![]() ![]() Bach compiled this second manuscript only around 1740, although once again some of the preludes and fugues it contains date from a much earlier period. There is less clarity about the history of part two. The first part of the Wohltemperirte Clavier dates from 1722, although it contains some music that was written in the preceding five years. In contrast to the iron discipline Bach had to apply to his church compositions, here he could abandon himself to intellectual Spielerei without worrying about deadlines. In the preludes, he gave free rein to his imagination, and demonstrated mathematical tours de force in the fugues. In each of the two parts of the Wohltemperirte Clavier, he brought together the musical couple prelude and fugue 24 times twelve in minor keys and twelve in major. For this second part, performed in its entirety by Christine Schornsheim, we chose 12 very different locations in Utrecht, to celebrate the 900th anniversary of our home city.Ĭomposing 48 keyboard pieces in all 24 keys was the sort of challenge Bach enjoyed. We recorded Bach’s first book of Preludes and Fugues in all the keys at the homes of 24 different musicians. From the entrance of the bass, the themes only appear together, until an extra racy final cadence closes the fugue in the major key. ![]() Keep an eye on a timer: after just over a minute, a slow chromatic theme emerges in between the stream of notes in the soprano. But the entrance of the second theme requires a little aural searching. The first shouts it out, rectus and inversus (upside down), and can’t be missed. The fugue has two themes, which are heard first separately and later in combination. If you play too slowly, you miss out on the vital energy in the motoric runs, and if you play too fast then the web of voices becomes clouded and the quickly evolving harmony loses impact. The tempo of the fugue in the ‘difficult’ key of C-sharp minor is a little ambiguous. And afterwards Bach indulges in exciting ties and ornaments like trills and suspensions. The fairly unusual, slow time of 3 times 3 beats invites contemplation. We are witness to Bach’s interpretation of the sonata form, which was innovative at the time, whereby an opening section is resumed at the end, although Bach closes with a different key to the beginning. The alto only introduces the theme after it has previously been heard in an accompanying role. They imitate one another (it’s still Bach: contrepoint oblige!), but not too strictly. In the prelude, the two upper parts sway gently in a duet. Bach maintains clarity in the music with three parts, which are essentially serious in character, but also light and full of energy, especially in the fugue. Each in their own way, the two works in this extensive diptych invite you to dance: a calm siciliano in the prelude, while the fugue lets rip a bit more in a quick giga. ![]()
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