# What are your favorite keyboard pieces from J S Bach?



## quietfire

There are so many I love, it is hard to choose! But I do want to share what my favourite keyboard pieces are of his at the moment.

The French suites (e.g. Allemande from French suite no.5) and Partitas (e.g. Gigue from Partita no.1), and the keyboard concertos, especially that of d minor and A major. 

I am not an expert piano player, so the fugues do boggle me a little, so I need some time to digest Bach's musical style before I delve deep into WTC, but I do think the preludes are very beautiful and more accessible, particularly those in the first book (some of which are in the style of a 2-part invention - another set I actually like!).

What are your favorite keyboard pieces from Bach? 

I genuinely would like to hear what your preferences are for Bach, and it may open my eyes and ears to this wonderful world I have yet to fully explore.


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## Bettina

Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue.

Basically the entire WTC, but especially the Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp Minor, Book 2.

English Suite No. 5.

French Suite No. 6.

Goldberg Variations.

There are many more, but those are my absolute top favorites.


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## KenOC

I'm not a decent player, even remotely. But you may want to try the E-flat major prelude from Book I of the WTC. To me, this piece is amazing and gets more so as it goes along.


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## tdc

Some of my favorites at the moment are:

The Well-Tempered Clavier
Partitas BWV 825-830
French Overture
BWV 564
Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor


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## Pugg

Goldberg Variations, WTC, French suites and the Italian concerto.


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## Animal the Drummer

The Goldberg Variations and the Partita no.1 in B flat would be top of my list.


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## Krummhorn

Prelude and Fugue in Eb major (St. Anne) , BWV 552 will always be my most favorite. I have played this in recitals in days of yore.


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## LesCyclopes

quietfire said:


> I am not an expert piano player.


What is your level, more or less?

Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach has some gorgeous pieces, and they are not all easy.

Little Preludes are also interesting. I loved playing the C Minor one (BWV 934).

I think you could also be interested in playing Bach's C minor lute partita arranged for keyboard.


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## quietfire

LesCyclopes said:


> What is your level, more or less?


I've done the Diploma level from ABRSM.

I say I am not an expert piano player because even though I have played extremely high-level pieces, I still feel my repetoire isn't broad enough to be called expert.


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## Ekim the Insubordinate

At the absolute top of the list for me are the Goldberg Variations. I could listen to these all day. It doesn't matter the instrument: harpsichord, piano, organ, strings. This is genius and beauty all in one. I love Murray Perahia's recording on the piano.

Whether you were considering the organ when you said keyboard, the next for me is the Passacaglia in C minor. Helmut Walcha is my preferred performer for all of Bach's organ works.


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## polaci

Piano concerto in D minor (BWV 1052) 
Chorale Prelude in F minor (BWV639) (Tarkovsky: Solaris, final scene)
2nd French Suite
Goldberg-variations


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## Bulldog

Complete WTC, Goldberg Variations, Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue, French Overture and French Suite no. 4.


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## LesCyclopes

Ekim the Insubordinate said:


> Whether you were considering the organ when you said keyboard, the next for me is the Passacaglia in C minor.


Ah I'm eyeing that fantastic piece, too, but for the piano. I would love to get my hands on this transcription but I can't find its notes. I found Fazil Say's version for the piano but it's not the same.


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## LesCyclopes

quietfire said:


> I've done the Diploma level from ABRSM.


Well, in that case feel free to ignore the pieces I suggested in my earlier post, as they will probably be too easy for you.

Edit: I know you asked for Bach, but I can't help but recommend an exceptional piece by another baroque composer: my namesake, Rameau's Les Cyclopes. It is a deeply gratifying piece to play, with left hand jumping around all over the right hand (a technique Rameau believed he invented). It is brilliant on the harpsichord  and it sounds great on the piano, too, although Sokolov has needlessly slowed it down IMHO.


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## quietfire

LesCyclopes said:


> Well, in that case feel free to ignore the pieces I suggested in my earlier post, as they will probably be too easy for you.
> 
> Edit: I know you asked for Bach, but I can't help but recommend an exceptional piece by another baroque composer: my namesake, Rameau's Les Cyclopes. It is a deeply gratifying piece to play, with left hand jumping around all over the right hand (a technique Rameau believed he invented). It is brilliant on the harpsichord  and it sounds great on the piano, too, although Sokolov has needlessly slowed it down IMHO.


I am in the category of people who don't believe in the difficulty of a piece correlates to its beauty, and I am also in the category of people who believe a difficulty of a piece depends on where you set the standards for each piece.

So I take all suggestions!


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## TinyTim

'Sheep May Safely Graze' Egon Petri transcription
'Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring Myra Hess transcription

Listen to Leon Fleisher playing them.


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## Marc

Love them all, but my favourite is _Die Kunst der Fuge_. I never tire of it.


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## Crystal

I love French suite no.6


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