Bach classical the preludes and fugues that make up bachs welltempered clavier operate on multiple levels at once theyre a compilation of techniques for keyboard writing, a. S welltempered clavier the, book 1 landowska 19491951 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, resurrecting the instrument and taking a scholarly approach to the performance of music from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Book 1 and book 2 of the well tempered clavier are 2cds each not full cds though, so only the 4cd set contains the complete work. He was later regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time, celebrated for such pieces as the brandenburg concertos and the welltempered clavier. The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, is a collection of two sets of preludes and fugues in. The fugue is arguably one of the hardest bach wrote and only has 2 voices quasi 2 part invention. Best harpsichord recording of bachs welltempered clavier. Concerning egarr, i find him lacking in vitality, sharpness and depth. Bachs opus the well tempered clavier, considered among the landmarks of keyboard composition. Choose from 105 different sets of bach fugue prelude flashcards on quizlet. When i was a student at juilliard precollege, presenting a prelude and fugue from bachs welltempered on your jury was a yearend ritualthat is, a prelude and fugue from bachs welltempered, book i. The acclaimed baroque harpsichordist and cofounder of the cafe zimmermann ensemble, celine frisch presents a compelling program devoted to the first part of j. Bach well tempered clavier book ii prelude and fugue no. Recognised as a foundation of excellence in playing technique and.
Johann sebastian bach, composer of the baroque era and member of a large family of north german musicians. Bachs monumental collection of 48 preludes and fugues better known as the well tempered clavier was issued in two volumes. The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742. His works such as the brandenburg concertos are known for their technical depth and artistic beauty. Discussion in music corner started by brstp, feb 1, 2007. From all the works written in the baroque era, no other work has been so wellcherished, frequently performed and. 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. Bach is said to have written book i of the welltempered clavier, at least in part, in a place where ennui, boredom, and the absence of any kind of musical instrument forced him to resort to this pastime. We made this video during the audio sessions for the forthcoming recording of the welltempered clavier, book 2. Licensed to youtube by the orchard music on behalf of arts productions ltd song praeludium and fuga a 3 voci bwv 872. Well, i couldnt let that pass, even though its been, four years since it was issued. Bach did not specify the instrument to be used for these pieces, and the.
The first thing to say is you may want to get yourself a well tempered clavier played on a clavier which is well tempered. The welltempered clavier book two rebecca pechefsky, harpsichord quill classics qc 102. Also, i take great care in the preparation of informative booklet notes. 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. However, the most recent releases are only available as cds, as the sound quality is far more realistic and therefore more enjoyable. 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.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Short octave keyboards eliminated bass notes for which there was little use. 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. The welltempered clavier, book ii by ralph kirkpatrick and tens of millions of other songs on all your devices with amazon music unlimited. The welltempered clavier, book 1 bwv 846869 the welltempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with exceptionally high artistic contents. Welcome to talk classical a community covering every aspect of classical music. S 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. A sensual trill sets the tone of this pleasant prelude.
By joining our community you will have access to post topics. Theres a certain purity in schiffs approach to playing bach, at least in this collection of the 48. Till fellner records bachs well tempered clavier book i. S bachs harpsichord works collection the well tempered. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features.
This masterwork has for three hundred years been considered bachs greatest contribution to keyboard music. Johann sebastian bach was a noted german composer, keyboardist, and violinist. It is a piece in three tempi for three parts with sustained notes in one part, a decorative little motif with fast notes in. Ranking of difficulty of well tempered clavier preludes. The welltempered clavier, book 1, bwv 846869 by richard egarr and tens of. Preludes and fugues through all tones and semitones name translations. That, and his restraint in using the sustain pedal on the piano. Welltempered clavier book ii bwv 870893 bach cantata. The best recordings of js bachs the welltempered clavier.
Teil i nr 2 bwv 847 cmoll figuriertes praludium tanzfuge 4. Best harpsichord recording of bachs welltempered clavier book 1. Bach loved numbers, symbolism, and symmetry, so this is very likely his way of showing that. A proper analysis of js bachs welltempered clavier is therefore simply a must for anybody who takes playing the 48 seriously. The well tempered clavier, book 1 by keith jarrett. The welltempered clavier, book i, bwv 846869 prelude fugue in c major, bwv 846. On this two disc arta set, lithuanian harpsichordist, giedre luksaite mrazkova plays on a 1995 copy. With his first recording of the well tempered clavier book 1 pinnock explores the summit of bachs intellectual and contrapuntal mastery my journey with the well tempered clavier has been life long. Wilson emailed me, asking if i would like him to send me a copy of his recording of the goldberg variations that teldec deleted a. For me, hes about the best bach harpsichordist ive heard. The well tempered clavier, book 1 to enjoy in your home or car, or gift it to another music lover. These values are based on a survey of tempi for seven different sets of tempo markings two by commentators and five by editors. Selections from the well tempered clavier, book ii by glenn gould on amazon music.
Welltempered clavier book ii bwv 870893 bach cantatas website. Beausejour plays in a refreshingly straightforward manner with no silly antics or. Glen wilson is an exceptional bach harpsichordist whose well tempered clavier is available on teldec best harpsichord version on the market. Here is some info on range i found in a paper by richard loucks. Books i and ii pieterjan belder hpd period instruments brilliant 93892 4 cds. Free sheet music for the complete 48 preludes and fugues of the well tempered clavier by j. Welcome to the official maple lab tempo visualizer for js bachs well tempered clavier book 1. Christoph wolff, johann sebastian bach, the learned musician, page. The welltempered clavier, book 1, bwv 846869 prelude fugue in c. Bachthe well tempered clavier, book 2 by kirkpatrick, ralph from amazons classical music store. The first book was completed by 1722 with the second from around 174243. The buzz around this latest release of bachs welltempered clavier has been andras schiffs remarks about how each set of preludes and fugues, written in different keys, conveys color to the pianist. According to the norwegian harpsichordist ketil haugsand, who lives in germany, g major is the lightest of all the keys. The first volume is what harpsichordist luc beausejour has recorded here and what a solid performance it is.
Bach conjures up an infectious little masterpiece from next to nothing. Preludes and fugues the welltempered clavier, by j. This is especially true for the longer pieces, only few can really understand those in detail merely based on musical instinct and talent i, for instance, cant. I also said that i very much looked forward to his account of book 2 well 8 years later finally its. In bach s time clavier keyboard was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding. Harpsichordist rebecca pechefsky plays the prelude and fugue in d minor, bwv 875. The well tempered klavier by johann sebastian bach has to be one of the highest points in the history of western music. The genesis and early history of bachs welltempered clavier, book ii. I know there have been discussions of ranking the difficulty of the well tempered clavier for example, bartok, but it is my understanding that those take into account the fugues as well.
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