J.S. Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier - Erster Teil

by Andreas Staier

Overview

This performance of Book I of Bach's Wohltemperierte Clavier ("Well-Tempered Clavier") was recorded in the spring and summer of 2021, about a year after keyboardist Andreas Staier recorded the second part; clearly, he knew he had a hit on his hands. Staier uses the same modern copy of a 1734 German Hass harpsichord that he used for Book II and that he previously used in his recording of the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988. It is a mighty instrument, with a resonant top and such a variety of registers that one might easily think one was listening to several different harpsichords. Staier exploits the differences among the registers effectively, matching them to the qualities of the individual pieces. These qualities are less abstract than the paired titles of Prelude and Fugue might suggest; traces of dances, of the French overture, of pastoral sounds, and more course through the set, and Staier's moods shift accordingly. The bass lines are unusually powerful by any standard of harpsichord music. Staier is very closely miked by Harmonia Mundi's engineers, working at Berlin's Teldex studio -- perhaps too closely miked, but this does not detract from a performance of the familiar Well-Tempered Clavier that immediately grabs one's attention with its force. The album landed on classical best-seller charts in early 2023. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	01/13/2023
Label:	Harmonia Mundi
UPC:	3149020946220
Rank:	81636

Tracks

Disc 1

1. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in C major, BWV 846
2. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in C major, BWV 846
3. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in C minor, BWV 847
4. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in C minor, BWV 847
5. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in C-sharp major, BWV 848
6. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in C-sharp major, BWV 848
7. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in C-sharp minor, BWV 849
8. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in C-sharp minor, BWV 849
9. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in D major, BWV 850
10. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in D major, BWV 850
11. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in D minor, BWV 851
12. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in D minor, BWV 851
13. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in E-flat major, BWV 852
14. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in E-flat major, BWV 852
15. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in E-flat minor, BWV 853
16. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in D-sharp minor, BWV 853
17. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in E major, BWV 854
18. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in E major, BWV 854
19. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in E minor, BWV 855
20. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in E minor, BWV 855
21. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in F major, BWV 856
22. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in F major, BWV 856
23. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in F minor, BWV 857
24. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in F minor, BWV 857

Disc 2

25. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in F-sharp major, BWV 858
26. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in F-sharp major, BWV 858
27. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in F-sharp minor, BWV 859
28. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in F-sharp minor, BWV 859
29. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in G major, BWV 860
30. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in G major, BWV 860
31. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in G minor, BWV 861
32. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in G minor, BWV 861
33. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in A-flat major, BWV 862
34. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in A-flat major, BWV 862
35. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in G-sharp minor, BWV 863
36. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in G-sharp minor, BWV 863
37. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in A major, BWV 864
38. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in A major, BWV 864
39. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in A minor, BWV 865
40. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in A minor, BWV 865
41. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in B-flat major, BWV 866
42. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in B-flat major, BWV 866
43. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in B-flat minor, BWV 867
44. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in B-flat minor, BWV 867
45. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in B major, BWV 868
46. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in B major, BWV 868
47. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Prelude in B minor, BWV 869
48. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1~Fugue in B minor, BWV 869

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Andreas Staier   Primary Artist,Harpsichord

Technical Credits

Martin Sauer   Editing,Artistic Director
Charles Johnston   Liner Note Translation
Peter Wollny   Liner Notes
Paul Klee   Illustrations
Johann Sebastian Bach   Composer
Dennis Collins   Liner Note Translation
Julian Schwenkner   Engineer,Editing
Rainer Sprung   Tuning
Frederic Bal   Instrument Design
Anthony Sidey   Instrument Design