Ep. 101: The Well-Tempered Clavier! Analysis, History, Revisions

It’s high time we delve into what Schumann called a musician’s ‘daily bread.’ The Well-Tempered Clavier is one of the collections closest to the composer’s heart—and to the hearts of countless other musicians throughout history.

The episode on temperament I mentioned.

I think of the two books of this collection as having only outward similarities. The music in both parts are as separate as The Art of Fugue and the Inventions— even more so. Book One, incidentally the only part to be called “The Well-Tempered Clavier” was written in a condensed period of time, whereas its counterpart was ‘assembled,’ as it were, over some twenty years.

We begin not quite at the beginning, (a special episode will be devoted to the C Major pair) but with the third prelude and fugue, in C-sharp Major, BWV 848. Compare the earliest version which I play in the episode:

to the version which we know:

We’ll discuss Bach in revision, the four ‘layerings’ in the first part, as well as the source tradition of both books, the stylistic differences between Book One and Book Two.

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Concepts Covered:

This is an introduction to the Well-Tempered Clavier. Explore the depth and legacy of J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, a collection that Robert Schumann famously called a musician’s “daily bread.” This post examines the differences between Book I and Book II of the Well-Tempered Clavier, focusing on their distinct compositional histories and structural identities. The Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major, BWV 848, comparing its earliest version to the final form familiar today. Along the way, we’ll unpack Bach’s process of revision, the layered construction of Book I, and the source tradition of Book II, offering valuable insight for students of Bach analysis, keyboard music, and Baroque performance practice.

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