Bach's Prelude in C major from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, is an iconic piece known for its gentle, rolling arpeggios that create a sense of serene contemplation. Its simplicity belies its profound effect and foundational role in piano repertoire.
Achieving a smooth, even flow of arpeggios while maintaining a singing tone in the implied melody requires dedicated practice.
Prelude in C major (BWV 846) is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 3.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 3 — meaning you can already play level 2–3 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 Prelude in C major (BWV 846) lasts about 2 minutes.
Prelude in C major (BWV 846) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.