- Prelude in B minor (J. S. Bach, arranged Siloti)
The Prelude in B minor (J. S. Bach, arranged Siloti) is an
arrangement forpiano byAlexander Siloti of the Prelude in E minor BWV 855a byJ. S. Bach from hisKlavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach . Bach reused the piece (in a slightly different form) as the tenth prelude in the first volume of theWell-Tempered Clavier .This transcription has been described as "perhaps Siloti's most tender and perfect" composition.citation|last=Barber |first=Dr. Charles |year=2004 |contribution=The Transcriptions |title=The Alexander Siloti Collection: Editions, Transcriptions and Arrangements for Piano Solo |pages=11-13 |publisher=Carl Fischer, L.L.C. |isbn=0825847303 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=TNPU6ddL-OMC&pg=PA15&ots=u1lggOpACz&dq=bach+siloti+prelude&sig=MI0GvguIsTYUX4x7V4MW4eY9RlA#PPA11,M1 ] 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 arepeat of the entire work, in order to allow for a change of voicing where the melody in the left hand is emphasized. Thechord 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 famouslyEmil Gilels .References
External links
* Sheet music of the prelude (first page) at [http://books.google.com/books?id=TNPU6ddL-OMC&pg=PA15&vq=855a&dq=bach+siloti+prelude&sig=zaJ8QgdAylCzVRjl175-e6D3DQM Google Books]
* Sheet music of the entire prelude (payment required) at [http://everynote.com/piano.show/124433.note Every Note]
* Sheet music of Bach's "Six Little Preludes", including Prelude BWV855a, hosted by [http://icking-music-archive.org/scores/bach/GouinPreludes/Bach_Preludes7_E.pdf Werner Icking Music Archive]
*Sheet music of the entire Prelude, edited by Ferdinand Gajewski [http://webzoom.freewebs.com/fjgajewski/Bach-S4-6-06.pdf]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.