Prélude no. 8 en mi bémol mineur, BWV.853

The Prelude and Fugue in E♭ minor, BWV 853 is the eighth pair of preludes and fugues in the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach, compiled around 1722. After the cheerful lightness of E♭ major, Bach reserves the first tragic encounter in his harmonic journey for E♭ minor.

The prelude, marked by a meditative character, introduces a fugue of considerable complexity, employing techniques such as canon and augmentation, similar to those found in The Art of Fugue. The fugue appears in the enharmonic key of D♯ minor, although some editions present it in both D♯ minor and its enharmonic equivalent, E♭ minor.

The two books of The Well-Tempered Clavier are widely regarded by composers and educators as important reference works. First circulated in manuscript form among musicians and later published in the early 19th century, they have been used both for the enjoyment of listeners and as foundational material in the study of keyboard technique and composition since their creation.