It is absolute heaven i have and savored for many years the first and only cd release of this absolute top recording of these masterpieces 1987, 2x2cd sets. Bach composed a paired prelude and fugue in each of the 24 keys to demonstrate the viability of the new equal. Kenneth gilbert harpsichord licensed to youtube by umg on behalf of deutsche grammophon dg. The partitas and suites still crop up very regularly in piano recitals, while new recordings of the welltempered clavier are far more likely to be played on that anachronistic instrument than on. The correspondence documentation comes alonggiving. The welltempered clavier, book i till fellner, piano ecm 185354 2 cds. May i also recommend another aproach by the italian lady chiara massini. 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. Any of them, or the other classical pianists mentioned above whose recordings of the welltempered clavier that ive heard, i. Buy well tempered clavier 2 by keith jarrett from amazons classical music store. The well tempered clavier book 1 scrolling youtube. 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 well tempered clavier, book 1 to enjoy in your home or car, or gift it to another music lover.
Bach set off on an unprecedented passage through all the tonalities available to him on the. 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. Glenn gould 1932 1982 bach the welltempered clavier. This is a collectors instrument ready for performance again. The well tempered clavier book 2 scrolling duration. On a sheet i have telling me what i need to perform piano at solo and ensemble festival next year, it says i need any fugue from the well tempered clavichord by js bach. Johann sebastian bach was a noted german composer, keyboardist, and violinist. These values are based on a survey of tempi for seven different sets of tempo markings two by commentators and five by editors.
When i search, where i order music from, all that comes up is the welltempered clavier by js bach. Ishizaka plays the 24 preludes and fugues with impeccable taste and technique, finding many levels of musical meaning even as she brings utmost clarity to the multiplicity of textures. 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. 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. Best harpsichord recording of bachs welltempered clavier book 1 interested in what people think is the best. Johann sebastian bach welltempered clavier, book 1.
His works such as the brandenburg concertos are known for their technical depth and artistic beauty. Audio 1 audio 2 large italian harpsichord by david werbeloff 2002 after ridolfi 1662, ggdchromatic 88 with brass handstops. All were well documented and beautifully executed instruments. A bonus is the inclusion of donald francis toveys classic analyses of. 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. So, i just received the well tempered klavier 4sacd i inquired about in my first mail in the forum and, what can i say.
No wonder that bachs contemporaries sometimes found him hard to follow, so ferociously was he prepared to think about and develop the implications of genre. I dont know if she did the wtc in full and on disc, but there a many. Recording the welltempered clavier is a bit like climbing everest, and this new recording by christophe rousset devoted to book i. Long, harmonically advanced, chromatically fascinating, it is less accessible to listen to and forbiddingly demanding to play. Is book 2 any easier, or should i just keep working on what i have. An essential musical masterpiece, full of joy, pain, and passion, j.
S 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. Harpsichord and fortepiano the best englishlanguage edition so far. I would appreciate any info on ranking of the difficulty of the preludes in the well tempered clavier. Best harpsichord recording of bachs welltempered clavier book 1. 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 preludes and fugues going back a number of years. Beautifully disciplined leonhard, whose version shows that the equal sounds of the harpsichord are very suited for this kind of architectural fugue. This new recording, and score, were made possible by kimiko ishizaka, musescore, and over 900 fans who supported the project. Bach himself played on the widely contrasting claviers popular in his day. The welltempered clavier, book 2, bwv 870893 by richard egarr and tens of millions of other songs on all your devices with amazon music unlimited. The first twentyfour preludes and fugues of the welltempered clavichord. 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. Best harpsichord recording of bachs welltempered clavier. 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 welltempered clavier.
The welltempered clavier, book 2, prelude and fugue no. Js bach was open to use many different forms of keyboards and he equally enjoyed playing the organ, harpsichord, clavichord, lautenclavicymbel lutekeyboard, e. I own book 1, and was considering buying book 2 because some of the pieces were too dificult. Like thinkgreenlovepiano already said, i think all of them are very enjoyable to listen to, but some suggestions for the first book. Bach welltempered clavier book 2 virgin veritas 3857952. Contains very useful material on manuscript sources, variants, and performance questions.
Ranking of difficulty of well tempered clavier preludes. In bachs time clavier keyboard was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding. Bachs welltempered clavier is now available on cd, and for download. Which book of bachs well tempered clavier is easier overall. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Also a more recent version of it would probably be a clearer recording. Compiled and prepared for the benefit and practice of young musicians desirous of learning, as well as for the entertainment of those already versed in this particular study, by johann sebastian bach, anno. Bach and the clavier by joan benson clavier, volume 29, no. Provided to youtube by warner classics the well tempered clavier, book 2, prelude and fugue no. Here, egarr makes good use of his twomanual harpsichord, switching from one keyboard to the other or coupling both together for contrast in.
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. All these years later i have finally purchased book two, featuring mr. I know there have been discussions of ranking the difficulty of the well tempered clavier for example, bartok, but it is my understanding that those take into account the fugues as well. Order from your preferred classical music cd store arkivmusic.
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