The fugue’s chromatic lines form the Greek letter Chi (χ)—a symbol for Christ and the cross. Bach merges these descending and ascending lines to depict both suffering and triumph.
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The final 14 bars of the fugue symbolize resurrection and victory. Bach embeds his name (B+A+C+H=14), marking the end of the Well-Tempered Clavier with his personal musical signature.
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Bach believed music’s purpose was to glorify God and re-create the soul. This fugue, in contrast to the sorrowful WTC I B minor fugue, represents the renewal of the mind and spirit.
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Bach’s Cantata BWV49, Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen (I go forth and seek with longing), links the passepied to wedding imagery, portraying the union of Christ and the soul. The fugue’s dance echoes this theme of divine love and ultimate redemption.
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Cantata BWV22, composed when Bach sought a Leipzig position, contains another passepied. It conveys spiritual renewal—a joyful dance that paradoxically longs for the death of the old self.
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Lutheran theology sees death as transformation, not loss. Bach’s fugue and cantatas express the idea that spiritual renewal comes through suffering, leading to ultimate joy.
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The WTC I and WTC II B minor fugues form an Alpha (α) and Omega (Ω) pair—one representing suffering, the other joyful redemption. Bach’s final fugue is a dance of the re-created soul.
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Through dance, theology, and counterpoint, Bach transforms his final WTC fugue into a celebration of faith, suffering, renewal, and divine joy. A masterpiece of both music and devotion.
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