Das Wohltemperierte Klavier

German text edition

Alfred Dürr, arguably the most renowned Bach scholar of recent decades, presents here the culmination of his research on one of the central works in the history of music. In clear and accessible language, he introduces readers to the “universe” of The Well-Tempered Clavier.

In the introduction, he describes how the two volumes of The Well-Tempered Clavier came into being, what types of preludes and fugues they contain, the meaning of “well-tempered” tuning, and the fundamental principles of performance practice that should be considered today.

The main part of the book, organized like a reference work, provides an in-depth discussion of each of the 96 pieces. Even readers without scholarly training are gently guided through the genesis of the works, often preserved in multiple versions.

Issues of performance practice are addressed, styles, types, and models are described, and compositional techniques are explained. For each fugue, Dürr includes a clear diagram that makes it easier to follow the formal structure.