JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)

The Well-Tempered Clavier - New 2008 recording

 

Das Wohltemperirte Klavier Book 1 24 Preludes and Fugues, BWV846–869

CD 1

No 1 in C major BWV846 [4'28]

1 Prelude [2'20]

2 Fugue [2'08] No 2 in C minor BWV847 [3'27]

3 Prelude [1'35]

4 Fugue [1'52]

No 3 in C sharp major BWV848 [3'42]

5 Prelude [1'23]

6 Fugue [2'19] No 4 in C sharp minor BWV849 [8'29]

7 Prelude [3'04]

8 Fugue [5'24]

No 5 in D major BWV850 [3'38]

9 Prelude [1'24]

10 Fugue [2'13]

No 6 in D minor BWV851 [4'39]

11 Prelude [1'40]

12 Fugue [2'59]

No 7 in E flat major BWV852 [5'24]

13 Prelude [3'44]

14 Fugue [1'40]

No 8 in E flat minor BWV853 [9'15]

15 Prelude [3'58]

16 Fugue [5'16]

No 9 in E major BWV854 [2'31]

17 Prelude [1'24]

18 Fugue [1'06]

No 10 in E minor BWV855 [3'29]

19 Prelude [2'19]

20 Fugue [1'10]

No 11 in F major BWV856 [2'41]

21 Prelude [1'02]

22 Fugue [1'38]

No 12 in F minor BWV857 [7'07]

23 Prelude [2'12]

24 Fugue [4'55]

 

CD 2

No 13 in F sharp major BWV858 [3'50]

1 Prelude [1'31]

2 Fugue [2'19]

No 14 in F sharp minor BWV859 [4'18]

3 Prelude [1'01]

4 Fugue [3'16]

No 15 in G major BWV860 [3'44]

5 Prelude [0'54]

6 Fugue [2'50]

No 16 in G minor BWV861 [3'57]

7 Prelude [2'15]

8 Fugue [1'41]

No 17 in A flat major BWV862 [4'33]

9 Prelude [1'22]

10 Fugue [3'10]

No 18 in G sharp minor BWV863 [3'37]

11 Prelude [1'30]

12 Fugue [2'07]

No 19 in A major BWV864 [3'29]

13 Prelude [1'28]

14 Fugue [2'00]

No 20 in A minor BWV865 [6'32]

15 Prelude [0'59]

16 Fugue [5'33]

No 21 in B flat major BWV866 [3'10]

17 Prelude [1'25]

18 Fugue [1'45]

No 22 in B flat minor BWV867 [6'59]

19 Prelude [3'51]

20 Fugue [3'08]

No 23 in B major BWV868 [3'21]

21 Prelude [0'57]

22 Fugue [2'24]

No 24 in B minor BWV869 [11'38]

23 Prelude [4'40]

24 Fugue [6'57]

 

Das Wohltemperirte Klavier Book 2 24 Preludes and Fugues, BWV870–893

CD 3

No 1 in C major BWV870 [4'44]

1 Prelude [3'04]

2 Fugue [1'39]

No 2 in C minor BWV871 [5'21]

3 Prelude [2'27]

4 Fugue [2'53]

No 3 in C sharp major BWV872 [3'49]

5 Prelude [1'41]

6 Fugue [2'08]

No 4 in C sharp minor BWV873 [7'10]

7 Prelude [4'47]

8 Fugue [2'22]

No 5 in D major BWV874 [8'49]

9 Prelude [5'49]

10 Fugue [2'59]

No 6 in D minor BWV875 [3'57]

11 Prelude [1'34]

12 Fugue [2'22]

No 7 in E flat major BWV876 [4'43]

13 Prelude [2'47]

14 Fugue [1'55] No 8 in D sharp minor BWV877 [9'18]

15 Prelude [4'18]

16 Fugue [5'00]

No 9 in E major BWV878 [8'59]

17 Prelude [4'41]

18 Fugue [4'17]

No 10 in E minor BWV879 [6'31]

19 Prelude [3'40]

20 Fugue [2'51]

No 11 in F major BWV880 [5'17]

21 Prelude [3'31]

22 Fugue [1'46]

No 12 in F minor BWV881 [6'56]

23 Prelude [5'06]

24 Fugue [1'49]

 

CD 4

No 13 in F sharp major BWV882 [6'10]

1 Prelude [3'35]

2 Fugue [2'35] No 14 in F sharp minor BWV883 [7'00]

3 Prelude [3'21]

4 Fugue [3'38]

No 15 in G major BWV884 [3'46]

5 Prelude [2'32]

6 Fugue [1'14]

No 16 in G minor BWV885 [6'49]

7 Prelude [4'03]

8 Fugue [2'45]

No 17 in A flat major BWV886 [8'04]

9 Prelude [4'17]

10 Fugue [3'47]

No 18 in G sharp minor BWV887 [7'27]

11 Prelude [4'06]

12 Fugue [3'21]

No 19 in A major BWV888 [3'34]

13 Prelude [2'21]

14 Fugue [1'13]

No 20 in A minor BWV889 [5'57]

15 Prelude [4'15]

16 Fugue [1'42]

No 21 in B flat major BWV890 [9'59]

17 Prelude [7'19]

18 Fugue [2'39]

No 22 in B flat minor BWV891 [8'24]

19 Prelude [3'29] 20 Fugue [4'54]

No 23 in B major BWV892 [5'42]

21 Prelude [1'52]

22 Fugue [3'50]

No 24 in B minor BWV893 [4'23]

23 Prelude [2'29]

24 Fugue [1'53]

 

Angela Hewitt - piano

 

Ten years ago Angela Hewitt recorded a version of The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I which dazzled the critical world and record-buying public. It was followed shortly afterwards by Book II which was similarly received. Now, fresh from her Bach World Tour—in which she performed the complete Well-Tempered Clavier from August 2007 until the end of October 2008 in 58 cities in 21 countries on six continents—Angela has made an entirely new recording of this most iconic of keyboard works.

 

In a revealing and personal programme note, Angela explains her reasons, both artistic and emotional, for this momentous creative decision. She speaks of the ‘new-found freedom’ that she discovered in her later performances, and especially her use of Fazioli pianos, ‘whose luminous, powerful, and also ever so delicate sounds opened new worlds to me and allowed my imagination to take flight’.

 

This is an unmissable new release.

 

Hyperion 4cds CDA67741-4