5060216346465

Bach: The Well-tempered Clavier

Alexandra Papastefanou

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Format: 4CD

Cat No: FHR065

Release Date:  27 July 2018

Label:  First Hand Records

Packaging Type:  Box Set

No of Units:  4

Barcode:  5060216346465

Genres:  Classical  Solo Instrumental  

  • Description

    Pianist Alexandra Papstefanou performs The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books I and II in a complete 4CD recording of the works.



    One of the greatest achievements in musical composition history, The Well-Tempered Clavier of Johann Sebastian Bach, is a collection of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys. It seems both books, composed two decades apart, were written primarily for educative personal and private use in the home – probably to be played on the intimate clavichord.



    Alexandra Papstefanou graduated from Athens Conservatoire, where she studied piano under Aliki Vatikioti. She followed her studies with Olga Zhukova at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, with Peter Solymos, at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and, on a scholarship from the Alexander Onassis Foundation, at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, USA, with the highly influencial teacher György Sebok. She has also taken lessons from Alfred Brendel.



    Papastefanou was a finalist at the Clara Haskil Competition in Switzerland and received the Liebstoeckl and Fazioli Prizes at the International Geneva Competition, as well as the Spyros Motsenigos Prize from the Academy of Athens.
    She has performed all of Bach's keyboard works and, in a series of recitals, has presented his complete Well-Tempered Clavier, Goldberg Variations, The Art of Fugue, and The Musical Offering as well as his keyboard concertos.



    Papstafanou performs keyboard music from the Baroque through to modern repertoire including the music of George Crumb, Gyorgy Ligeti, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Toru Takemitsu. She has performed solo and chamber recitals, concertos across Europe (Germany, France, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, the Czech Republic, Russia, Finland and Hungary), the United States and Canada.



    Recording of the Month, July 2018 - MusicWeb International



    'Cowen's Sure Shot'
    "A remarkable recording of Bach on the piano. The recording venue Athens, the pianist Alexandra Papastefanou who has also studied composition, which will help explain why her performances are so appreciative and perceptive. Her new album of both books of Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues, also known as the Well-Tempered Clavier, is quite remarkable. Wonderful how Papastefanou varies the rhythm and highlights counterpoint from the inside of the music, rather like watching a three-dimensional side-show of warmly shaded falling petals. Such variety of tone colour, significantly heightened intensity too. This is Bach playing with a purpose, and to compound the effect she repeats both halves of the Preludes and Fugues. So an epic journey all-round, one you just have to make time for.... well I reckon that's a really worthy Sure Shot" Rob Cowan, Classical FM on 21st July, 2018



    Tracklisting available separately.


  • Tracklisting

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 - Prelude & Fugue No. 1 in C major, BWV 846 - Prelude
      • 2. Prelude & Fugue No. 1 in C major, BWV 846 - Fugue
      • 3. Prelude & Fugue No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847 - Prelude
      • 4. Prelude & Fugue No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847 - Fugue
      • 5. Prelude & Fugue No. 3 in C sharp major, BWV 848 - Prelude
      • 6. Prelude & Fugue No. 3 in C sharp major, BWV 848 - Fugue
      • 7. Prelude & Fugue No. 4 in C sharp minor, BWV 849 - Prelude
      • 8. Prelude & Fugue No. 4 in C sharp minor, BWV 849 - Fugue
      • 9. Prelude & Fugue No. 5 in D major, BWV 850 - Prelude
      • 10. Prelude & Fugue No. 5 in D major, BWV 850 - Fugue
      • 11. Prelude & Fugue No. 6 in D minor, BWV 851 - Prelude
      • 12. Prelude & Fugue No. 6 in D minor, BWV 851 - Fugue
      • 13. Prelude & Fugue No. 7 in E flat major, BWV 852 - Prelude
      • 14. Prelude & Fugue No. 7 in E flat major, BWV 852 - Fugue
      • 15. Prelude in E flat minor & Fugue in D sharp minor No. 8, BWV 853 - Prelude
      • 16. Prelude in E flat minor & Fugue in D sharp minor No. 8, BWV 853 - Fugue
      • 17. Prelude & Fugue No. 9 in E major, BWV 854 - Prelude
      • 18. Prelude & Fugue No. 9 in E major, BWV 854 - Fugue
      • 19. Prelude & Fugue No. 10 in E minor, BWV 855 - Prelude
      • 20. Prelude & Fugue No. 10 in E minor, BWV 855 - Fugue
      • 21. Prelude & Fugue No. 11 in F major, BWV 856 - Prelude
      • 22. Prelude & Fugue No. 11 in F major, BWV 856 - Fugue
      • 23. Prelude & Fugue No. 12 in F minor, BWV 857 - Prelude
      • 24. Prelude & Fugue No. 12 in F minor, BWV 857 - Fugue

      Disc 2

      • 1. Prelude & Fugue No. 13 in F sharp major, BWV 858 - Prelude
      • 2. Prelude & Fugue No. 13 in F sharp major, BWV 858 - Fugue
      • 3. Prelude & Fugue No. 14 in F sharp minor, BWV 859 - Prelude
      • 4. Prelude & Fugue No. 14 in F sharp minor, BWV 859 - Fugue
      • 5. Prelude & Fugue No. 15 in G major, BWV 860 - Prelude
      • 6. Prelude & Fugue No. 15 in G major, BWV 860 - Fugue
      • 7. Prelude & Fugue No. 16 in G minor, BWV 861 - Prelude
      • 8. Prelude & Fugue No. 16 in G minor, BWV 861 - Fugue
      • 9. Prelude & Fugue No. 17 in A flat major, BWV 862 - Prelude
      • 10. Prelude & Fugue No. 17 in A flat major, BWV 862 - Fugue
      • 11. Prelude & Fugue No. 18 in G sharp minor, BWV 863 - Prelude
      • 12. Prelude & Fugue No. 18 in G sharp minor, BWV 863 - Fugue
      • 13. Prelude & Fugue No. 19 in A major, BWV 864 - Prelude
      • 14. Prelude & Fugue No. 19 in A major, BWV 864 - Fugue
      • 15. Prelude & Fugue No. 20 in A minor, BWV 865 - Prelude
      • 16. Prelude & Fugue No. 20 in A minor, BWV 865 - Fugue
      • 17. Prelude & Fugue No. 21 in B flat major, BWV 866 - Prelude
      • 18. Prelude & Fugue No. 21 in B flat major, BWV 866 - Fugue
      • 19. Prelude & Fugue No. 22 in B flat minor, BWV 867 - Prelude
      • 20. Prelude & Fugue No. 22 in B flat minor, BWV 867 - Fugue
      • 21. Prelude & Fugue No. 23 in B major, BWV 868 - Prelude
      • 22. Prelude & Fugue No. 23 in B major, BWV 868 - Fugue
      • 23. Prelude & Fugue No. 24 in B minor, BWV 869 - Prelude
      • 24. Prelude & Fugue No. 24 in B minor, BWV 869 - Fugue

      Disc 3

      • 1. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 - Prelude & Fugue No. 1 in C major, BWV 870 - Prelude
      • 2. Prelude & Fugue No. 1 in C major, BWV 870 - Fugue
      • 3. Prelude & Fugue No. 2 in C minor, BWV 871 - Prelude
      • 4. Prelude & Fugue No. 2 in C minor, BWV 871 - Fugue
      • 5. Prelude & Fugue No. 3 in C sharp major, BWV 872 - Prelude
      • 6. Prelude & Fugue No. 3 in C sharp major, BWV 872 - Fugue
      • 7. Prelude & Fugue No. 4 in C sharp minor, BWV 873 - Prelude
      • 8. Prelude & Fugue No. 4 in C sharp minor, BWV 873 - Fugue
      • 9. Prelude & Fugue No. 5 in D major, BWV 874 - Prelude
      • 10. Prelude & Fugue No. 5 in D major, BWV 874 - Fugue
      • 11. Prelude & Fugue No. 6 in D minor, BWV 875 - Prelude
      • 12. Prelude & Fugue No. 6 in D minor, BWV 875 - Fugue
      • 13. Prelude & Fugue No. 7 in E flat major, BWV 876 - Prelude
      • 14. Prelude & Fugue No. 7 in E flat major, BWV 876 - Fugue
      • 15. Prelude & Fugue No. 8 in D sharp minor, BWV 877 - Prelude
      • 16. Prelude & Fugue No. 8 in D sharp minor, BWV 877 - Fugue
      • 17. Prelude & Fugue No. 9 in E major, BWV 878 - Prelude
      • 18. Prelude & Fugue No. 9 in E major, BWV 878 - Fugue
      • 19. Prelude & Fugue No. 10 in E minor, BWV 879 - Prelude
      • 20. Prelude & Fugue No. 10 in E minor, BWV 879 - Fugue
      • 21. Prelude & Fugue No. 11 in F major, BWV 880 - Prelude
      • 22. Prelude & Fugue No. 11 in F major, BWV 880 - Fugue
      • 23. Prelude & Fugue No. 12 in F minor, BWV 881 - Prelude
      • 24. Prelude & Fugue No. 12 in F minor, BWV 881 - Fugue

      Disc 4

      • 1. Prelude & Fugue No. 13 in F sharp major, BWV 882 - Prelude
      • 2. Prelude & Fugue No. 13 in F sharp major, BWV 882 - Fugue
      • 3. Prelude & Fugue No. 14 in F sharp minor, BWV 883 - Prelude
      • 4. Prelude & Fugue No. 14 in F sharp minor, BWV 883 - Fugue
      • 5. Prelude & Fugue No. 15 in G major, BWV 884 - Prelude
      • 6. Prelude & Fugue No. 15 in G major, BWV 884 - Fugue
      • 7. Prelude & Fugue No. 16 in G minor, BWV 885 - Prelude
      • 8. Prelude & Fugue No. 16 in G minor, BWV 885 - Fugue
      • 9. Prelude & Fugue No. 17 in A flat major, BWV 886 - Prelude
      • 10. Prelude & Fugue No. 17 in A flat major, BWV 886 - Fugue
      • 11. Prelude & Fugue No. 18 in G sharp minor, BWV 887 - Prelude
      • 12. Prelude & Fugue No. 18 in G sharp minor, BWV 887 - Fugue
      • 13. Prelude & Fugue No. 19 in A major, BWV 888 - Prelude
      • 14. Prelude & Fugue No. 19 in A major, BWV 888 - Fugue
      • 15. Prelude & Fugue No. 20 in A minor, BWV 889 - Prelude
      • 16. Prelude & Fugue No. 20 in A minor, BWV 889 - Fugue
      • 17. Prelude & Fugue No. 21 in B flat major, BWV 890 - Prelude
      • 18. Prelude & Fugue No. 21 in B flat major, BWV 890 - Fugue
      • 19. Prelude & Fugue No. 22 in B flat minor, BWV 891 - Prelude
      • 20. Prelude & Fugue No. 22 in B flat minor, BWV 891 - Fugue
      • 21. Prelude & Fugue No. 23 in B major, BWV 892 - Prelude
      • 22. Prelude & Fugue No. 23 in B major, BWV 892 - Fugue
      • 23. Prelude & Fugue No. 24 in B minor, BWV 893 - Prelude
      • 24. Prelude & Fugue No. 24 in B minor, BWV 893 - Fugue