028947648277

J.S. Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Clavier (Books I & II)

Andras Schiff

£37.49
£37.49
Out of Stock

Format: 4CD

Cat No: 4764827
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Release Date:  10 September 2012

Label:  ECM Records

Packaging Type:  Box Set

No of Units:  4

Barcode:  028947648277

Genres:  Classical  Baroque  

Composer/Series:  J.S. Bach

  • Description

    As a young pianist, András Schiff earned wide esteem for his 1980s recordings of the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach; in recent years, as part of his long-term relationship with ECM, he has gone back to Bach as a sage veteran, earning more acclaim for his New Series recordings of the Goldberg Variations (2003) and the six Partitas (2009). Now, using his own Steinway, Schiff turns his focus to the 48 preludes and fugues of The Well-Tempered Clavier, making studio recordings in Lugano of both books for this 4-CD set.

    An iconic inspiration for composers from Mozart and Beethoven to Chopin and Brahms and beyond, The Well-Tempered Clavier has long been considered the Old Testament of the keyboard literature (with Beethoven's piano sonatas as the New Testament). In his liner notes, Paul Griffiths underscores the suitability of Bach's timeless keyboard work for the modern piano: "Bach's inquiry into so many nuances, of touch, of interplay between hands and between contrapuntal lines, of character and of expressivity, has helped form keyboard technique as we know it, and his music belongs to the instrument of Beethoven, of Chopin, of Debussy, of Kurtág - especially when that instrument is played with the mastery and sensitivity of Schiff in these performances (...) Noteworthy is his floated melody and his rhythmic sense - his realization that so much of Bach's music is song or dance. Grandeur and intimacy are also here. Wit, too."



    In the introduction to his ECM release of Bach's Partitas, Schiff laid out his motivation for revisiting music he first recorded two decades before: "Great music is far greater than its performers. We try our entire lives to unveil its secrets and to convey its unique message. Even if we never quite reach the imaginary goal, our many performances give us experience and knowledge that were hidden from us years ago. We form a better understanding of its structure and inner workings. Horizons broaden before our eyes."



    "Mr. Schiff is, in Bach, a phenomenon. He doesn't so much perform it as emit, breathe it." - New York Times



    Personnel: András Schiff (piano)

  • Tracklisting

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. No. 1 In C Major, BWV 846: Prelude
      • 2. No. 1 In C Major, BWV 846: Fugue
      • 3. No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 847: Prelude
      • 4. No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 847: Fugue
      • 5. No. 3 In C-Sharp Major, BWV 848: Prelude
      • 6. No. 3 In C-Sharp Major, BWV 848: Fugue
      • 7. No. 4 In C-Sharp Minor, BWV 849: Prelude
      • 8. No. 4 In C-Sharp Minor, BWV 849: Fugue
      • 9. No. 5 In D Major, BWV 850: Prelude
      • 10. No. 5 In D Major, BWV 850: Fugue
      • 11. No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 851: Prelude
      • 12. No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 851: Fugue
      • 13. No. 7 In E Flat Major, BWV 852: Prelude
      • 14. No. 7 In E Flat Major, BWV 852: Fugue
      • 15. No. 8 In E Flat Minor, BWV 853: Prelude
      • 16. No. 8 In E Flat Minor, BWV 853: Fugue
      • 17. No. 9 In E Major, BWV 854: Prelude
      • 18. No. 9 In E Major, BWV 854: Fugue
      • 19. No. 10 In E Minor, BWV 855: Prelude
      • 20. No. 10 In E Minor, BWV 855: Fugue
      • 21. No. 11 In F Major, BWV 856: Prelude
      • 22. No. 11 In F Major, BWV 856: Fugue
      • 23. No. 12 In F Minor, BWV 857: Prelude
      • 24. No. 12 In F Minor, BWV 857: Fugue

      Disc 2

      • 1. No. 13 In F Sharp Major, BWV 858: Prelude
      • 2. No. 13 In F Sharp Major, BWV 858: Fugue
      • 3. No. 14 In F Sharp Minor, BWV 859: Prelude
      • 4. No. 14 In F Sharp Minor, BWV 859: Fugue
      • 5. No. 15 In G Major, BWV 860: Prelude
      • 6. No. 15 In G Major, BWV 860: Fugue
      • 7. No. 16 In G Minor, BWV 861: Prelude
      • 8. No. 16 In G Minor, BWV 861: Fugue
      • 9. No. 17 In A Flat Major, BWV 862: Prelude 862
      • 10. No. 17 In A Flat Major, BWV 862: Fugue
      • 11. No. 18 In G Sharp Minor, BWV 863: Prelude
      • 12. No. 18 In G Sharp Minor, BWV 863: Fugue
      • 13. No. 19 In A Major, BWV 864: Prelude
      • 14. No. 19 In A Major, BWV 864: Fugue
      • 15. No. 20 In A Minor, BWV 865: Prelude
      • 16. No. 20 In A Minor, BWV 865: Fugue
      • 17. No. 21 In B Flat Major, BWV 866: Prelude
      • 18. No. 21 In B Flat Major, BWV 866: Fugue
      • 19. No. 22 In B Flat Minor, BWV 867: Prelude
      • 20. No. 22 In B Flat Minor, BWV 867: Fugue
      • 21. No. 23 In B Major, BWV 868: Prelude
      • 22. No. 23 In B Major, BWV 868: Fugue
      • 23. No. 24 In B Minor, BWV 869: Prelude
      • 24. No. 24 In B Minor, BWV 869: Fugue

      Disc 3

      • 1. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 1 In C Major Prelude
      • 2. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 1 In C Major Fugue
      • 3. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 2 In C Minor Prelude
      • 4. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 2 In C Minor Fugue
      • 5. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 3 In C Sharp Major Prelude
      • 6. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 3 In C Sharp Major Fugue
      • 7. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 4 In C Sharp Minor Prelude
      • 8. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 4 In C Sharp Minor Fugue
      • 9. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 5 In D Major Prelude
      • 10. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 5 In D Major Fugue
      • 11. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 6 In D Minor Prelude
      • 12. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 6 In D Minor Fugue
      • 13. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 7 In E Flat Major Prelude
      • 14. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 7 In E Flat Major Fugue
      • 15. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 8 In D Sharp Minor Prelude
      • 16. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 8 In D Sharp Minor Fugue
      • 17. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 9 In E Major Prelude
      • 18. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 9 In E Major Fugue
      • 19. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 10 In E Minor Prelude
      • 20. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 10 In E Minor Fugue
      • 21. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 11 In F Major Prelude
      • 22. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 11 In F Major Fugue
      • 23. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 12 In F Minor Prelude
      • 24. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 12 In F Minor Fugue

      Disc 4

      • 1. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 13 In F Sharp Major Prelude
      • 2. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 13 In F Sharp Major Fugue
      • 3. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 14 In F Sharp Minor Prelude
      • 4. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 14 In F Sharp Minor Fugue
      • 5. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 15 In G Major Prelude
      • 6. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 15 In G Major Fugue
      • 7. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 16 In G Minor Prelude
      • 8. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 16 In G Minor Fugue
      • 9. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 17 In A Flat Major Prelude
      • 10. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 17 In A Flat Major Fugue
      • 11. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 18 In G Sharp Minor Prelude
      • 12. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 18 In G Sharp Minor Fugue
      • 13. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 19 In A Major Prelude
      • 14. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 19 In A Major Fugue
      • 15. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 20 In A Minor Prelude
      • 16. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 20 In A Minor Fugue
      • 17. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 21 In B Flat Major Prelude
      • 18. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 21 In B Flat Major Fugue
      • 19. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 22 In B Flat Minor Prelude
      • 20. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 22 In B Flat Major Fugue
      • 21. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 23 In B Major Prelude
      • 22. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 23 In B Major Fugue
      • 23. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 24 In B Minor Prelude
      • 24. Das Wohltemperirte Clavier: No 24 In B Minor Fugue

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