The welltempered clavier is the title of two collections of preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach. Indepth analysis and interpretation, volume ii siglind bruhn on. Many performers touch the first aspect only briefly and focus on the flow of the music, to be able to express the inner beauty of the work. This comprehensive work book on bachs welltempered clavier should be part of every pianists, piano teachers, and advanced piano amateurs library. Bach the well tempered claiver book 2 feinberg duration. Bach, fugue in e major, welltempered clavier, book ii, bwv 878. Bachs own maturation process but also the impetus for the emerging style and structure of modern keyboard music. The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742. Prelude i in c major, bwv 846 well tempered clavier. Click download or read online button to get johann sebastian bach well tempered clavier book now. Bach fugue nr 22 b flat from well tempered clavier book 2. Im starting to learn bachs fugue in d major from book 1 of the well tempered clavier. The welltemperedclavier, book ii wtc 2 french title. Kimiko ishizaka bach welltempered clavier, book 1 04 fugue no.
Composed about 20 years apart, the two sets of 24 preludes and fugues that constitute the two books of johann sebastian bachs well tempered 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. 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. August 2004 west road concert hall, cambridge, united kingdom. It is the second prelude and fugue in the first book of the well tempered clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer. Prelude and fugue in c minor, bwv 847, is a keyboard composition written by johann sebastian bach.
One can learn the entirety of both welltempered clavier books in a year, i would estimate, but it would take a lifetime to master. Complete score of the well tempered clavier, book 1, by johann sebastian bach open well tempered clavier project. Complete score of the welltempered clavier, book 1, by johann sebastian bach open well tempered clavier project. Such thoughts perhaps passed through bachs mind too when surveying his own keyboard output, and the profound differences in.
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. The chapter considers the possible the relevance of such modes of hearing to eighteenthcentury listeners and employs certain ideas from. Chapter 4 is an analysis of bachs fugue in e major from book ii of the well tempered clavier. Tonight, join denk for analysis and interpretation as he takes a deep dive into four of the most fascinating moments from book 1 of bachs well tempered clavier.
Modern editions usually refer to both parts as the welltempered clavier, book i wtc i and the welltempered clavier, book ii wtc ii, respectively. The well tempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and fugues by johann sebastian bach, published in two books 1722 and 1742. But as you will see in our analysis, there are only 22 complete subjects. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Diagrams intrude on listening by asserting direct linearity and they offer unambiguous ground plans for patterns in time that are existential and often tenuous. Bachs welltempered clavier has been analyzed from almost every angle. The grace and fecundity of the well tempered clavier have thrilled audiences, musicians, and composers for centuries. A general introduction covers topics like the origins of the wtc, the well tempered scale, the clavier at bachs time, the history of the prelude and the background of fugue composition. Incidentally, this subject is an example of double dotting or. The best known of bachs clavier works is the famous set of preludes and fugues called the welltempered clavier. The well tempered clavier flashcards and study sets quizlet. Feb 28, 2014 a monument in the history of western music, the well tempered clavier represents not only the culmination of j. Bachs well tempered clavier the 48 preludes and fugues stands at the core of baroque keyboard music and has been a model and inspiration for performers and composers ever since it was written. In bachs time clavier keyboard was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding.
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. I and ii by johann sebastian bach 1984, paperback at the best online. Download a free and public domain recording and musical score. This gives way to a triple motet fugue, with its even more solemn primary subject entering first in the tenor, then the soprano and bass. The prelude begins with a hint of the aria from bachs goldberg variations, but immediately proves to be a wholly independent piece, although this fantasie, with its rhythmically varied treble melody, retains much of the arias solemnity. Many consider the two books of the welltempered clavier bachs finest keyboard collection.
Bachs famous well tempered clavier, recorded for the first time on organ. Bachs well tempered clavier indepth analysis and interpretation. A detailed guide that analyzes the structural, harmonic and thematic frame of the prelude and the fugue. These preludefugue pairs cycle through all 24 possible major and minor tona. As a quintessential baroque fugue, bachs d major fugue from book 1 of the welltempered clavier will make for suitable illustration of how to analyze a fugue. Bachs well tempered clavier by siglind bruhn, october 1993, mainer intl ltd edition, paperback in english. Through her generosity, they are provided here at earsense where. Each book contains 24 relatively free, improvisatory preludes, each of which precedes a fugue. The introduction covers topics like the origins of the wtc, the welltempered scale, the clavier at bachs time, the history of the prelude, and the background. This comprehensive work book on bachs welltempered clavier should be part. The analysis employs the sdpc gis introduced in chapter 1 to. Book ii of her recording of bachs welltempered clavier was made between 1951 and 1954 at her home in lakeville. Each part consists of twentyfour preludes and fugues, one prelude and one fugue in each of the twelve major and minor keys. Bach compiled this second manuscript only around 1740, although once again some of the preludes and fugues it contains date from a much earlier period.
The episode has an 89% score on rotten tomatoes and has an average rating of 8. Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. 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. Preludes and fugues the welltempered clavier, by j. Browse 33 sets of the well tempered clavier flashcards. Bachs immortal 48 preludes and fugues in all major and minor keys was written for clavier, and in bachs time that could mean any keyboard instrument. The music was written in all 24 major and minor keys for solo keyboard. Summary description kimiko ishizaka bach welltempered clavier, book 1 04 fugue no. He completed the first volume in cothen in 1722 and the second around 16 years later in leipzig. The welltempered clavier confirms a multitude of popular theories in an episode marked by bleak revelations and tragic results. As david ledbetter has pointed out in the 48, the well tempered clavier was, inter alia, js bachs answer to quite provocative publications of j. Phrases of virtually the same length, demarcated by very sonorous cadences, all start in.
The welltempered clavier i by pierrelaurent aimard. The well tempered clavier book 2 scrolling youtube. 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. Part i was completed at cothen in 1722, and part ii was completed at leipzig around 1740. The first part of the wohltemperirte clavier dates from 1722, although it contains some music that was written in the preceding five years.
The well tempered clavier book 2 scrolling youtube chopin. The welltempered clavier, book ii 1740 complete recording by breemer, c. This invaluable guide to the 96 pieces explains bachs various purposes in compiling the music, describes the rich traditions on. This guide to the 96 pieces explains bachs various purposes in compiling the music, describes the rich traditions on which he drew, and provides. Richard atkinson analyzes the amazing counterpoint of the d major fugue from the welltempered clavier, book ii, by j. The prelude in c major that opens the first volume of bachs well tempered clavier may well be his most universally recognized piece of music and yet, as fate would have it, many of those who know it have never heard the fugue for which it is a prelude, and might in fact have no idea that it is part of a larger work that counts among the most significant and groundbreaking musical efforts. The well tempered clavier, book 1 bwv 846869 the well tempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with exceptionally high artistic contents. Model answers for the works in book i bwv 846869 i1 prelude and fugue in c major. 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. 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 welltempered claviers greatest hits the greene space. Johann sebastian bach 16851750 written in 1722, publicated in 1801. The analysis employs the sdpc gis introduced in chapter 1 to explore the ways in which the fugue subject takes on the hues of its shifting tonal surroundings. Bachswell tempered clavier or the 48 preludes and fugues stands at the core of baroque keyboard music and has been a model and inspiration for performers and composers ever since it was written.
Mattheson, in order to defend the traditions of the german polyphonic music. What is the significance of the welltempered clavier. May, 2017 nice transcription and very good playing. The book is part iii of a fourvolume work that consists of various elements. Bachs welltempered clavier indepth analysis and interpretation siglind bruhn. 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.
It is also said that the subject appears exactly 24 times in this fugue representing the 24 fugues in the first book of the well tempered clavier. Johann sebastian bach well tempered clavier download. Through her generosity, they are provided here at earsense where they play an essential role in our collaborative presentation. Indepth analysis and interpretation, siglind bruhn has crafted 48 jewels of her own, 48 elegant and eloquent visualizations of bachs precious fugues. Mozart, when rapidly advancing to the height of his mastery, had but to read a manuscript copy of the well tempered clavier and his style developed a new polyphonic richness and depth of harmony. My question is related to the structure of the fugue of this particular fugue as well as of fugues in general, which is not clear to me. The haunting fivevoice fugue in bflat minor has several characteristics which are notable. Bach loved numbers, symbolism, and symmetry, so this is very likely his way of showing that he intended to write 24 fugues altogether. The first collection was written in 1722 and the second was written in 1742. There is less clarity about the history of part two.
The book is part i of a fourvolume work that consists of various elements. In a conventional baroque fugue, the subject is first stated by itself. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. This paper seeks to prove through historical documentary research that bachs composition of the well. The welltempered clavier wikipedia republished wiki 2. Second, the theme features a dramatic and expressive leap of a minor 9th the big jump upwards between the 2nd and 3rd notes. The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, collection of 48 preludes and. In bar 4 there is a very strong deceptive cadence, the ear fully expecting the tonic chord of f, is deceived by the 6th, flatened 4th and 2nd on its supertonic, which leads to the key of the relative minor. The fugues of the well tempered clavier is a site that provides interactive multimedia analyses of book i and portions of book ii of the wtc by johann sebastian bach. 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. Composition history, later significance and influence, what tuning did bach intend. Book ii bwv 870893 ii1 prelude and fugue in c major. Johann sebastian bach well tempered clavier download ebook.
This chapter offers a tabular analysis in this case, to make what seems a capital point about this famous beautiful fugue, the fugue in e major. Bach, fugue in e major, welltempered clavier, book ii. Analysis js bachs music combines two elements, namely a high degree of formalism and complexity with utmost beauty. Ive read your extremely useful article, how to learn a fugue, and i have started to practice the fugue accordingly. It explores the intricacies of each of the 12 major and 12 minor keys and constitutes the largestscale.
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