This fugue utilizes the famous B-A-C-H motif as its primary subject. It is a brilliant display of Classical era contrapuntal mastery applied to a revered German theme.
At Henle 7 this is a late-advanced work — the technical demands are serious and sustained. The main demands: independent voices that must each sing on their own line; fine finger independence within the hand; and fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo.
Beyond that, expect precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece, and ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in.
The primary challenge is the rapid, clear articulation of the BACH motif across varying registers.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Chromatic Fugue on BACH, W.YA 50 is rated Henle level 7 of 9 — late advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grade 8 and above. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 9.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 7 — meaning you can already play level 6–7 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Chromatic Fugue on BACH, W.YA 50 lasts about 5 minutes.
Chromatic Fugue on BACH, W.YA 50 is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Chromatic Fugue on BACH by Johann Christian Bach, Bergamasca by Girolamo Frescobaldi, Blah by Frederic Rzewski — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.