Christophe rousset plays these pieces on the 1628 ruckers harpsichord of antwerp, one of the best examples of its kind in the world. Now at the peak of his maturity, the artist presents bach musical testament. Many of bachs clavier works were written more for teaching purposes rather than for actual performance. Js bach was open to use many different forms of keyboards and he equally enjoyed playing the organ, harpsichord, clavichord, lautenclavicymbel lutekeyboard, e. A way to hear bach intimately, if barely the new york times. In 1907 landowska visited russia with her harpsichord, and on the second visit two years. Bach the well tempered clavier, book i, bwv 846869. Belder uses two different instruments, one for each book. Aa collection of piano sonatas ba series of preludes and fugues in every key ca book of harpsichord exercises. The clavichord, the harpsichord, the organ, the pedalharpsichord. List of fugal works by johann sebastian bach wikipedia. In addition to being outstanding pianists, each has recorded bachs well tempered clavier and received great praise. The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742. During the last 300 years, different methods were used to tune the keyboard instruments.
Jul 06, 2020 instruments bach may have composed this for include the harpsichord, clavichord, and the organ more on this later. Written 20 years after the first volume, book ii contains the musical and spiritual legacy of the composer. Moreover, some two hundred years before bachs time, an equal temperament was achieved on picked string instruments, such as the lute. Johann sebastian bach well tempered clavier keyboard. In all of books i and ii, there appear to be only three examples where both. These preludefugue pairs cycle through all 24 possible major and minor tona. Bach was ahead of the builders and was creating harpsichord music that would be unrefined on a harpsichord of the day. Trevor pinnock to release first recording of bachs well. Gustav leonhardt, johann sebastian bach the welltempered. Nov 07, 2018 the second part of the well tempered clavier was compiled by bach in 1744. All these years later i have finally purchased book two, featuring mr. Books i and ii pieterjan belder hpd period instruments brilliant 93892 4 cds. He found the harpsichord, or clavicembalo, incapable of the gradations of tone obtainable on the clavichord. Edited by sir donald francis tovey, fingerings by harold samuel.
Bach, of the prelude of the well tempered clavier book i, no. The two sets of 24 preludes and fugues book 1 dating from 1722 and book 2 from. The development of well temperament allowed fixedpitch instruments to play reasonably well in all of the keys. By 1742, the pianoforte or fortepiano invented by cristofori was becoming popular with keyboard players, and bach may have equally had this instrument in mind along with the harpsichord when composing this second set. The well tempered clavier by bach david piano play it. The well tempered clavier, book i, bwv 846869 prelude and fugue no. Apr 02, 2021 until this weekend, most versions id heard of the well tempered clavier were played on piano glenn gould and others and, correct me if im wrong, but i believe ralph kirkpatrick played a nonpedal harpsichord. English 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. My performance of the welltempered clavier book i on. The clavichord, largely overlooked so far in periodinstrument bach. 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 question of which instrument to use for the welltempered clavier1 is quite vexing, and. Book one of the well tempered clavier is performed on the piano while book two is performed on the harpsichord.
Bach completed the first book while employed at the royal court in kothen. She has premiered works by mark janello, graham lynch, frank j. The swiss harpsichordist michel kiener studied with anneke uittenbosch and gustav leonhardt in amsterdam and won the prestigious international harpsichord competition in bruges in 1977. Till fellner records bachs well tempered clavier book i.
For this listener his piano keyboard bach is more interesting than his harpsichord bach and im not at all certain why he elected to change instruments. It explores the intricacies of each of the 12 major and 12 minor keys and constitutes the largestscale and mostinfluential undertaking for. Before the well tempered tuning method was applied, some scales were not practical to use. Download bach the well tempered clavier, book i, bwv 846869 in pdf and mp3 for free and without s from. The welltempered clavier contemporary classical wiki. Collectors seeking an attractive supplement to our reference harpsichord well tempered clavier cycles will find much to admire here. The famous well tempered clavier by johann sebastian bach takes full advantage of this breakthrough, with pieces written in all 24 major and minor keys.
The prelude is steadily and earnestly flowing, producing a polyphonic aria of rare beauty, similar to what js bach has achieved in book 1 prelude f. Generations of composers learned the art of counterpoint by playing and studying this. At any rate, the sound of the pedal harpsichord on isolde ahlgrimms version has been a real revelation. The best recordings of js bachs the welltempered clavier. The well tempered clavier, composed in 1722 and 1744 and widely considered bachs pinnacle of keyboard music, is divided into two books, each containing 24 preludes and fugues, with each prelude and fugue moving successfully upwards in key, starting with c major. In bachs time clavier keyboard was a generic name indi. For his recording of the complete well tempered clavier by johann sebastian bach, kiener uses an excellent instrument by william dowd, made in 1978 from an. Harpsichord, but it is questionable whether bach had a correct instrument in. Carrangements for keyboard and brass instruments dlesser known composittion 2. The well tempered clavier, book 2, preludes and fugues 1724 gould. Together the two volumes of the welltempered clavier consist of 24 preludes paired with 24 fugues. Bach, andras schiff the welltempered clavier, book 2. Welltempered clavier book ii bwv 870893 discography part.
Book i of bachs welltempered clavier on 10 april 2020. Together the two volumes of the well tempered clavier consist of 24 preludes. British harpsichordist and conductor trevor pinnock will release his first ever recording of book i of bachs welltempered clavier on 10 april 2020. Wanda alexandra landowska 1879 1959 was a polish harpsichordist whose performances, teaching, recordings and writings played a large role in reviving the. More great recordings of js bachs the welltempered clavier. Welltempered clavier, book 2, prelude and fugue no.
The beauty of the instruments and their transparent. 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. Johann nikolaus forkels remark that bach composed the first part at a time when he lacked. Bachs klavierbuchlein 1720 there is an almost complete collection of prelude and fughetta versions predating the 1722 autograph, known from a later copy by an. Book ii is played on a harpsichord built by cornelis bom after a model by ruckers, but it doesnt say which one. Wanda landowska plays wtc bach the well tempered clavier. Book one of the welltempered clavier is performed on the piano while book two is performed on the harpsichord.
The first book of the welltempered clavier was composed in the early 1720s, with bachs autograph dated 1722. The only keyboard instruments, other than the organ, with which bach is associated in references dating from his lifetime are the harpsichord, the lautenwerk, the pianoforte, and the nonspecific clavier. There are two terms in the title well tempered clavier which need an explanation. The crowning skill in that mastery was the ability to play with equal facility in all keys on the well tempered keyboard. Klavierbuchlein fur wilhelm friedemann bach wikipedia. His music combines profound expression with clever musicomathematical feats, like fugues and canons in which. The welltempered clavier, book ii bwv 870893 wtc 2. The collection takes advantage of the knowledge that though keyboard instruments have different mechanisms and produce distinctive sounds, any reasonably competent player can move from one to another without difficulty. Apart from the early versions of several preludes included in w. Generally it can be said that the harpsichord is the most natural instrument to perform all. Theres even one by yours truly of a 36cd brilliant classics collection containing the complete scarlatti keyboard sonatas. The well tempered part is a bit more difficult to explain. Was the welltempered clavier performable on a fretted.
Amongst keyboardists, the second part has a reputation for being rather more impressive in performance but also sitting more comfortably in the hands in contrast to part i. Johann sebastian bachs idea of composing a collection of preludes and fugues in all major and minor keys was new and revolutionary in. Bach wrote hundreds of pieces for organ, choir, as well as many other instruments. The welltempered clavier part ii bwv 870893 details g. Js bach, the welltempered clavier book 1, detailed comments. Bachlehman temperament naxos halperin 2009 wtc, book 1. It is the first prelude and fugue in the first book of the well tempered clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer. For book 2 he chose to play a harpsichord rather than the.
The interpretation of bachs welltempered clavier, book 1. 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. The well tempered 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. What is the significance of the welltempered clavier. The welltempered clavier is a collection of two books of keyboard music. The eight recent recordings included in the study constitute most of the recordings of the complete well tempered clavier presently listed in the leading record catalogue.
He gave the title to abook of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys, dated 1722, composed for the profit and use of musical youth desirous of learning, and especially for the pastime of those already skilled in this study. Only a few pedestrian selectionsthe book 1 b minor, book 1 a minor, and book 2 bflat minor fuguesfall below schornsheims generally high standard of inspiration. Learn about the welltempered clavier by baroque german composer, j. Apr 02, 2021 in friedrich guldas recording of the well tempered clavier two significant events in the history of western music meet. The swiss harpsichordist michel kiener presents his interpretation of the timeless classic, bachs well tempered clavier. Raymond smullyan the well tempered clavier, book i, bwv 846869 prelude and fugue no.
Provided to youtube by warner classics international well tempered clavier, book 2, prelude and fugue no. In bachs time clavier keyboard was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord. Jan 31, 2021 he titled it simply twentyfour preludes and fugues with no reference to the well tempered clavier. Informed by the spikier sound of the harpsichord, schiff avoids the temptation to smudge bachs. The audio files in the subsections to this chapter are taken from my recording project of book 1 of the well tempered clavier. Clavier dated 1722, johann sebastian bach assembled a part two in the same. The welltempered clavier contemporary classical wiki fandom.
Among the most charismatic classic accounts from yesteryear are glenn goulds brilliant, if manic and richters expansive and lyrical, but my definitive choice would be swiss pianist edwin fischer, who made the first complete recording in. 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. After some 30 years of practice and experiments with various kinds of keyboards, i finally ended up to prefer using organ sounds in order to interpret bachs keyboard music, especially the well tempered clavier. As ledbetter writes in more in detail, there is no singled out keyboard instrument of the baroque age that js bach had in mind when he wrote the welltempered clavier. Austrian music for harpsichord and clavichord igor kipnis. Book i is played on a harpsichord built by bruce kennedy after a model by german maker michael mietke c. Michel kiener undertook both his piano and harpsichord studies in the classes of louis hiltbrand 1972 and isabelle nef 1975 at the local conservatory of music, where he won the prize of virtuosity in both disciplines. Apr 18, 2000 book one of the welltempered clavier is performed on the piano while book two is performed on the harpsichord. The welltempered consort i by phantasm on apple music.
The welltempered clavier, paired mahan esfahani program. In bachs time clavier keyboard was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding an organ either. Each book contains 24 relatively free, improvisatory preludes, each of which precedes a fugue. There is no easy answer to the question of which type of instrument is most. Harpsichord, clavichord, organ, even a littleknown keyboard instrument called the lautenwerk lute harpsichord that had gut strings and sounded like a lute, all could. The welltempered clavier bwv 846893, bv b 25 busoni, ferruccio see. The prelude and fugue in c major, bwv 846, is a keyboard composition written by johann sebastian bach. Bachs well tempered clavier is one of the cornerstones of western classical music. If my reaction to book i was tepid, it was more than thawed by my enthusiasm for book ii. 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. Yet bach never indicated that a particular work was to be played on the clavichord. For book 2 he chose to play a harpsichord rather than the piano and his playing is as you would expect. It originates in the years of 197273, the highand endpoint of the collaboration between the austrian pianist and the soundsorcerer from villingen, germany, hans georg brunner. He spent most of his life as a church organist and a choir director.
963 670 614 481 367 450 864 710 562 1382 1487 536 750 40 1205 761 1142 90 989 1186 315 1026 599 634 633 535 930 71 377 1343