Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, BWV 846-869
3/26/2021, 48 Tracks, 1:46:52
Featuring
Aaron Pilsan
Johann Sebastian Bach
Did you know?
1/7
Historical Context
The problem of musical temperament, which The Well-Tempered Clavier addresses, was recognized as early as the sixth century BC by the Greek philosopher Pythagoras.
Compositional Technique
Bach combined the fugue, an older form rooted in sacred vocal music, with the prelude, a newer development of his time, in The Well-Tempered Clavier.
Composition History
Johann Sebastian Bach published Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier in 1722, at the age of 37, as a collection of 24 preludes and fugues.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in 2020 at Deutschlandfunk in Cologne on a 1982 Hamburg Steinway D piano, chosen for its warm sound and response to well-tempered tuning.
Compositional Technique
The term 'clavier' in Bach's time was a collective term encompassing the harpsichord, organ, clavichord, and later the fortepiano.
Performer Biography
Aaron Pilsan, the pianist, has performed Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier at major venues such as the Thüringer Bachwochen, the Bach Festival Montréal, and the Vienna Konzerthaus.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach intended The Well-Tempered Clavier for both aspiring young musicians and skilled practitioners, as stated in his explanatory note.
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