Using the tuning which research suggests bach himself advocated, richard egarr completes his acclaimed project with this inspired reading of book ii, where bach after a decadelong genesis. The welltempered clavier, book 1, prelude and fugue no. Even so, not once was i compelled to climb the roof to frolic with beechams skeletons. His playing is delicate, wellinformed without falling into the hip category, and an overall joy to listen to. 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. Bach the well tempered piano complete import id like to pick out two elements of this great recording. Such thoughts perhaps passed through bach s mind too when surveying his own keyboard output, and the profound differences in. There are many fine recordings of bach s 48 on both piano and harpsichord, but christophe rousset has something special to offer here a gorgeous ruckers instrument of 1628 which has an ideal. Provided to youtube by universal music group prelude no. The fugues are from kyle rothers lillypond engraving. 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. Download a free and public domain recording and musical. Welltempered clavier book ii played by daniel barenboim p. Well tempered clavier book i by wanda landowska and tens of millions of other.
For most arrangements, see the separate pages for the individual preludes and fugues. Continue from part 2 donald satz wrote june 4, 2000. Bachs welltempered clavier which collection to buy. From all the works written in the baroque era, no other work has been so wellcherished, frequently performed and. Bach welltempered clavier book 2 virgin veritas 3857952 bw. 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 wtc score was written to be compatible with any type of keyboard instrument. His playing is delicate, well informed without falling into the hip category, and an overall joy to listen to. Bach the welltempered piano complete import id like to pick out two elements of this great recording. Bach composed a paired prelude and fugue in each of the 24 keys to demonstrate the viability of the new equal. Best harpsichord recording of bach s well tempered clavier book 1 welcome to talk classical a community covering every aspect of classical music. 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. Performers of bachs instrumental works index to recordings. Free sheet music for the complete 48 preludes and fugues of the well tempered clavier by j.
The well tempered clavier, book 1 bwv 846869 the well tempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with exceptionally high artistic contents. I dont find this reknowned edwin fischer recording of js bach s well tempered clavier, book ii meets the threshold. The harpsichord is a beautiful flemishfrench one recent research shows it is rather more french than flemish that has a rich and deep, and yet bright and clear sound. Johann sebastian bach welltempered clavier, book 1. Johann sebastian bach was a noted german composer, keyboardist, and violinist. For others however, bachs welltempered clavier offers a assurance. 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 ii, bwv 870893 arthur loesser, piano the master tapes for this recording were made in mr. The well tempered clavier, or preludes and fugues through all tones and semitones, relating to the major third, that is, ut re mi, as well as those related to the minor third, that is, re mi fa.
To those who listen to bach casually, this new recording of the welltempered clavier, by till fellner, is sheer pleasureits legato line clean, graceful, and intelligently colored, its sound picture warm. In some of the areas, the fingering is driving me crazy. This prelude is an intentionally simple series of chord arpeggios, walking through some modulations in the vicinity of and returning back to c maj. Jarrett opts for a nofrills approach, though he has made a bold decision in recording the first book on piano and the second on harpsichord. Best harpsichord recording of bachs welltempered clavier.
The first twentyfour preludes and fugues of the welltempered clavichord. 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. Bachs welltempered clavier is one of the cornerstones of western classical music. Kenneth weiss teil ii nr 1 bwv 870 cdur sinfonia tanzfuge 0. The preludes are from the open welltempered clavier project, and were made using musescore software. The welltempered clavier, book 1, preludes and fugues. The only time he uses the sustain pedal is on one of the fugues that is impossible to play without the pedal a minor fugue, book 2, written for organ. 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 bach s. The welltempered clavier, book 1 complete to enjoy in your home or car, or gift it to another music lover. Notable performances there are lots of recordings of the welltempered clavier available, and one can find them easily either through itunes and amazon, or in the more specialist eshops, such as presto one can find even rare records, such as giesekings or pollinis recordings of the welltempered clavier. Prelude in d major continuous semiquavers from the right hand and a staccato bass line makes this prelude very joyous and playful. Download a free and public domain recording and musical score. If my reaction to book i was tepid, it was more than thawed by my enthusiasm for book ii. This is a very fine well tempered clavier and goes way beyond experiment, taking some of the finest keyboard music ever written into stunning new realms.
Dating from the mid 1930s, these recordings feature acceptable but mediocre sound with a fair amount of background noise. Johann sebastian bach bio, albums, pictures naxos classical. Keith jarretts live welltempered clavier resurrected. Booth uses the same harpsichord his own copy of a doublemanual nicholas cellini instrument of 1661 and tuning. 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. 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. Landowska really packs a wallop in the preludes and then goes on to flay and filet the fugues. Best harpsichord recording of bachs welltempered clavier book 1. Best harpsichord recording of bachs welltempered clavier book 1 welcome to talk classical a community covering every aspect of classical music.
This text is a free companion to the ebook playing the baroque harpsichord di. In bachs time clavier keyboard was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding. Two hours of listening to a harpsichord can induce aural fatigue, dehydration and hydraulic issues. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The welltempered clavier this is a reissue of recordings made of the welltempered clavier in new york in 1992 book i and 1995 book ii by russianborn pianist vladimir feltsman. It is also true that two keyboards were specifically required by j. The well tempered clavier book 2 scrolling duration. Weve begun with the well tempered clavier the prelude and fugue in cminor from book 1. Essentially a series of preludes and fugues written for keyboard students and enthusiasts, the welltempered clavier consists of generally short pieces, each its own microcosm of energy and ideas.
Building a harpsichord from a kit produces a secondrate instrument, if not. The welltempered clavier, book 1, preludes and fugues 18 to enjoy in your home or car, or gift it to another music lover. On points of taste there are one or two pieces i like less than others, such as the rather choppy fugue in c sharp major from book ii, but these would all be minor observations. The welltempered clavier cd 1 5638 no 1 in c major bwv846 404 1 prelude 208 2 fugue 156. Bach welltempered clavier book 2 virgin veritas 3857952.
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. There are many fine recordings of bachs 48 on both piano and harpsichord, but christophe rousset has something special to offer here a gorgeous ruckers instrument of 1628 which has an ideal. His works such as the brandenburg concertos are known for their technical depth and artistic beauty. The well tempered clavier book ii, bwv 870893 arthur loesser, piano the master tapes for this recording were made in mr. Bach set off on an unprecedented passage through all the tonalities available to him on the keyboard. 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. He plays bach on the piano with no pedal, which is how i prefer my bach to sound. 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. Continue from part 1 donald satz wrote february 16, 2001.
One of my favorites is the subtlety bach employs to express various themes and. Loessers studio at the cleveland institute of music in 1964 by kenneth hamann. This is a very fine welltempered clavier and goes way beyond experiment, taking some of the finest keyboard music ever written into stunning new realms. The third thing to say is that there are many different types of harpsichord, including ones which sound like lute.
The welltempered clavier, book i till fellner, piano ecm 185354 2 cds. Nov 30, 2015 the preludes are from the open well tempered clavier project, and were made using musescore software. Notable performances there are lots of recordings of the well tempered clavier available, and one can find them easily either through itunes and amazon, or in the more specialist eshops, such as presto one can find even rare records, such as giesekings or pollinis recordings of the well tempered clavier. Bach wrote or arranged his harpsichord concertos principally for the use of himself and his sons with the. It is almost three years ago since richard egarr recorded book 1 of bachs welltempered clavier harmonia mundi hmu 907432.
The welltempered clavier, book 1 bwv 846869 the welltempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with exceptionally high artistic contents. This 2cd set completes the superbargainprice reissue of bob van asperens recording of the complete welltempered clavier, book i having already been reissued on 3 49963 2. By and large i enjoyed it, while remarking that egarr perhaps laid greater emphasis on bachs declared didactic purpose than on its bravura elements. 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. S welltempered clavier the, book 2 jando by johann sebastian bach. David stancliffe gave a warm welcome on this site to colin booths recording of wtc book i when it appeared nearly two years ago and i am happy to confirm that his followup recording of book ii is equally fine. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. 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. Johann sebastian bach welltempered clavier, book 1, bwv846. Selections from the well tempered clavier, book ii by glenn gould on amazon music.
547 1244 420 512 1036 1381 311 1252 1675 328 463 1198 200 65 462 876 1601 161 1267 76 120 1587 1454 202 111 1574 677 1102 202 309 696 1083 422 1445 957 1120 644 413 1171 830 1092 1491 600 710 1053 963