Download a free and public domain recording and musical score. Welltempered clavier, part i johann sebastian bach. Weve begun with the well tempered clavier the prelude and fugue in cminor from book 1. Loessers studio at the cleveland institute of music in 1964 by kenneth hamann. 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. I would appreciate any info on ranking of the difficulty of the preludes in the well tempered clavier. In 1722, johann sebastian bach published a book of 24 fugues in each of the 12 major and minor keys. Generations of composers learned the art of counterpoint by playing and studying this. General features of f the three preludefugue pairs missing from l. Analyze the prelude and fugue from bach s well tempered clavier. Please feel free to comment on any notation engraving error complete.
Prelude in d major continuous semiquavers from the right hand and a staccato bass line makes this prelude very joyous and playful. The well tempered clavier is generally regarded as one of the most influential works in the history of western classical music. One can learn the entirety of both well tempered clavier books in a year, i would estimate, but it would take a lifetime to master. The well tempered clavier consists in its entirety of two books, each of 24 preludes and fugues, in which there is one for each major and minor key. It is the fourth prelude and fugue in the first book of the well tempered clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer. Assignment 1 analysis of bach prelude in c major wtc 11 due. 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. Book 1 was written in 1722 towards the end of bachs period as capellmeister at cothen and book 2 appeared some twenty two years later in 1744.
Yet nothing drags, because the pianists superb contrapuntal acumen, imaginative ornamentation and quietly strong sense of. Theres even one by yours truly of a 36cd brilliant classics collection containing the complete scarlatti keyboard sonatas. One of my favorites is the subtlety bach employs to express various themes and emotions. Indepth analysis and interpretation, siglind bruhn has crafted 48 jewels of her own, 48 elegant and eloquent visualizations of bach s precious fugues. Some of the preludes and fugues date from the 1720s. In some of the areas, the fingering is driving me crazy. Johann sebastian bach well tempered clavier i audio. Johann sebastian bach well tempered clavier i audio recording pf 16. The best recordings of js bachs the welltempered clavier. The well tempered clavier by bach david piano play it. He made a manuscript of the welltempered clavier i that can be. Such thoughts perhaps passed through bach s mind too when surveying his own keyboard output, and the profound differences in sensibility that distinguish the second volume of the. S well tempered 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.
Written for the use and profit of musical youth, the first of the two books of the 48 appeared in 1722, the second following some 20 years later. Well tempered clavier book 2 by johann sebastian bach. 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. Shop and buy well tempered clavier book 2 sheet music. Continue from part 2 donald satz wrote june 4, 2000. Johann sebastian bach was a noted german composer, keyboardist, and violinist. Here are some of my observations regarding the 48 preludes and fugues found in book i and book ii of johann sebastian bach s the well tempered clavier, in no particular order. An early version of the prelude, bwv 846a, is found in the klavierbuchlein fur wilhelm friedemann bach. Which published edition of this work would you all recommend for me so that i can get the fingering right. Pienaar shows great range in taking on the extraordinarily wide range of styles represented in this body of work, and all four albums in this series prove. Johann sebastian bach the well tempered clavier book two. List of keyboard and lute compositions by johann sebastian bach. Keyboard and lute works is the topic of the fifth series of the new bach edition.
Bach the well tempered claiver book 2 feinberg youtube. Download bach well tempered clavier public domain sheet music from the. Preludes and fugues the welltempered clavier, by j. Ranking of difficulty of well tempered clavier preludes. Bach welltempered clavier book 2 virgin veritas 3857952. Each of these fugues were proceeded by a prelude in. This 2 cd set completes the superbargainprice reissue of bob van asperens recording of the complete well tempered clavier, book i having already been reissued on 3 49963 2. The well tempered clavier book 2 scrolling duration. An astonishing demonstration of bach s mature understanding of the compositional techniques and. Continue from part 1 donald satz wrote february 16, 2001. Complete score of the well tempered clavier, book 1, by johann sebastian bach open well tempered clavier project.
Through her generosity, they are provided here at earsense where they play an. Print and download in pdf or midi the open well tempered clavier. 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. Bach composed a paired prelude and fugue in each of the 24 keys to demonstrate the viability of the new equal. 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. Bachs welltempered clavier, book ii wtc ii is one of his works whose. S welltempered clavier the, book 2 jando by johann sebastian bach. The prelude and fugue in csharp minor, bwv 849, is a pair of keyboard compositions by johann sebastian bach. Books i and ii pieterjan belder hpd period instruments brilliant 93892 4 cds. Please note the id wristband is for content id dispute purposes. Prelude and fugue in csharp minor, bwv 849 wikipedia. In bachs time clavier keyboard was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding. 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. Perhaps this is why robert levin alternates between four instruments.
Ive only played one prelude from this book so far and. One can learn the entirety of both welltempered clavier books in a year, i would estimate, but it would take a lifetime to master. Bachs welltempered clavier is one of the cornerstones of western classical music. Its book 2 counterpart proves no less multicoloured. Such thoughts perhaps passed through bachs mind too when surveying his own keyboard output, and the profound differences in. 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. The well tempered clavier book 2 scrolling youtube.
Free sheet music for the complete 48 preludes and fugues of the well tempered clavier by j. This prelude is an intentionally simple series of chord arpeggios, walking through some modulations in the vicinity of and returning back to c maj. Over two hours of bach s preludes and fugues in one go is some task for anyone to have to listen to. On the other hand, the book 2 c major fugues gradual winding down in the final bars seems deliberate and purposeful, while woodward varies his articulation of book 1s c sharp minor preludes arpeggiated chords to hypnotic effect. The welltempered clavier, book 2 by jorg demus on amazon music. Open welltempered clavier bah to bach by robert douglass.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In bach s 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. The solemn and expressive, recitative character of the melody is reminiscent of bachs passion music. 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. An exceptionally great well tempered clavier played with deep expressiveness and intelligence, danielben pienaar blends the gentle with the strong in this recording for a brilliant interpretation of johann sebastian bach s solo piano music. This perennial topseller from the 1850s quoted the bach prelude of the. The prelude and fugue in c major, bwv 846, is a keyboard composition written by johann sebastian bach. Bach prelude 12 f minor well tempered clavier book 1 bwv 857 duration. Over two hours of bachs preludes and fugues in one go is some task for anyone to have to listen to. 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 prelude 20 a minor well tempered clavier book 1 bwv 865 bach idealized. He gave the title to a book 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. The well tempered clavier book ii, bwv 870893 arthur loesser, piano the master tapes for this recording were made in mr. Bach loved numbers, symbolism, and symmetry, so this is very likely his way of showing that he intended to write 24 fugues altogether. The title of bachs welltempered clavier refers to the new system of tuning keyboard. His works such as the brandenburg concertos are known for their technical depth and artistic beauty. Volume 2 consists of daniel estrems transcriptions of 21 pieces from johann sebastian bach s well tempered clavier along with 5 works from other sources. A fivedisc well tempered clavier usually signifies measured tempi and all repeats observed, and thats mostly true of roger woodwards recording. 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. Customers and visitors can download classical music in high quality flac or mp3 and find out more about classical music.
Well tempered 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. Unless youre angela hewitt or glenn gould i would recommend mastering only a select few preludes and fugues rather than being okay. Bach loved numbers, symbolism, and symmetry, so this is very likely his way of showing that. Well tempered clavier book i, prelude c major we start our analysis with the, so to say, entry door into the 48, the well tempered clavier book i, prelude c maj.
Johann sebastian bach js bach s well tempered clavier consists of two collections book i ii of preludes and fugues pf, each book going through all tones and semitones, thus climbing the 12 semitones from c to b, and presenting a pf for each tone in both major and minor key, making it 24 pf per book, and in total 48 pf the 48. One of the 48 pieces is dedicated to someone or something you love or honor. 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. Comments to book i audio about and contact 1 wtc 1 prelude fugue c major, bwv 846. 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. S bach well tempered clavier for the piano book i pf various. Bachs welltempered clavier ii, read at the british musicology conf. Like thinkgreenlovepiano already said, i think all of them are very enjoyable to listen to, but some suggestions for the first book. The well tempered clavier is two books of music for solo keyboard by js bach, the first written in 1722, and the second twenty years later in 1742. 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. Johann sebastian bach welltempered clavier, book 1. Piano, pianokeyboard sheet music book by johann sebastian bach 16851750. Book 1, part 1 the open well tempered clavier sheet music.