Johann sebastian bachs well tempered clavier posts. I use these versions extensively, particularly when working from the computer. An astonishing demonstration of bach s mature understanding of the compositional techniques and. The website is interactive and provides an introduction to the wtc, scores and analysis, and it covers three fully recorded versions of wtc book 1. The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, is a collection of two series of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys, composed for solo keyboard by johann sebastian bach. Yeah i have seen bachs autograph for wtc book 1, so no autograph for book 2 survived. Eight years after recording the first book of bachs welltempered clavier on the clavichord in 1959, ralph kirkpatrick turned to the instrument again for book ii. It is also said that the subject appears exactly 24 times in this fugue representing the 24 fugues in the first book of the welltempered clavier. Not the best edition ever, but fairly readable, as they dont try to cram too much onto a page like some older editions. Johann sebastian bach, the welltempered clavier, book ii, bwv 870893 pocket score autograph facsimile with all lost selections set. Johann sebastian bach, the welltempered clavier, book ii. The preludes and fugues of the welltempered clavier embrace an entire cosmos of. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. As you watch, youll see that bach uses stretto more and more, which heightens the tension of the piece.
Pdf this volume deals with bachs autograph manuscripts, listing. Sep 17, 2009 johann sebastian bach, the welltempered clavier, book ii, bwv 870893 pocket score autograph facsimile with all lost selections set anew johann sebastian bach on. Preludes and fugues the welltempered clavier, by j. The welltempered 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. Bachs autograph 1722 of the first prelude of book i the prelude and fugue in c major, bwv 846, is a keyboard composition written by johann sebastian bach. Forums for the international music score library project imslp skip to content. Johann sebastian bachs well tempered clavier posts facebook. The welltempered clavier, part 2 bwv 870893 the welltempered clavier 2 is the second collection of twentyfour preludes and fugues covering all tonalities which bach completed around 1742. Bachs variant probably based on the london autograph ca. It is the first prelude and fugue in the first book of the welltempered clavier, a series of 48 preludes and fugues by the composer. For book 2, i recommend yo tomitas excellent comments, equally available at german and english. For most arrangements, see the separate pages for the individual preludes and fugues. Bach, prelude and fugue fminor, wtc ii, bwv 881 piano.
Bachs c minor fugue bwv 871 from the second book of the wtc offers an excellent example of three contrapuntal techniques. The autograph of the cmajor prelude consisting of 35 measures thus gets along without the schwencke measure. See the johann sebastian bachs welltempered clavier, book i, here. Durr 1996 have reached to the stage where we now face the remaining, unresolved. Johann sebastian bachs well tempered clavier is one of the monumental musical achievements of western civilization. Johann sebastian bach, the welltempered clavier, book ii, bwv. Bach again uses inversion in this episodenote the alternating firstinversion and root position chords. 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.
An astonishing demonstration of bachs mature understanding of the compositional techniques and. Welltempered clavier book ii, bwv 870893 general discussions part 1. Bach loved numbers, symbolism, and symmetry, so this is very likely his way of showing that he intended to write 24 fugues altogether. For book 2, to view originals is a more complex exercise, given the lack of the one authoritative original from js bach s hand and the fragmentation of historical copies see the work of yo tomita for more info on this topic, as well a the website of the british library. In bach s time clavier was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding an. The welltempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with. Perhaps they will be of interest to folks wanting to learn more about this iconic and fascinating composer at the core of baroque music and a key influence on the classical and romantic waves that followed. This chapter is an extract from my critical commentary, vol. 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. Adshare mg for a third party on behalf of naxos fugue no. Johann sebastian bach, the welltempered clavier, book ii, bwv 870893 pocket score autograph facsimile with all lost selections set anew johann sebastian bach on. From all the works written in the baroque era, no other work has been so wellcherished, frequently performed and thoroughly studied than this work of bach s. The music is well presented and readable, and editorial marks are clearly indicated.
Complete score of the welltempered clavier, book 1, by johann sebastian bach open welltempered clavier project. The welltempered clavier wikipedia republished wiki 2. This is the only twovoice fugue in either book of the wtc. Book two is a fair copy containing 21 of the 24 preludes and fugues all the music is in the hand of the composer with the exception of the preludes and fugues in c minor, d minor, e major and g major and part of the f major prelude. Bach, wtc i, fugue in e minor matthew saunders blog. The principal source is, of course, the socalled british library autograph bl. There are two major autographs of book i of the welltempered clavier bwv 846869 in existence which have been published here together for the. The structure is more reminiscent of a twopart invention than a fugue, but the line between these is somewhat blurry. We all know about bach s well tempered clavier which we refer to as book 1 of the 48. Best books on bach i grew to become an adept of bach last year and read several books that i loved. Colloquially known as the 48 from the two books of twentyfour preludes and fugues, these works form one of the great landmarks of keyboard repertoire.
These included the twopart inventions, threepart sinfonias, the french suites, and the wtc, book 1. Prelude and fugue in f minor from welltempered clavier book. Although book 2s intellectual riches and emotional depth are inexhaustible, in popularity it has always been the poor relation to its predecessor. 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. My comments refer to the kalmus edition of bachs the welltempered clavier, edited by carl czerny. For js bach, one can as an example find the groundbreaking edition of the entire works as provided by the bach gesellschaft. One needs to click on the piano, in order to get to the performances on organ. In the 1722 autograph, one can quite clearly see a dot, as in most modern editions older versions, such as the deutsche bachgesellschaft edition, often show a mark in the form of a triangle which might mean stacatissimo or potentially. Recent research on the sources and genesis of bachs well. Apr 16, 2012 the most important source for the music text is the autograph where at various stages bach himself entered corrections.
The 14 notes long subject is said to be related to bach s name. Below you can find copies of the 2 files for the welltempered clavier for direct download edited by franz kroll, edition of 1866. Page vi of the latter shows the bachgesellschafts transcription of bachs ornament table, which was used in the first 1997 version of this page as a help in reading and transcribing. In the german of bachs time clavier keyboard was a generic name indicating a variety of keyboard instruments, most typically a harpsichord or clavichord but not excluding an organ either. I have just seen that on the website of the staatsbibliothek of berlin which owns the manuscript of the first book of the wtc, you can see the pages of the manuscript online. Bach, prelude and fugue fminor, wtc ii, bwv 881 piano society. The welltempered clavier, book 1 bwv 846869 the welltempered clavier 1 is a collection of educational pieces with exceptionally high artistic contents. Shop and buy bach the welltempered clavier, volume 2 sheet music. Sometimes js bach introduces 16th notes only at a later time in a fugue, in order to raise the overall level of tension e.
The prelude and fugue in c major, bwv 846, is a keyboard composition written by johann sebastian bach. In contrast to the intimate, almost nasal sonority of the dolmetsch clavichord. Moreover, if book 1 was the apotheosis of the keyboard primer, safely preserved in bachs own fair copy, book 2 was the ultimate workbook, open to constant change and refining. In the 1722 autograph, one can quite clearly see a dot, as in most modern editions older versions, such as the deutsche bachgesellschaft edition, often show a mark in the form of a triangle. Although the editors of the modern henle publication had the benefit of being able to access bachs autograph of book ii, the differences for the most part are not crucial, and the readings in the dover. Analysis of bachs fugue bwv 871 in c minor wtc, book ii jose rodriguez alvira j. It was the ultimate workbook, open to constant change and refining by bach himself. Sometimes it is useful to take a look into js bachs notebook for wilhelm friedemann bach, as it originated at a similar time as the welltempered clavier book 1 and contains some pieces which are quite clearly the model to some of the.
Martina rebmannstaatsbibliothek zu berlin describes the subsequent history of the autograph. The sources for bachs welltempered clavier, book ii present us with a situation that is labyrinthine and obscure in comparison. The welltempered clavier, bwv 846893, is a collection of two sets of preludes and fugues in. Bachs autograph fair copy in the possession of the staatsbibliothek zu berlin. Bach in his later years had the luxury of taking his time as he pursued both an accounting of his compositional legacy and a. Book one is a working copy, believed to have been copied during bachs last year in cothen. Autograph, with the first 19 bars of the prelude in the hand of anna. Proving that jill crossland well deserves her enviable reputation as a bach pianist bbc music magazine, this superb recording of bachs welltempered clavier, book 1, is a great way to start the new year on signum. Completed by 1742, book 2 was intended as a complement to book 1, not as a replacement. A piano version played by david korevaar, a harpsichord version played by edward parmenti. The well tempered clavier, bwv 846893, is a collection of two sets of preludes and fugues in.
From all the works written in the baroque era, no other work has been so wellcherished, frequently performed and thoroughly studied than this work of bachs. I vividly recall angela hewitts toronto performance of the wtc. In contrast, wtc book ii, bwv 870893, dating to about 17401746, is lacking a definite version and purpose, being somewhat of an enigma which seems to have entailed more complex changes and provenance than book i. Prelude and fugue in f minor, from welltempered clavier book i johann sebastian bach. Johann sebastian bach, the welltempered clavier, book ii, bwv 870893 pocket score autograph facsimile with all lost selections set anew johann. 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. Bach, johann sebastian the welltempered clavier i bwv 846. Welltempered clavier book ii bwv 870893 bach cantatas website. It consists of two books, each book having twentyfour sets of preludes and fugues which go through all the major and minor keys. In the earlier version, only 23 measures long, the bass moves in sixteenth notes, while the right hand contributes only short chords. Book 2 prelude in g sharp minor perky rhythm, interesting harmonies. Book two is a fair copy containing 21 of the 24 preludes and fugues all the music is in the hand of the composer with the exception of the preludes and fugues in c minor, d minor, e major and g major and part of the f major.
Both willard palmer editor of wtc i and judith schneider editor of wtc ii seem to have done their very best to piece together versions of the wtc that are more accurate to the intentions of bach than any other version i have seen in print. In jill crosslands own words, no other music is so perfect an integration of emotional. Bach, two and threepart inventions, facsimile of the autograph manuscript ny. The most important source for the music text is the autograph where at various stages bach himself entered corrections. In fact bach covers in the sei solo virtually all the ground he was subsequently to cover in a whole series of keyboard works, begun about 1720, says lebbetter ibid 10. Ill just finish by saying that i have schiffs wtc 1 and 2, but i much prefer almost all. However, i have never seen bach himself refer to the two books as being one glorious set of 48 preludes and fugues. Some authors propose various numerological symbolism. Book 1 a major further tension can be produced when subjects fight with each other, in the sense that the are competing for dominance in a particular situation. Eight years after recording the first book of bachs welltempered clavier on the clavichord in 1959, ralph kirkpatrick. The 14 notes long subject is said to be related to bachs name.
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