CD 1:
Preludium and Fugue in C major, BWV 846
Preludium and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847
Preludium and Fugue in C sharp major, BWV 848
Preludium and Fugue in C sharp minor, BWV 849
Preludium and Fugue in D major, BWV 850
Preludium and Fugue in D minor, BWV 851
Preludium and Fugue in E flat major, BWV 852
Preludium and Fugue in E flat minor, BWV 853
Preludium and Fugue in E major, BWV 854
Preludium and Fugue in E minor, BWV 855
Preludium and Fugue in F major, BWV 856
Preludium and Fugue in F minor, BWV 857

CD 2:
Preludium and Fugue in F sharp major, BWV 858
Preludium and Fugue in F sharp minor, BWV 859
Preludium and Fugue in G major, BWV 860
Preludium and Fugue in G minor, BWV 861
Preludium and Fugue in A flat major, BWV 862
Preludium and Fugue in in G sharp minor, BWV 863
Preludium and Fugue in in A major, BWV 864
Preludium and Fugue in A minor, BWV 865
Preludium and Fugue in B flat major, BWV 866
Preludium and Fugue in in B flat minor, BWV 867
Preludium and Fugue in B major, BWV 868
Preludium and Fugue in B minor, BWV 869

Hailed by Hans von Bülow as the “Old Testament” of music history, the Well-Tempered Clavier has been the object of a substantial amount of publications and research over the past three centuries. A detailed analysis would surpass the limits of a CD booklet and could not do justice to the work’s complexity: readers will thus excuse me for limiting myself to a few personal remarks.

The Well-Tempered Clavier from a current perspective

We are now in the year 2022: as chance would have it, this CD’s release coincides with the 300th anniversary of the first volume of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Our lifestyle has changed in many ways over the past three centuries. We travel at much greater speed; we develop an increasing number of technologies and digital means of communication. Trained specialists are responsible for every area of our lives. But have we truly made progress?

Excessive global travel, as we know, has an alarming impact on climate. While many areas of our life become digital, communication is made simpler but ultimately only leads to mental lethargy, social isolation, and emotional impoverishment.

Specialists turn out to be one-track minds who accumulate isolated bits of knowledge – indeed, as ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus remarked, “knowing many things doesn’t teach insight.” Insight thus not only requires for us to have knowledge, but also for us to broaden our horizons. And that is exactly what is so fascinating about the Well-Tempered Clavier.

(from the booklet notes by Schaghajegh Nosrati)

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Recording: IV 2021, Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin / Germany. Piano: C. Bechstein Konzertflügel D 282.