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. Prelude and fugue in c minor and well tempered clavier. Books i and ii pieterjan belder hpd period instruments brilliant 93892 4 cds. All these years later i have finally purchased book two, featuring mr. Andras schiff and the bach project the washington post. 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. Aug 02, 2017 the preludes and fugues that make up bachs welltempered clavier operate on multiple levels at once theyre a compilation of techniques for keyboard writing, a polemic on the. Bach loved numbers, symbolism, and symmetry, so this is very likely his way of showing that he intended to write 24 fugues altogether. For most arrangements, see the separate pages for the individual preludes and fugues.
He plays bach on the piano with no pedal, which is how i prefer my bach to sound. The welltempered clavier, book ii 1740 complete recording by breemer, c. Sep 07, 2017 the two volumes of bachs the welltempered clavier together represent a wealth of musical invention, ingenuity and delight. The well tempered clavier, book ii to enjoy in your home or car, or gift it to another music lover. Bach, andras schiff the welltempered clavier, book. It was the ultimate workbook, open to constant change and refining by bach himself. It is generally far more difficult than book 1 however, with greater technical and structural difficulty for the performer. The well tempered clavier, book 1 bwv 846869 the well tempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with exceptionally high artistic contents. In bac h s time cla vier was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavic hord but not excluding an organ either the modern german spelling for the collection is. 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. Bach, well tempered clavier book 1, fugue 2, c minor, bwv 847, kimiko ishizaka. Please note the id wristband is for content id dispute purposes.
The well tempered clavier, book i live in troy, ny 1987 keith jarrett. This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. The well tempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742. Extending the variety already evident in book i available on 2.
It explores the intricacies of each of the 12 major and 12 minor keys and constitutes the largestscale and mostinfluential undertaking for. Of course this is a very personal interpretation and each of you may have a different opinion. Apart from the early versions of several preludes included in w. A lyrical or technical work by chopin, schumann, schubert, brahms, liszt, rachmaninoff, scriabin, or other major composer of the nineteenth century. A sinfonia, prelude and fugue from the welltempered clavier, or movement from a suite by j. As a young pianist, andras schiff earned wide esteem for his 1980s recordings of the major keyboard works of j. Bach loved numbers, symbolism, and symmetry, so this is very likely his way of showing that. They were published in two separate books, book i, which was composed in 1722, and book ii, composed in 1744.
Oct 29, 2012 when the pianist andras schiff took a break halfway through his magnificent performance of bachs welltempered clavier, book i, on saturday night at the 92nd street y, the intermission. The preludes and fugues that make up bachs welltempered clavier operate on multiple levels at once theyre a compilation of techniques for keyboard writing, a polemic on the. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. So schiff is performing this sequence of 48 preludes and fugues, collected into two books as the welltempered clavier, on a modern piano in concert halls around the country, as part of a. 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.
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. Jun 19, 2014 bwv890 bwv893 andras schiff, piano oct 1985 prelude and fugue no. The welltempered clavier, book 1 bwv 846869 the welltempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with exceptionally high artistic contents. Schiffs fastpaced movements are brisk and rhythmically smart, with the left. Andras schiff prom 2018 well tempered clavier book ii c256hz. The welltempered clavier, book 2 johann sebastian 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. Bach, andras schiff the welltempered clavier, book 2. The two books of preludes and fugues that make up bachs welltempered clavier one complementary pair in every key of the chromatic scale twice over, 48 in total is one of the greatest.
Schiff imbued the welltempered claviers 24 preludes and fugues with a formidable sense of direction, writes martin kettle. The two volumes of bachs the welltempered clavier together represent a wealth of musical invention, ingenuity and delight. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details may not fully reflect the modified file. Jan 16, 20 schiff threw away his dreary workbooks and began playing bach s preludes and fugues from the well tempered clavier instead. Distinguished bach specialist sir andras schiff returned to the bbc proms in 2018 to present book ii of the welltempered clavier. Aware, though never a card carrying member, of the historically informed movement, schiff pushed at a. The well tempered clavier, book ii by andras schiff. Bwv890 bwv893 andras schiff, piano oct 1985 prelude and fugue no. 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. 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. Such thoughts perhaps passed through bachs mind too when surveying his own keyboard output, and the profound differences in.
Eminent bachspecialist sir andras schiff here performs book i. Overview and detailed comment sections the well tempered clavier book 1 presents an incredible variety of beautiful and partly highly sophisticated keyboard pieces, each of which it makes sense to devote time to. S welltempered clavier the, book 2 jando by johann sebastian bach. 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. Bach welltempered clavier complete andras schiff pn ecm. Preludes and fugues the welltempered clavier, by j. Bachs welltempered clavier which collection to buy. Why i didnt buy book two i dont know, although i remember considering the account by andras schiff. From all the works written in the baroque era, no other work has been so wellcherished, frequently performed and. The first book of the welltempered clavier was composed in the early 1720s, with bachs autograph dated 1722. In jill crosslands own words, no other music is so perfect an integration of emotional. The crucial organic relationship he establishes between prelude and fugue, meanwhile, remains unimpeachable even when contrasting the french delicacy of book 2 s c sharp minor prelude with the irresistible. Schiffs bach sings and dances, and has a clarity derived from a mesmerising touch and an aversion to the sustain pedal. Part 2 of andras schiffs bach project at 92y by bachtrack for.
The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742. 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. 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 well tempered clavi er, 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 seba stian bach. 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. This prelude is an intentionally simple series of chord arpeggios, walking through some modulations in the vicinity of and returning back to c maj. Bachs is supreme finger music, and from beginning to end schiff makes no use of the. The episode has an 89% score on rotten tomatoes and has an average rating of 8. 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. 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.
Andras schiff plays welltempered clavier, at 92nd street y. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details may not fully reflect the. Aldwells performances are an outstanding demonstration of the operation of instinct and insight, imagination and understanding, wrote richard dyer in the boston globe. Completed by 1742, book 2 was intended as a complement to book 1, not as a replacement.
Each set consists of twenty four preludes and fugues in all of the major and minor keys in ascending order. Bachs welltempered clavier for london in the mid1980s, but the passage of time, personal reflection, and improvements in digital recording have contributed to making his second recording of the 48 a necessity, this time on ecm new series. 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. They also said that the problem was not with amazon only, and that most likely the same poor quality files were provided by the label to itunes. Things in the welltempered clavier always come in pairs, but pairs that. 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.
The welltempered clavier is two sets of preludes and fugues for keyboard. A movement of a sonata by haydn, mozart or beethoven. Likewise, his 1989 recording of book ii of the welltempered clavier garnered high praise from musicians, scholars, and critics alike. Theres even one by yours truly of a 36cd brilliant classics collection containing the complete scarlatti keyboard sonatas. Book 11722, book 2 1724 significance of title well tempered. 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. I want to thank andras schiff for this fascinating essay, particularly his ending comment. One of the 48 pieces is dedicated to someone or something you love or honor. Some of the preludes and fugues date from the 1720s. Well tempered clavier, book 2, bwv 870893 by johann sebastian bach. Dec 24, 2012 going back to schiff s well tempered clavier. 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. Terms in this set 11 the welltempered clavierdemonstrates craftsmanship bondering on wizardry. Schiff threw away his dreary workbooks and began playing bachs preludes and fugues from the welltempered clavier instead.
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