The performer, Akiko Kuwagata, re-examined tempo settings for this recording, particularly for pieces marked with the C time signature, which accounts for over 60% of the collection.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach inscribed his name, B-A-C-H (14 in numerical value), into the 23rd Prelude in B major, starting at measure 1913 and ending at measure 1931.
Historical Context
Bach lived during a period when musical rules, including time signatures, were undergoing significant changes, and his works often reflect both old and new conventions.
Compositional Technique
J.S. Bach's original manuscript for this collection features a mysterious spiral pattern on the cover, which a mathematician in 1999 hypothesized to be a guide for the tuning system Bach intended.
Instruments
The harpsichord used for this recording was made by Joel Katzman in Amsterdam in 2001, modeled after a 1638 J. Ruckers Flemish instrument.
Interpretation
This recording uses an unequal temperament tuning system, specifically B. Lehman's 1/6 syntonic comma narrow 5th applied to five frames, which avoids Pythagorean major thirds.
