Praeludium et Fuga (d Moll), Op. 603, No. 6

Carl Czerny (21 February 1791 – 15 July 1857) was an Austrian composer, teacher, and pianist of Czech origin whose vast musical production amounted to over a thousand works. He was born in Vienna (Leopoldstadt) to parents of Czech origin; his mother was Moravian. He came from a musical family: his grandfather was a violinist and his father was an oboist, organist and pianist. A child prodigy, Czerny began playing piano at age three and composing at age seven. In 1801, Czerny was presented to Beethoven, who accepted him as a pupil. Czerny remained under Beethoven's tutelage for the next three years. As a teacher, his most famous pupil was Franz Liszt. Czerny left Vienna only to make trips to Italy, France (in 1837, when he was assisted by Liszt) and England. After 1840, Czerny devoted himself exclusively to composition. He wrote a large number of piano solo exercises for the development of the pianistic technique. He died in Vienna at the age of 66. He never married and had no near relatives. His large fortune he willed to charities (including an institution for the deaf), his housekeeper and the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna, after making provision for the performance of a Requiem mass in his memory.

According to his list of works, Czerny composed six Preludes and Fugues for the Organ. This one, in D Minor, is the last of the group. Although brief, it makes an impressive statement. The massive chords of the prelude, spread over a double pedal is striking. The fugue is tight and attractive, although somewhat "disappointing" as there is no independent pedal part. This work is splendid on the 1832 Van Dam organ of the Grote Kirk in Tholen. In this recording, you are hearing the organ at the maximum distance from the instrument. To me, this is the spot that all the wonderful sounds of the plenum really coming together.

The score is attached.