The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, is a collection of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys, composed for solo keyboard by johann sebastian bach. Jandos recordings of bachs well tempered clavier rank among his very bestbrilliant, sensitive, giving all the inner voices of the music full play. Composed about 20 years apart, the two sets of 24 preludes and fugues that constitute the two books of johann sebastian bachs welltempered clavier didnt start off as one huge collection of 48 works in fact, the set of 24 preludes and fugues composed in 1742 were not issued as a sequel to the original wtc of 1722. It can be edifying to study the prelude and fugue in a key in book i and the prelude and fugue in the same key in book ii. Such thoughts perhaps passed through bachs mind too when surveying his own keyboard output, and the profound differences in sensibility that distinguish the second volume of the. Yo tomitas various very resourceful webspaces on the well tempered clavier are always worth the time see here on book 1, here on the sources of book 2, and a selection of midi files can be found here siglind bruhns website on analysis and interpretation of the well tempered clavier is very detailed and substantive see also above. Enharmonic key signatures in bachs well tempered clavier. I think gulda shows a little more variety of pacing and mood in book 1. However, i have never seen bach himself refer to the two books as being one glorious set of 48 preludes and. In thomas manns novel lotte in weimar an old goethe muses on the achievements of his youth and of his maturity the former the work of genius, the latter the work of greatness.
Learn the well tempered clavier with free interactive flashcards. Sep 07, 2017 the two volumes of bachs the welltempered clavier together represent a wealth of musical invention, ingenuity and delight. Deceptive cadence the pianist has such an intimate relationship with the welltempered clavier, hearing him play its kaleidoscopic preludes and. Oct 26, 2011 another example the c major prelude which opens book i sounds like morning sunshine. Bach worked on the second book over a long period of time, even reworking pieces he had written for other purposes, as he had in the first book. Bach welltempered clavier complete andras schiff pn ecm 001733702 4 cds. Unless youre angela hewitt or glenn gould i would recommend mastering only a select few preludes and fugues rather than being okay at all of them. Completed by 1742, book 2 was intended as a complement to book 1, not as a replacement. This invaluable guide to the 96 pieces explains bachs various purposes in compiling the music, describes the rich traditions on which he drew, and provides commentaries for each. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The well tempered clavier, book 1 bwv 846869 the well tempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with exceptionally high artistic contents.
His works such as the brandenburg concertos are known for their technical depth and artistic beauty. The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742. Download a free and public domain recording and musical score. Jeno jando has recorded an enormous swath of the classical piano repertoire for the budget label naxos. Bach composed a paired prelude and fugue in each of the 24 keys to demonstrate the viability of the new equal. I usually love any harpsichord recording by christophe rousset but im afraid that the quality of the sound on both book one and book two is poor. Bachs well tempered clavier arranged for alto and tenor saxophones. The title page is missing from the manuscript, but its similarity to the first book of the well tempered clavier led editors to entitle it book ii.
Bach did not specify the instrument to be used for these pieces, and the clavichord has a softer sound than the clangy harpsichord. Bachswell tempered clavier or the 48 preludes and fugues stands at the core of baroque keyboard music and has been a model and inspiration for performers and composers ever since it was written. Welltempered clavier, book 1, bwv846869 various arrangements. I have been listening to bachs well tempered clavier book 1 and have noticed something intriguing.
So it is unlikely that youll find will book 2 eaiser than book 1. I had reported very favorably on guldas wtc 2nd book and indicated id be buying book l. Welltempered clavier, part i johann sebastian bach. These recordings are classics because nobody has played the well tempered clavier more beautifully. It was the ultimate workbook, open to constant change and refining by bach himself. Book ii of her recording of bachs welltempered clavier was made between 1951 and 1954 at her home in lakeville. The well tempered clavier book 1 scrolling youtube a. The two volumes of bachs the welltempered clavier together represent a wealth of musical invention, ingenuity and delight. For most arrangements, see the separate pages for the individual preludes and fugues. Second, the theme features a dramatic and expressive leap of a minor 9th the big jump upwards between the 2nd and 3rd notes. This website is incredibly resourceful, and one can especially check the 1722 original of the well tempered clavier book 1. Mca classics reissued it on cds around 1992, but it is out of stock and almost impossible to find. From all the works written in the baroque era, no other work has been so well cherished, frequently performed and thoroughly studied than this work of bachs.
His recordings are never less than respectable, and often a good deal more than that. For book 2, to view originals is a more complex exercise, given the lack of the one authoritative original from js bachs hand and the fragmentation of historical copies see the work of yo tomita for more info on this. One is from ton koopman on erato, the other from christiane jaccottet on pilz 16012122. Well tempered clavier flashcards and study sets quizlet. We all know about bachs well tempered clavier which we refer to as book 1 of the 48. Bach, andras schiff the welltempered clavier, book 2. Download a free and public domain recording and musical. Yo tomitas various very resourceful webspaces on the welltempered clavier are always worth the time see here on book 1, here on the sources of book 2, and a selection of midi files can be found here siglind bruhns website on analysis and interpretation of the welltempered clavier is very detailed and substantive see also above.
Such thoughts perhaps passed through bachs mind too when surveying his own keyboard output, and the profound differences in. If you are a beginner or an advanced player, the question which score to use is always an important topic. Unless youre angela hewitt or glenn gould i would recommend mastering only a select few preludes and fugues rather than being okay. I found two sets of bachs wtc book 1 in the used bins a few days ago. Richters painted this one with delicate shades, listen carefully from bar to bar he shades each one slightly differently as if he thought hard about how each bar should sound. Each set consists of twenty four preludes and fugues in all of the major and minor keys in ascending order. Free sheet music for the complete 48 preludes and fugues of the well tempered clavier by j. Bach did not specify the instrument to be used for these pieces, and the clavichord has a. Bach, andras schiff the welltempered clavier, book.
Talking about the welltempered clavier, a very good source to get to the original scores is the website of the state library berlin together with bacharchiv leipzig. It explores the intricacies of each of the 12 major and 12 minor keys and constitutes the largestscale and mostinfluential undertaking for. Bachswelltempered clavieror the 48 preludes and fugues stands at the core of baroque keyboard music and has been a model and inspiration for performers and composers ever since it was written. It is generally far more difficult than book 1 however, with greater technical and structural difficulty for the performer. Johann sebastian bach was a noted german composer, keyboardist, and violinist.
If youre a devotee of a particular pianist in this repertoiregould, schiff, richter, kempff, etc. Welltempered clavier the, book 2 landowska 19511954 wanda landowska, who continued to perform and record up to her death in 1959, was renowned as the greatest harpsichordist of the first half of the twentieth century. One can learn the entirety of both welltempered clavier books in a year, i would estimate, but it would take a lifetime to master. In bachs time clavier keyboard was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding.
It explores the intricacies of each of the 12 major and 12 minor keys and constitutes the largestscale and mostinfluential undertaking for solo keyboard of the baroque era. I would like to recommend ralph kirkpatricks clavichord recording of the welltempered clavier. Well tempered clavier book two prelude 20 duet for alto and tenor saxophone quantity. Well tempered clavier book two prelude 20 duet for alto. The welltempered clavier is two sets of preludes and fugues for keyboard. Bach expands some of the preludes to even greater proportions and writes others in binary form. The well tempered clavier, book one, prelude and fugue no. The austrian pianist jorg demus recorded the well tempered clavier on modern piano for westminster records in the late 1950s. Both volumes appear to be out of print, but i found volume one at cd universe. The well tempered clavier flashcards and study sets quizlet.
Bach loved numbers, symbolism, and symmetry, so this is very likely his way of showing that he intended to write 24 fugues altogether. Some of the preludes and fugues date from the 1720s. Another example the c major prelude which opens book i sounds like morning sunshine. The well tempered clavier book 1 scrolling youtube. Book two of the welltempered clavier dates from 173842 some 20 years after book one and was assembled from both newly composed pieces and various existing preludes and fugues going back a number of years. The first instance to look at, which is also the most authoritative one, is to study the composers original manuscripts. The welltempered clavier book two by rebecca pechefsky on amazon music. Jandos recordings of bachs welltempered clavier rank among his very bestbrilliant, sensitive, giving all the inner voices of the music full play. Bach gave the present title to the work, which was composed for the use and practice of musical youth eager to learn and for the amusement of those already skilled in this study. Well tempered clavier book 1 from christiane jaccottet.
Welltempered clavier here you find 3 complete recordings and several single preludes and fugues of the welltempered clavier by johann sebastian bach. Which book of bachs well tempered clavier is easier. Choose from 33 different sets of the well tempered clavier flashcards on quizlet. Preludes and fugues the welltempered clavier, by j.
Here are some of my observations regarding the 48 preludes and fugues found in book i and book ii of johann sebastian bachs the welltempered clavier, in no particular order. Feb 01, 2007 i would like to recommend ralph kirkpatricks clavichord recording of the well tempered clavier. This invaluable guide to the 96 pieces explains bachs various purposes in compiling the music, describes the rich traditions on. In bachs time clavier was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding an organ either the modern german spelling for the collection is. In jill crosslands own words, no other music is so perfect an integration of emotional.
Welltempered clavier, book 1, bwv846869 various arrangements play streams in full or download mp3 from classical archives, the largest and best organized classical music site on the web. Like thinkgreenlovepiano already said, i think all of them are very enjoyable to listen to, but some suggestions for the first book. First, it is one of the rare fugues with five voices there are two in book 1 of the welltempered clavier, and none in book 2. The work consists of 24 preludes and fugues in each major and minor keys.
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