For book 2, to view originals is a more complex exercise, given the lack of the one authoritative original from js bachs hand and the fragmentation of historical copies see the work of yo tomita for more info on this. Book 2 of the welltempered clavier was collected from 1738 and probably completed by 1742, about twenty years after book 1. Note that every pepper location is abiding by all federal, state, and local regulations regarding covid19, as well as cdc guidelines. Composed about 20 years apart, the two sets of 24 preludes and fugues that constitute the two books of johann sebastian bachs welltempered clavier didnt start off as one huge collection of 48 works in fact, the set of 24 preludes and fugues composed in 1742 were not issued as a sequel to the original wtc of 1722. Glenn gould 1932 1982 bach the welltempered clavier. 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 two major primary sources for this collection of preludes and fugues are the.
We work thru a lot of stuff like that in my lessons. Learn the well tempered clavier with free interactive flashcards. The g major fugue is fast and fun mostly arpeggios. Prelude and fugue in b minor, bwv 869 bach, johann sebastian. Master tracks available here lossless files are 96 khz24bit, compressed with flac. Free sheet music for the complete 48 preludes and fugues of the well tempered clavier by j. Theres even one by yours truly of a 36cd brilliant classics collection. Welltempered clavier prelude and fugue 12 in f minor bwv857. Notes from kimiko ishizakas open welltempered clavier.
By building a major and minor diatonic 7 tones scale from each of the 12 semitones, we arrive at 24 keys, the complete circle of fifths, and the number of preludefugue pairs in each book of the welltempered clavier. Obviously there are certain points of detail which are always open to. Id buy book 2, learn these, and then go back to book 1. The link to which the comment is referring that a motive from the bflat minor prelude in book i is recycled for use in the bflat minor prelude of book ii is the most explicit and clearly intentional such likeness that i know of in the well. Ten years ago angela hewitt recorded a version of the welltempered clavier book i which dazzled the critical world and recordbuying public. The well tempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742.
Choose from 33 different sets of the well tempered clavier flashcards on quizlet. Some of the preludes of the welltempered clavier based on dances are the f minor, book 2. Song the welltempered clavier, book 1prelude and fugue no. 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. Now, fresh from her bach world tourin which she performed the complete welltempered clavier from august 2007 until the end of october 2008 in 58 cities in. Aug 14, 2010 they both run about the same difficulty. Prelude c minor the c min prelude of book 1 finds a parallel in wilhelm friedemann bachs clavierbuchlein keyboard booklet and, as ledbetter points out, it is quite clearly an exercise to make all fingers of both hands busy which, today, may seem nothing special, but at jsbs time it was a rather modern concept. Theres even one by yours truly of a 36cd brilliant classics collection containing the complete scarlatti. 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. He was born on or near march 21 1685 and died on july 28, 1750. 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.
I d buy book 2, learn these, and then go back to book 1. The f major fugue is fast but not really very complicated, if youve played something like a gigue from a french suite. 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. 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. 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. His works such as the brandenburg concertos are known for their technical depth and artistic beauty. Well tempered clavier book 1 from christiane jaccottet. Prelude and fugue in c minor and well tempered clavier. Johann sebastian bach was a noted german composer, keyboardist, and violinist. Prelude and fugue in f minor from welltempered clavier.
The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742. In a typical sarabande, the accentuation often happens on the second beat but. The well tempered clavier, book 1 bwv 846869 the well tempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with exceptionally high artistic contents. Some of the preludes and fugues date from the 1720s. This website is incredibly resourceful, and one can especially check the 1722 original of the well tempered clavier book 1. Song the well tempered clavier, book 1prelude and fugue no. Jandos recordings of bachs welltempered clavier rank among his very bestbrilliant, sensitive, giving all the inner voices of the music full play.
Second, the theme features a dramatic and expressive leap of a minor 9th the big jump upwards between the 2nd and 3rd notes. The two volumes of bachs the welltempered clavier together represent a wealth of musical invention, ingenuity and delight. By building a major and minor diatonic 7 tones scale from each of the 12 semitones, we arrive at 24 keys, the complete circle of fifths, and the number of preludefugue pairs in each book of the well tempered clavier. Prelude and fugue in f minor, from welltempered clavier book i johann sebastian bach. The welltemperedclavier, book ii wtc 2 french title. Which book of bachs well tempered clavier is easier overall. And in the sentimental piety of the fugues in aflat major and b major with their tender elisions of phrases something of the deep harmoniousness of some later fugues in book two of the welltempered clavier 1744 is prefigured. Such thoughts perhaps passed through bachs mind too when surveying his own keyboard output, and the profound differences in sensibility that distinguish. For an alternative reading of the welltempered clavier. 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. Notes from kimiko ishizakas open well tempered clavier. Sir andras schiff plays the welltempered clavier, book ii. It was followed shortly afterwards by book ii which was similarly received. One of the 48 pieces is dedicated to someone or something you love or honor.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. 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. First, it is one of the rare fugues with five voices there are two in book 1 of the well tempered clavier, and none in book 2. Well tempered clavier complete recordings of both books na recording list. Lossy files have been converted with lame, mp3 vbr v0. The first instance to look at, which is also the most authoritative one, is to study the composers original manuscripts. My main intention for depositing this information in the internet is to make available to my students and colleagues the most uptodate information when available. Johann sebastian bach the welltempered clavier, book 1. Apart from the early versions of several preludes included in w. Provided to youtube by entertainment one distribution us book i. The score is from the open welltempered clavier project, and was made using musescore software. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the creative. Jandos recordings of bachs well tempered clavier rank among his very bestbrilliant, sensitive, giving all the inner voices of the music full play.
If you are a beginner or an advanced player, the question which score to use is always an important topic. And sometimes something i like, he doesnt so we negotiate well sortof, cuz hes usually right anyway, hang in there and just enjoy the process. 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. This chapter is an extract from my critical commentary, vol. Start studying prelude and fugue in c minor and well tempered clavier. The first book of the welltempered clavier was composed in the early 1720s, with bachs autograph dated 1722. 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. The haunting fivevoice fugue in bflat minor has several characteristics which are notable. This is a most amazing performance of the book ii of the. Sir andras schiff plays the welltempered clavier, book ii prelude.
First, it is one of the rare fugues with five voices there are two in book 1 of the welltempered clavier, and none in book 2. Which book of bachs well tempered clavier is easier. Sir andras schiff plays the welltempered clavier, book ii prelude in f minor. This is a most amazing performance of the book ii of the well tempered clavier, with mr. If youre a devotee of a particular pianist in this repertoiregould, schiff, richter, kempff, etc. We know it was intended in some way to acknowledge its predecessor simply because the title page of most copies includes the words zweiter teil part two, though english usage is generally books 1 and 2, but it.
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. Preludes and fugues the welltempered clavier, by j. Aldwell enunciating the various voices of the fugues in the clearest and most creative possible manner, and bringing his awesome originality to the preludes as well. The fortyeight preludes and fugues that make up the two books of the welltempered clavier were compiled at two different timesthe first book in 1722 while bach was in. The fortyeight preludes and fugues that make up the two books of the welltempered clavier were compiled at two different timesthe first book in 1722 while bach was in kothen and in 1742 in leipzig. Fugue i in c major, bwv 846 well tempered clavier first book.
This edition of johann sebastian bachs famous keyboard work the welltempered clavier was edited by ferruccio busoni, who also added historical information and a large number of performance notes that will relate to piano performance. A, e, b and fsharp majors where the tonecolour is modulated in the most subtle way. It is tempting to imagine that bach chose these details as clever, creative constraints. Bach, the welltempered clavier, book i, prelude no 12 in f. 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. Fugue i in c major, bwv 846 well tempered clavier first.
Prelude and fugue in f minor from welltempered clavier book. Bach, the well tempered clavier, book i, prelude no 12 in f minor, bwv 857. Bach composed a paired prelude and fugue in each of the 24 keys to demonstrate the viability of the. Are there any musical motifs connecting the welltempered. 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. The b minor fugue of book 2 refers us back both to the the f major fugue of book 1 which also draws on the rhythm of the passepied, and to the monumental final work in that volume with which it shares a key signature, and sets there a fresh set of associations, both for the dance and for the key of b minor. Complete score of the welltempered clavier, book 1, by johann sebastian bach open welltempered clavier project. The well tempered clavier flashcards and study sets quizlet.