J. S. Bach’s well-tempered clavier

This comprehensive work book on Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier should be part of every pianist’s, piano teacher’s, and advanced piano amateur’s library. The introduction covers topics like the origins of the WTC, the “well-tempered” scale, the clavier at Bach’s time, the history of the prelude, and the background of fugue composition. There follows a catalog of questions readers are encouraged to address. The scope of these questions, their implications, and the terms used are explained step by step. The main body of the book consists of 48 chapters with answers regarding the structure, material, performance practice, and interpretation of each pair of prelude + fugue. 175 music examples as well as many tables and full-color diagrams visualizing the design of each fugue facilitate a creative understanding of the works while raising awareness for the concerns of historically conscientious performance.