List of fugal works by Johann Sebastian Bach

This article lists the fugal works of Johann Sebastian Bach, defined here as the fugues, fughettas, and canons, as well as other works containing fugal expositions but not denoted as fugues, such as some choral sections of the Mass in B minor, the St Matthew Passion, the St John Passion, and the cantatas.

This sub-list of the complete list of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach is intended to facilitate the study of Bach's counterpoint techniques. Each work cited in this list will be annotated with the fugal subject(s) and any countersubjects in musical notation.

Cantata fugues BWV 6.1 – Choir Fugue, middle section: “Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden” BWV 17.1 – Sinfonia and Fugue: “Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich” BWV 21.2 – Choir Fugue: “Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis in meinem Herzen” BWV 21.6 – Preludium and permutation Fugue: “Was betrübst du dich, meine Seele” BWV 21.11 – Preludium and permutation Fugue: “Das Lamm, das erwürget ist” BWV 22.1 – Preludium and Fugue: “Sie aber vernahmen der keines” BWV 25.1 – Double Fugue: "Es ist nichts Gesundes an meinem Leibe" BWV 31.2 – Double Fugue: “Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret” BWV 39.1 – Choir Fugue: “Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot” BWV 45.1 – Preludium (3 Fughettas) bar 1 - 37 Fugue bar 54 - 77 Fugue bar 78 - 126 Preludium (3 Fughettas) bar 169 - 186: “Es ist dir gesagt, Mensch, was gut ist” BWV 46.1 – Preludium and Fugue: “Schauet doch und sheet” BWV 47.1 – Double Fugue: “Wer sich selbst erhöhet” BWV 50.1 – Permutation Fugue: “Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft” BWV 54.3 – Aria Double Fugue: “Wer Sünde tut, der ist vom Teufel” BWV 63.1 – “Denn der Strahl, so da einbricht” bars 132 - 159 BWV 63.7 – Two Double Fugues: Höchster, schau in Gnaden an”” BWV 64.1 – Choir Fugue: “Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget” BWV 65.1 – Choir Triple Fugue: “Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen” BWV 67.1 – Sinfonia and Double Choir Fugue: “Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ” BWV 68.5 – Double Choir Fugue: “Wer an ihn gläubet” BWV 69.1 – Double Fugue: “Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele” BWV 71.3 – Choir triple permutation Fugue: “Dein Alter sei wie deine Jugend” BWV 75.1 – Preludium and Double Fugue: “Die Elenden sollen essen” BWV 76.1 – Preludium and Fugue: “Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes” BWV 79.1 – Fugue: “Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild” BWV 102.1 – Sinfonia and Choir Fugue: “Sie haben ein härter Angesicht” BWV 103.1 – Sinfonia and Double choir Fugue: “Ihr werdet weinen und heulen” BWV 104.1 – Choir: “Du Hirte Israel, höre” BWV 105.1 – Preludium and permutation Fugue: “Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht” begins at m.47 BWV 106.2a2 – Fugue: “In ihm leben, weben und sind wir” BWV 106.2d – Fugue stile antico: “Du mußt sterben!” BWV 106.4b – Double Fugue: “Durch Jesum Christum, amen” BWV 108.4 – Triple Choir Fugue: “Wenn aber jener, der Geist der Wahrheit” BWV 110.1 – Grave Fugue (BWV 1069) Grave: “Unser Mund sei voll Lachens” BWV 119.1 – Fugue: “Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn” BWV 119.7 – Fugue: “Der Herr hat Guts an uns getan” BWV 131.1 – Choir Fugue: “Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir” BWV 131.3 – Preludium and Choir Fugue: “Ich harre des Herrn, meine Seele harret” BWV 131.5 – Motet and Triple Fugue: “Israel, hoffe auf den Herrn” BWV 136.1 – Two Choir Fugues: “Erforsche mich, Gott” BWV 144.1 – Fugue: “Nimm, was dein ist, und gehe hin” BWV 147.1 – Sinfonia and Fugue: “Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben” BWV 148.1 – Double Choir Fugue: “Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens” BWV 150.2 – 3 Fugato's and Choir Fugue: “Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich” BWV 150.4 – 1 Fugato and 1 Fugue: “Leite mich in deiner Wahrheit” BWV 150.6 – Preludium and Fugue: “Meine Augen sehen stets zu dem Herrn” BWV 152.1 – Permutation Fugue (BWV 536 Organ) BWV 165.1 – Fugue: “O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad” BWV 171.1 – Choir Fugue: “Gott, wie dein Name” BWV 176.1 – Choir Fugue: “Es ist ein trotzig und verzagt Ding” BWV 179.1 – Motet mirror Double Fugue stile antico: “Siehe zu, daß deine Gottesfurcht nicht Heuchelei sei” BWV 181.5 – Double Fugue: “Laß, Höchster, uns zu allen Zeiten” BWV 182.2 – Choir Fugue: “Himmelskönig, sei willkommen” BWV 186.1 – Choir Fugue: “Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht” BWV 187.1 – Sinfonia and Choir Fugue: “Es wartet alles auf dich” BWV 191.1 – Double permutation Fugue: “Gloria in excelsis Deo” BWV 191.3 – Choir Fugue: “Sicut erat in principio” BWV 195.1 – Preludium and Fugue: “Dem Gerechten muß das Licht” BWV 196.2 – Choir Fugue: “Der Herr denket an uns und segnet uns” BWV 198.7 – Choir Fugue stile antico: “An dir, du Vorbild großer Frauen” BWV 213.7 – Fugue: “Auf meinen Flügeln sollst du schweben”

Motets BWV 225.1 – Fugue: “Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied” BWV 225.3 – Fugue: “Lobet den Herrn in seinen Taten” BWV 226.1a – Fugue: “Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf” BWV 226.1b – Double Fugue: “Der aber die Herzen forschet” BWV 227.2 – Fugue: “Die nicht nach dem Fleische wandeln BWV 227.6 – Double Fugue: ”Ihr aber seid nicht fleischlich sondern geistlich” BWV 230.1 – Double Fugue + Simultaneous Fugue + Fugue: “Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden" BWV Anh.160.1 – Fugue: “Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt” Klaus Hoffmann 1983: composed by Bach, Festschrift Alfred Dürr, p. 126-140.

Liturgal works in Latin BWV 232 – Mass in B minor: Credo in unum deum, Confiteor unum baptisma, etc. BWV 233.6 – Double Choir Fugue: “Cum Sancto Spiritu” BWV 235.1 – Double Fugue: “Kyrie eleison” BWV 236.1 – Missa: “Kyrie eleison” BWV 236.2 – Missa: ”Gloria in excelsis Deo” BWV 236.6 – Missa: “Cum Sancto Spiritu” BWV 243.7 – Choir Fugue: “Fecit potentiam in bracchio suo”

Quodlibet BWV 524 – "Ist doch der Backtrog" & "Ei, was ist das vor eine schöne Fuge!" Hochzeits-Quodlibet

Organ fugues BWV 531 – Prelude and Fugue in C major BWV 532 – Prelude and Fugue in D major BWV 532a – Fugue in D major (alternative version of BWV 532) BWV 533 – Prelude and Fugue in E minor BWV 534 – Prelude and Fugue in F minor BWV 535 – Prelude and Fugue in G minor BWV 535a – Prelude and Fugue in G minor (alternative, simplified version of BWV 535) BWV 536 – Prelude and Fugue in A major BWV 536a – Prelude and Fugue in A major (alternative version of BWV 536 based on the original manuscript) BWV 537 – Fantasia (Prelude) and Fugue in C minor BWV 538 – Toccata and Fugue in D minor ("Dorian") BWV 539 – Prelude and Fugue in D minor BWV 539a – Fugue in D minor (see BWV 1000 for the lute arrangement, movement 2 of BWV 1001 for the violin arrangement) BWV 540 – Toccata and Fugue in F major BWV 541 – Prelude and Fugue in G major BWV 542 – Fantasia and Fugue "Grand" in G minor BWV 542a – Fugue in G minor (alternative version of the fugue from BWV 542) BWV 543 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor BWV 544 – Prelude and Fugue in B minor BWV 545 – Prelude and Fugue in C major BWV 545a – Prelude and Fugue in C major (alternative version of BWV 545) BWV 545b – Prelude, Trio and Fugue in B-flat major (alternative version of BWV 545)Novello published: J. S. Bach: Prelude, Trio and Fugue in B Flat. Walter Emery contributed an erudite and extensive editorial note highlighting two key issues: Is the work really by Bach as the title claims? And why, on the original manuscript, now in the British Museum catalogued as RCM 814, did Benjamin Cooke seek to attribute it to his predecessor John Robinson, organist of Westminster Abbey up to 1762? Organists immediately recognise it is a version of the Prelude and Fugue in C (BWV 545). Cellists soon identify the central Trio as being almost identical with the Finale of the G minor Gamba Sonata (BWV 1029). In addition there is an interpolated 14 bar Adagio and a 5 bar Tutti just before the Fugue which are otherwise unknown. Walter Emery states "There are doubts about the authenticity of the scheme as a whole. ... If entirely authentic it represents a structural experiment unique among his organ works." The composition was unknown to Wolfgang Schmieder when he compiled his Index in 1950 so at the time of publication it had no BWV number. Bärenreiter, when preparing their complete edition of the organ works in 2009, for which they claim "all sources have been extensively researched", included it in Volume 11 as BWV 545b. The second question is: Why did Dr Cooke make a copy of the work and claim it was by John Robinson? At the end of the Fugue, Cooke wrote: "By the late Mr. John Robinson Organist Predecessor to B.C." A faint, anonymous pencilled note follows saying: "It is curious that Dr Cooke should not have known this fine fugue was the composition of Sebastian Bach, not John Robinson". Cooke had been associated with Robinson for twenty years and would have known he was no composer. Walter Emery posits every possibility including the slim one that Cooke had a hope of showing posterity his predecessor was a composer. To summarise, the reader must choose between two possibilities:

That the Benjamin Cooke copy is an entirely genuine Bach composition. That someone came upon the Prelude and Fugue in C for organ, and the Trio in some form or other, decided to put them together, transposed the prelude and fugue and added the Adagio and Tutti. There would be a need for sufficient technique to play the demanding Trio; also the Westminster Abbey organ had no pedals until 1778. Walter Emery posited that the question of transposition is probably the key to the Cooke text, and must be discussed in detail. ... A copy of the music is available from the 'print on demand' service offered by Chester Music / Novello & Co at Musicroom.com. One of Walter Emery's expressed aims was "to dispel doubts by putting the work in general circulation so that it can be freely discussed by experts." The first performance was given in Canada in 1958 by Hugh McLean (former Organ Scholar to Boris Ord at King's); public performances since then have been rare. BWV 546 – Prelude and Fugue in C minor BWV 547 – Prelude and Fugue in C major "9/8" BWV 548 – Prelude and Fugue in E minor "Wedge" BWV 549 – Prelude and Fugue in C minor BWV 550 – Prelude and Fugue in G major BWV 551 – Prelude and Fugue in A minor BWV 552 – Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major "St. Anne" (published in Clavier-Übung III) Eight Short Preludes and Fugues (553–560) BWV 553 – Short Prelude and Fugue in C major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs) BWV 554 – Short Prelude and Fugue in D minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs) BWV 555 – Short Prelude and Fugue in E minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs) BWV 556 – Short Prelude and Fugue in F major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs) BWV 557 – Short Prelude and Fugue in G major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs) BWV 558 – Short Prelude and Fugue in G minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs) BWV 559 – Short Prelude and Fugue in A minor (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs) BWV 560 – Short Prelude and Fugue in B-flat major (spurious, possibly by Johann Tobias Krebs) BWV 561 – Fantasia and Fugue in A minor (spurious) BWV 562 – Fantasia and Fugue in C minor (fugue unfinished) BWV 563 – Fantasia with imitation in B minor (spurious) BWV 564 – Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major BWV 565 – Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 566 – Toccata and Fugue in E major BWV 566a – Toccata in E major (earlier version of BWV 566) BWV 567 – Prelude in C major BWV 568 – Prelude in G major BWV 569 – Prelude in A minor BWV 570 – Fantasia in C major BWV 571 – Fantasia (Concerto) in G major (spurious) BWV 572 – Fantasia in G major BWV 573 – Fantasia in C major (incomplete, from the 1722 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach) BWV 574 – Fugue in C minor BWV 574a – Fugue in C minor (alternative version of BWV 574) BWV 575 – Fugue in C minor BWV 576 – Fugue in G major BWV 577 – Fugue in G major "à la Gigue" (spurious) BWV 578 – Fugue in G minor "Little" BWV 579 – Fugue on a theme by Arcangelo Corelli (from Op. 3, No. 4); in B Minor