Max Derrickson

Johann Sebastian Bach
(Born in Eisenach, Germany in 1685; died in Leipzig, Germany in 1750)

Prelude and fugue in G Major, BWV 541

What Bach did for music is almost inestimable – those who discovered him later (among them Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Chopin) felt that Bach had perfected the art of writing music.  What Bach did for the organ is also legendary – the exquisite pieces that he wrote for this great instrument are surely some of the greatest pieces in Western music.  In addition, Bach was a renowned organ-tester, and many of his works were written specifically to put those great Baroque organs […]. 

In 1708, the 23-year old Bach was already well known as an extraordinary organist, as well as an organ tester, and at that point he began a seven-year post as the organist at the ducal court in Weimar.  Bach was also a bit of a fire-brand and enjoyed showing off.  This great Prelude and Fugue was most likely written in that year, and was meant not only to show off [,,,]. The Prelude and Fugue in G Major is a motorific powerhouse of a piece, […] work shows us the virtuosity of Bach the composer as much as the performer.