When considering Bach's A major, one might recall Invention No. 12, Sinfonia No. 12, or the A major from Book II of the Well-Tempered Clavier, recognizing it as a very calm and optimistic key. The A major from Book I is no different. However, if one were not informed, this prelude might easily be mistaken for a fugue.

I will offer some advice for performing this prelude.

Tempo

As it is a calm and optimistic key, avoid a hurried feeling. To also avoid heaviness, a tempo of approximately quarter note = 84, neither too fast nor too slow, might be appropriate.

Theme

The theme begins in the right hand in measure 1 and extends to the first right-hand note, G-sharp, in measure 4. While the locations of the theme are easy to identify and will be omitted here, performers should prioritize making the theme audible each time it appears.

Suspension

In Japanese, a suspension is called "keiryūon" (掛留音). The term may not be immediately intuitive in either language. It is a type of non-harmonic tone where a member of the previous chord is sustained or "held over" into the new chord. To illustrate with the score: in measure 2, the E on the first beat in the left hand is the E from measure 1, sustained by a tie. Normally, an A would appear on the first beat of measure 2; however, the A is delayed and appears on the off-beat due to the sustained E. This non-harmonic tone, the suspension, creates a unique effect. Since a suspension (keiryūon) is a non-harmonic tone, the following note is its resolution.

Therefore, in this case, even if the E is played strongly, the A should be played more softly than the E. Such instances can be observed in many places throughout this prelude. Please look at the right hand in measure 7. The downbeats of beat 1 and beat 3 are suspensions. In this case, too, accent the downbeat, and play the off-beat so that it fades. This is called a double suspension, an example where two or more voices are suspended simultaneously.

There are other instances of suspensions, so please follow the aforementioned guidelines.