How much more famous can music be than that one Prelude in C?

The Prelude BWV 846, the first prelude in the Well-Tempered Clavier, is heard everywhere, but why? How? What purpose could such a piece have served in Bach's day?

We discuss two early, shorter versions of the prelude, and one erroneous version with an inauthentic bar (the 'Schwenke measure' - be on the look out if your copy has 36 bars and not 35!)

Answering, "How has this prelude influenced musicians even today?" we explore modern versions by John K. Stone, Elaine Comparone, my challenge to Brad Mehldau, and invert this prelude (and a few others) note for note to hear the 'photo negative'. 

Links:

'Jesu Joy' in a Japanese Forest (Cell Phone Ad)

John K. Stone's 'Fantasy on a Bach Prelude'

Elaine Comparone's version of the same prelude

 

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