This work's authenticity is doubted because all sources older than the 19th-century published score (Bach's Complete Keyboard Works by C.F. Peters in Leipzig, edited by Griepenkerl, published in 1847) have been lost. The first edited score was based on a manuscript owned by Forkel.

It is extremely difficult to prove that it is an authentic work by Bach based on the available sources. However, the simplicity of its style and writing does not constitute decisive evidence of a forgery. If one removes the title "Fugue," structural similarities can be found with works such as the Capriccio BWV 993. Furthermore, the ascending theme with repeated eighth notes bears a strong resemblance to the Fantasia BWV 571 for organ, and the frequent use of parallel motion and accompaniment-like chords in the latter half of the piece is also common.

Three contrasting motives can be found in this piece: the repeated eighth notes on the same pitch that clearly announce the beginning of the theme, the sixteenth notes that gradually ascend and descend in a series of turns, and the dynamic arpeggiated chords. The arpeggiated chords only appear towards the end of the piece. Then, the music, which had been progressing slowly and hesitantly, suddenly flows out with a sense of expansion. Eventually, the accompaniment also absorbs the previous thorn-like appoggiaturas and is sublimated into a smooth linkage of quarter notes. (At this point, especially on modern pianos, care must be taken to ensure that the chords do not sound sharp or heavy.)

While such a structure is too simple for a fugue, it is a concise and charming work that effectively utilizes its lively rhythm.