The harpsichord used for this recording is a copy of an instrument built in 1734 by Hieronymus Albrecht Hass from Hamburg, made by Anthony Sidey and Frédéric Bal in Paris in 2004.
Cultural Impact
The Well-Tempered Clavier inspired many later masters, including Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Schoenberg, Hindemith, and Shostakovich.
Compositional Technique
Bach refined the 'prelude and fugue' genre, transforming simple preludes into character pieces with compact motivic work and academic fugues into lively, detailed contrapuntal masterpieces.
Composition History
Bach's delayed departure from Weimar meant he missed the opportunity to compose a large festive piece for Prince Leopold's birthday in Köthen.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach was the first composer to fully explore and present the entire range of major and minor keys in his unique masterpieces, contributing significantly to the practical application of harmonic tonality.
Composition History
Johann Sebastian Bach's appointment as Kapellmeister in Köthen in 1717 was preceded by a four-week arrest and dishonorable discharge from his previous service in Weimar.
Composition History
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, was developed from a series of ten preludes Bach composed for his eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, in a Clavier-Büchlein started in January 1720.
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