Bach, J.S.: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, BWV 846-869

Featuring

Schaghajegh Nosrati
Johann Sebastian Bach

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Recording & Production

This recording of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier Book I was made in April 2021 at the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, Germany.

Performer Biography

Schaghajegh Nosrati, the pianist on this album, is highly regarded for her interpretations of Bach's music, earning praise from Sir András Schiff for her 'astonishing clarity, purity, and maturity'.

Performer Biography

Schaghajegh Nosrati has performed at major venues worldwide, including the Konzerthaus Berlin, Tonhalle Zurich, and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Johann Sebastian Bach often signed his works, including the Well-Tempered Clavier, with 'S.D.G.', an abbreviation for the Latin 'Soli Deo Gloria', meaning 'to God alone be the glory'.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Bach's use of 'S.D.G.' reflects a Baroque-era mindset where composers saw themselves in a 'serving' function, a perspective also shared by contemporaries like George Frideric Handel.

Compositional Technique

The Well-Tempered Clavier is described as a musical concentrate where every note is essential, embodying the principle that 'perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away'.