This praeludium in E minor is another classic five-section Buxtehude praeludium. It consists of three free toccata-like sections and two fugues. As is often the case with Buxtehude praeludia, the two fugue subjects are thematically related. The second fugue subject is a variation on the first in 3/4 instead of common time. One unique trick that Buxtehude plays in this praeludia is at the end of the first free section where he uses a motive that has been at play all through the toccata passage work as a point of imitation. One might even argue that this wave of imitation at the end of this section could be seen as yet one more fugal section, but the imitation only lasts long enough for the subject to pass through each voice.

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