From the Palau Güell, Barcelona, 2000
The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I
Joanna McGregor - piano
Johann Sebastian Bach - Prelude & Fugue No. 20 in A minor BWV 865
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The title of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier refers to the new system of tuning keyboard instruments that had been developed by, amongst others, the Halberstadt organist Andreas Werckmeister (1645-1706), to make it possible to play in all 24 major and minor keys, something which hitherto had been impossible with "mean-tone" tuning. There were, however, several such "well-tempered" tuning in use at that time, and, contrary to earlier assumptions, there is simply no evidence that Bach wrote his two books of preludes and fugues for our modern "equal temperament", which is but one of several possible tunings.
Whatever the case, for him the tempered tuning meant that he could use all major and minor keys to present a systematic, state-of-the-art compendium of the fugue form, which was then at the very peak of its development. Intended "both for the use and consumption of the eager-to-learn musical youth and as a special pastime for those already skilled in this discipline", Bach compiled the first part of his Well-Tempered Clavier in 1722; this was near the end of the period he spent in the service of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen - an essentially happy time for Bach, but marred by the sudden death of his first wife in 1720.
When the second part of The Well-Tempered Clavier was completed in 1744, comprising another 24 fugues together with introductory preludes, Bach had already been Thomaskantor in Leipzig for more than 20 years and the fugue was no longer in vogue. This documental review almost seems to have been an attempt on the great composer's part to halt the march of time.
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Joanna McGregor is one of Britain's leading pianists. She regularly plays with all the major British orchestras and is familiar to UK audiences for her many television and radio appearances, including the Last Night of the Proms. In addition to Bach's Art of Fugue, her most successful recordings include works by Bartók, Birtwistle, Britten, Debussy, Gershwin, Ives, Messiaen, Ravel and Satie.
