J.S. BACH

The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I

Abdel Rahman el Bacha (piano)

Disc 1

1-2. Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major

3-4. Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C minor

5-6. Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in C# major

7-8. Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in C# minor

9-10. Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in D major

11-12. Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in D minor

13-14. Prelude and Fugue No. 7 in E flat major

15-16. Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in E flat minor

17-18. Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E major

19-20. Prelude and Fugue No. 10 in E minor

21-22. Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in F major

23-24. Prelude and Fugue No. 12 in F minor

Disc 2

1-2. Prelude and Fugue No. 13 in F# major

3-4. Prelude and Fugue No. 14 in F# minor

5-6. Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in G major

7-8. Prelude and Fugue No. 16 in G minor

9-10. Prelude and Fugue No. 17 in A flat major

11-12. Prelude and Fugue No. 18 in A flat minor

13-14. Prelude and Fugue No. 19 in A major

15-16. Prelude and Fugue No. 20 in A minor

17-18. Prelude and Fugue No. 21 in B flat major

19-20. Prelude and Fugue No. 22 in B flat minor

21-22. Prelude and Fugue No. 23 in B major

23-24. Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B minor

On this new two-channel SACD, the award- winning Libyan born pianist Abdel Rahman el Bacha brings fresh insight to the first 24 of J S Bach’s 48 Preludes and Fugues known as “The Well-Tempered Clavier”.

Born in Beirut in 1958 Abdel Rahman el Bacha moved to France at the age of 16 to study at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1978, when only 19, he won the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Piano Competition by a unanimous judgment. In 1983, his first recording for the label Forlane, ‘Early Works by Prokofiev’, was awarded the "Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros". For the same label he has recorded three Concertos by Bach, both of Ravel's Concertos, and works by Schumann, Ravel and Schubert. Alongside a series of critically acclaimed recordings of the complete piano sonatas of Beethoven, he has also released Chopin's complete solo piano works in chronological order over 12 CDs.

The two volumes of piano pieces known as The Well-Tempered Clavier were originally written by J.S. Bach for use in the teaching of keyboard playing and composition, and were not printed in full until more than half a century after the composer’s death. The music has over the centuries influenced composers like Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann, as well as major figures of 20th century including Hindemith and Shostakovich.

Triton SACD2 OVCT00077