a composer, as well as a virtuoso organist. He wrote BWV 532 in his mid twenties. The technical complexity of this piece in unparalleled. The organist is required to make major body shifts, move their feet from the bottom to the top of the pedal keyboard and back in split seconds, while playing fast feet and hand sequences at the same time. Being able to control the quality of tone production and intricate fugal writing while making all these complex motions in high speed has presented a challenge for organists since the piece was written in the early 18th century (!).
Bach’s passacaglia
in c minor BWV 582
One of the most monumental and iconic pieces in the pipe organ repertoire. Bach’s Passacaglia consists of a theme and 20 variations, followed by an intricate and virtuosic fugue. It is one of the deepest pieces written by Bach, both emotionally and intellectually. The path that the main theme takes is lengthy and complicated, and it leads to one of the most glorious final C major chords written in the history of music.