Bachs welltempered clavier is one of the cornerstones of western classical music. The well tempered clavier, book i 1722 complete recording by pfaul, a. For book 2 he chose to play a harpsichord rather than the piano and his playing is as you would expect. Js bach was open to use many different forms of keyboards and he equally enjoyed playing the organ, harpsichord, clavichord, lautenclavicymbel lutekeyboard, e. His explorations led to an astonishing achievement two books of 24 pre. Some 20 years later bach compiled a second book of the same kind, which became known as the well tempered clavier, part. 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. It is generally far more difficult than book 1 however, with greater technical and structural difficulty for the performer. For book 2 he chose to play a harpsichord rather than the. Music recordings by ralph kirkpatrick ralph kirkpatrick. Such thoughts perhaps passed through bachs mind too when surveying his own keyboard output, and the profound differences in. 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. Provided to youtube by universal music group prelude no. Welltempered clavier book ii bwv 870893 discography part.
Some 20 years later bach compiled a second book of the same kind, which became known as the well tempered clavier, part two in. 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. Welltempered clavier, book 2 fugue in g minor, bwv 885 j. The well tempered clavier is one of the most thrilling collections of harpsichord music ever created, every one is truly a masterpiece. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features.
Best harpsichord recording of bachs welltempered clavier. Bach, johannes sebastian welltempered clavier book 2. Buy well tempered clavier 2 by keith jarrett from amazons classical music store. Selections from the well tempered clavier, book ii by glenn gould on amazon music. Sviatoslav richter bach welltempered clavier ii part 2. Teil ii, bwv 870893 the well tempered clavier, book 2. Collectors seeking an attractive supplement to our reference harpsichord welltempered clavier cycles will find much to admire here. Feb 26, 2009 the partitas and suites still crop up very regularly in piano recitals, while new recordings of the well tempered clavier are far more likely to be played on that anachronistic instrument than on.
The well tempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742. The complete selection of keys and styles is truly delightful. The well tempered clavier, book 1 bwv 846869 the well tempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with exceptionally high artistic contents. Welltempered clavier book 1 keith jarrett audio cd keith jarrett is such a fine musician that he, as a composer as well as a performer and a jazz interpreter as well as a classics interpreter, knows when to simply let the written notes be played the way they were written. Johann sebastian bach well tempered clavier keyboard. The cover image was commissioned from the young german photographer moritz kerkmann and the sound balance, as in all our recent recordings, is the inimitable work of jiri heger. Johann sebastian bachs idea of composing a collection of preludes and fugues in all major and minor keys was new and revolutionary in the second decade of the 18th century, particularly when considering that the tuning in use up top then distributed pure and impure intervals irregularly. Landowska harpsichord bach well tempered piano wtk vol. Bach the welltempered clavier, books 1 and 2, bwv 846893 andrei gavrilov, joanna macgregor, nikolai demidenko, angela hewitt euroarts 2050308 2 dvds.
Welltempered clavier book i bwv 846869 discography part 7. 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. Jeffrey middleton performs bachs well tempered clavier. 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. Johann sebastian bach js bachs 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. Completed by 1742, book 2 was intended as a complement to book 1, not as a replacement. Most piano students would start to learn and be taught the well tempered clavier at some point as their music lessons get more serious and into the higher levels. The well tempered clavier book 2 scrolling youtube. 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. Bach set off on an unprecedented passage through all the tonalities available to him on the keyboard. Bach the welltempered clavier, book 2 wanda landowska. Jeffrey middleton piano one soul recordings plr2004.
Best harpsichord recording of bachs welltempered clavier book 1. 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 well tempered clavier. Hello select your address best sellers gift ideas new releases deals store coupons amazonbasics gift cards customer service sell registry gift. In jill crosslands own words, no other music is so perfect an integration of emotional. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The welltempered clavier, book ii by ralph kirkpatrick and tens of millions of other songs on all your. Elizabeth anderson the welltempered clavier, book 2, part 2. 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 bachs time clavier keyboard was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding an. The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, is a collection of two sets of preludes and fugues in. Amazing performence but i dislike the picture read more. Best harpsichord recording of bachs well tempered clavier book 1 welcome to talk classical a community covering every aspect of classical music.
Reading along with the recording on a sheet score is always fun, too, for the amateur musician, especially when your own playing is too poor to. Sep 07, 2017 the two volumes of bachs the welltempered clavier together represent a wealth of musical invention, ingenuity and delight. Book ii of her recording of bachs welltempered clavier was made between 1951 and 1954 at her home in lakeville. The booklet also contains a detailed presentation of the ruckerstaskin harpsichord 1646 1780 and all the texts are presented in english, french and german. Recorded at one soul studios, new york city, ny, usa.
Free sheet music for the complete 48 preludes and fugues of the well tempered clavier by j. 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. The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742. Eminent bachspecialist sir andras schiff here performs book i. Bachs fugue in g minor from the welltempered clavier, book 2 bwv 885. I gave it 5 stars and remarked that is was the finest account of the work that id heard and despite the passage of time my view has not changed one jot. Buy bach the welltempered clavier, book 2 wanda landowska by johann sebastian bach, wanda landowska from amazons classical music store. 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. I only like about half the pieces in bachs book ii of his well tempered clavier composed c. S welltempered clavier the, book 2 beausejour when luc beausejour recorded book i of the welltempered clavier 8. It explores the intricacies of each of the 12 major and 12 minor keys and constitutes the largestscale and mostinfluential undertaking for. If my reaction to book i was tepid, it was more than thawed by my enthusiasm for book ii.