Bach Bwv 536 And Buxtehude D Major

[Peter Clark]

One of the pieces I am revisiting is the Bach Prelude and Fugue in A, BWV 536 which I leart many years ago for an exam. Playing through it it struck me that the prelude may have an affinity with the Buxtehude Prelude in D (Peters bk 1, p 6, I don't have the Bux number I am afraid). It is well known that Bach admired Buxtehude and Grace suggests that he may have had Buxtehude's F major fugue in mind (p 28) when he wrote the D major fugue (the prelude to which of course resembles some of Buxtehude's sectional style).

 

So then, is it possible that Bach may have been influenced by Buxtehude in the A major? Both have arpeggiated opeings, but I am thinking more of the manual-pedal interplay starting at bar 20 (and at bar 13 in the Buxtehude). Once we get to the fugues of corse there is a complete divergence of style.

 

Best wishes

 

Peter

[Davidb]

You're not the only one to think this Peter. I've been looking at both recently, and found them to be quite similiar pieces, at least in the preludes.