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The Well-Tempered Clavier I by J.S. Bach, recorded by the Netherlands Bach Society with several different performers. Composing 48 keyboard pieces in all 24 keys was the sort of challenge Bach enjoyed. 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. In the preludes, he gave free rein to his imagination, and demonstrated mathematical tours de force in the fugues. 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. The first part of the Wohltemperirte Clavier dates from 1722, although it contains some music that was written in the preceding five years. There is less clarity about the history of part two. 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. Bach described the target group for this collection of pieces as follows: ‘Zum Nutzen und Gebrauch der Lehr-begierigen Musicalischen Jugend, als auch dere in diesem studio schon habil seyenden besonderem ZeitVertreib’ (For both the education of the industrious musical youngster and the enjoyment of those well-versed in this material’). In this playlist: Das Wohltemperirte Clavier, BWV 846-893 For the Well-Tempered Clavier II go to https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe... #welltemperedclavier #wtc #wtc1 #music #jsbach #bach #nederlandsebachvereniging #netherlandsbachsociety #klavecimbel #harpsichord #baroque #baroquemusic #classicalmusic #music