Fugue in D Major, BWV 874 (WTC, No. 29)

William Thomas Best (13 August 1826 — 10 May 1897) studied at Carlisle Cathedral under John Norman and Abraham Young. Organist of the Pembroke Road Chapel, Liverpool, 1840-55; the Church for the Blind, Liverpool, 1847; the Royal Panopticon, Leicester Square, London, 1853-54; Lincoln’s Inn Chapel, 1854; St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London, 1855; St. George’s Hall, Liverpool, 1855-94; Wallasey Parish Church, Birkenhead, 1860-63; Holy Trinity, Liverpool, 1863; West Derby Parish Church, 1879. He was engaged in 1871 to give recitals at the Royal Albert Hall (stayed for only a short time), and was the solo Organist at the Handel festival at the Crystal Palace. Opened the organ in Sydney Town Hall, 1890. He was one of the greatest English Organists of his time, and received a Civil List pension of £100 per annum. Best composed church services, anthems, as well as many organ transcriptions and solo pieces.

Best was certainly the most famous British organist of the time, and was proclaimed by none other than Franz Liszt to be THE greatest virtuoso on ANY instrument!

Best made several arrangements from Bach's "Well Tempered Clavier." This one is the fugue from the fifth prelude and fugue in the Second Book. I believe that it is quite "famous," and scholars debate what Bach actually intended for performance.

I have not attempted to play this in a "Bach correct manner," but have played it in a way that would have been the manner that I think Best would have performed it.

I continue to struggle greatly - stamina, pain, and most of all an absolute roller coaster horror ride with my hearing. I'm trying to force myself to do some work, despite the impact that my miseries are causing.

Your thoughts and prayers are deeply appreciated by me.

Attached below is the score and two photos of W. T. Best, as well as photos of some of the churches at which he served.