Listen & tracks

96 works · 263:27

Disc 1

1 Book I, Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 846 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:34
2 Book I, Fugue No. 1 in C major, BWV 846 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:03
3 Book II, Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 870 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:03
4 Book II, Fugue No. 1 in C major, BWV 870 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:52
5 Book I, Prelude No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:37
6 Book I, Fugue No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:33
7 Book II, Prelude No. 2 in C minor, BWV 871 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:12
8 Book II, Fugue No. 2 in C minor, BWV 871 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:33
9 Book I, Prelude No. 3 in C-sharp major, BWV 848 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:11
10 Book I, Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp major, BWV 848 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:30
11 Book II, Prelude No. 3 in C-sharp major, BWV 872 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:38
12 Book II, Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp major, BWV 872 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:53
13 Book I, Prelude No. 4 in C-sharp minor, BWV 849 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:34
14 Book I, Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp minor, BWV 849 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:31
15 Book II, Prelude No. 4 in C-sharp minor, BWV 873 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:35
16 Book II, Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp minor, BWV 873 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:21
17 Book I, Prelude No. 5 in D major, BWV 850 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:17
18 Book I, Fugue No. 5 in D major, BWV 850 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:12
19 Book II, Prelude No. 5 in D major, BWV 874 Johann Sebastian Bach 5:18
20 Book II, Fugue No. 5 in D major, BWV 874 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:00
21 Book I, Prelude No. 6 in D minor, BWV 851 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:18
22 Book I, Fugue No. 6 in D minor, BWV 851 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:18
23 Book II, Prelude No. 6 in D minor, BWV 875 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:54
24 Book II, Fugue No. 6 in D minor, BWV 875 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:53

Disc 2

1 Book I, Prelude No. 7 in E-flat major, BWV 852 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:20
2 Book I, Fugue No. 7 in E-flat major, BWV 852 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:57
3 Book II, Prelude No. 7 in E-flat major, BWV 876 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:20
4 Book II, Fugue No. 7 in E-flat major, BWV 876 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:11
5 Book I, Prelude No. 8 in E-flat minor, BWV 853 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:24
6 Book I, Fugue No. 8 in D-sharp minor, BWV 853 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:53
7 Book II, Prelude No. 8 in D-sharp minor, BWV 877 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:29
8 Book II, Fugue No. 8 in D-sharp minor, BWV 877 Johann Sebastian Bach 5:01
9 Book I, Prelude No. 9 in E major, BWV 854 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:25
10 Book I, Fugue No. 9 in E major, BWV 854 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:31
11 Book II, Prelude No. 9 in E major, BWV 878 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:33
12 Book II, Fugue No. 9 in E major, BWV 878 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:42
13 Book I, Prelude No. 10 in E minor, BWV 855 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:38
14 Book I, Fugue No. 10 in E minor, BWV 855 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:27
15 Book II, Prelude No. 10 in E minor, BWV 879 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:16
16 Book II, Fugue No. 10 in E minor, BWV 879 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:54
17 Book I, Prelude No. 11 in F major, BWV 856 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:10
18 Book I, Fugue No. 11 in F major, BWV 856 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:02
19 Book II, Prelude No. 11 in F major, BWV 880 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:36
20 Book II, Fugue No. 11 in F major, BWV 880 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:24
21 Book II, Prelude No. 12 in F minor, BWV 881 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:47
22 Book II, Fugue No. 12 in F minor, BWV 881 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:39
23 Book I, Prelude No. 12 in F minor, BWV 857 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:27
24 Book I, Fugue No. 12 in F minor, BWV 857 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:05

Disc 3

1 Book I, Prelude No. 13 in F-sharp major, BWV 858 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:32
2 Book I, Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp major, BWV 858 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:19
3 Book II, Prelude No. 13 in F-sharp major, BWV 882 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:42
4 Book II, Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp major, BWV 882 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:17
5 Book I, Prelude No. 14 in F-sharp minor, BWV 859 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:12
6 Book I, Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp minor, BWV 859 Johann Sebastian Bach 5:47
7 Book II, Prelude No. 14 in F-sharp minor, BWV 883 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:46
8 Book II, Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp minor, BWV 883 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:40
9 Book I, Prelude No. 15 in G major, BWV 860 Johann Sebastian Bach :48
10 Book I, Fugue No. 15 in G major, BWV 860 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:54
11 Book II, Prelude No. 15 in G major, BWV 884 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:38
12 Book II, Fugue No. 15 in G major, BWV 884 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:22
13 Book I, Prelude No. 16 in G minor, BWV 861 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:46
14 Book I, Fugue No. 16 in G minor, BWV 861 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:28
15 Book II, Prelude No. 16 in G minor, BWV 885 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:17
16 Book II, Fugue No. 16 in G minor, BWV 885 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:02
17 Book I, Prelude No. 17 in A-flat major, BWV 862 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:25
18 Book I, Fugue No. 17 in A-flat major, BWV 862 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:40
19 Book II, Prelude No. 17 in A-flat major, BWV 886 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:03
20 Book II, Fugue No. 17 in A-flat major, BWV 886 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:36
21 Book I, Prelude No. 18 in G-sharp minor, BWV 863 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:13
22 Book I, Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp minor, BWV 863 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:22
23 Book II, Prelude No. 18 in G-sharp minor, BWV 887 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:12
24 Book II, Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp minor, BWV 887 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:45

Disc 4

1 Book I, Prelude No. 19 in A major, BWV 864 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:14
2 Book I, Fugue No. 19 in A major, BWV 864 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:25
3 Book II, Prelude No. 19 in A major, BWV 888 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:58
4 Book II, Fugue No. 19 in A major, BWV 888 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:32
5 Book I, Prelude No. 20 in A minor, BWV 865 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:14
6 Book I, Fugue No. 20 in A minor, BWV 865 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:16
7 Book II, Prelude No. 20 in A minor, BWV 889 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:45
8 Book II, Fugue No. 20 in A minor, BWV 889 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:02
9 Book I, Prelude No. 21 in B-flat major, BWV 866 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:14
10 Book I, Fugue No. 21 in B-flat major, BWV 866 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:12
11 Book II, Prelude No. 21 in B-flat major, BWV 890 Johann Sebastian Bach 7:57
12 Book II, Fugue No. 21 in B-flat major, BWV 890 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:38
13 Book I, Prelude No. 22 in B-flat minor, BWV 867 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:20
14 Book I, Fugue No. 22 in B-flat minor, BWV 867 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:51
15 Book II, Prelude No. 22 in B-flat minor, BWV 891 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:52
16 Book II, Fugue No. 22 in B-flat minor, BWV 891 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:32
17 Book I, Prelude No. 23 in B major, BWV 868 Johann Sebastian Bach 1:09
18 Book I, Fugue No. 23 in B major, BWV 868 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:23
19 Book II, Prelude No. 23 in B major, BWV 892 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:07
20 Book II, Fugue No. 23 in B major, BWV 892 Johann Sebastian Bach 3:42
21 Book II, Prelude No. 24 in B minor, BWV 893 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:16
22 Book II, Fugue No. 24 in B minor, BWV 893 Johann Sebastian Bach 2:21
23 Book I, Prelude No. 24 in B minor, BWV 869 Johann Sebastian Bach 4:14
24 Book I, Fugue No. 24 in B minor, BWV 869 Johann Sebastian Bach 9:26

By performing related works from Books I and II together, Holtham demonstrates Bach’s extraordinary tonal landscape in a manageable way and shows how Bach reflects on the concept of key. He illustrates how that genius and tonal design foreshadow classical music of the centuries that followed.

Bach's Tonal Soundscape is a 4-CD set spanning 264 minutes. A 20-page booklet includes an extensive essay on Holtham’s approach to the music.

In the artist’s words

The two books of The Well-Tempered Clavier come from two distinctly different periods in Bach’s life. The first book was collected together in 1722 during Bach’s appointment as Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen; a period in his life when the composition of secular music was the chief requirement of his employment. The second book followed two decades later, completed in 1742 in Leipzig when the ageing and increasingly fragile master was imbued with the relationship between his music and the divine. Despite the span of years that separates the two volumes, Bach’s remarkable contrapuntal musical architecture can be clearly discerned in various artistic relationships between the two books. Not only are there fascinating correspondences and mutual reflections, but also an overall sense of cumulative artistic totality. It is easy to imagine that the first book sat on Bach’s composing desk open at the appropriate key as he was writing Book 2.

These vital musical connections cannot be fully seen unless The Well-Tempered Clavier is viewed through the aural prism of key rather than the historical artefact of each book. It is in this way that ‘the 48’ are ordered in this recording, with preludes and fugues of the same key presented together – the C majors, the C minors, the C-sharp majors, and so on. Generally Book 1 is followed by Book 2, although an inversion of the books does occur at the caesura points of F minor and B minor – the halfway and concluding points of the tonal gamut. In these two keys the utterances of Book 1 seem at a more sublime level in comparison to the lighter, more wistful views of Book 2.

Throughout The Well-Tempered Clavier Bach seems to have a message about the core attributes of a tonal centre. Each keynote is musically sculpted, revealing a myriad of attributes. Proceeding by key gives a view of Bach’s musical position on each keynote, in addition to his way of crafting the overall structure of this unique collection of ninety-six individual pieces. Such a presentation of The Well-Tempered Clavier offers a means of distilling Bach’s view on tonality in a way not perceived in the standard progression by book alone.

In the printed urtext score, the absolute conclusion of The Well-Tempered Clavier is not musical—it is verbal and religious. Bach writes ‘S.D.G.’. Soli Deo Gloria – for the glory of God alone. The mysteries of The Well-Tempered Clavier are endless and it is the greatest testament in Western Art Music to the tonal acoustic foundation of our art.

— Ian Holtham with David Tieri

Reviews

To record Bach’s '48' complete – 96 intensely-crafted miniatures spanning nearly five hours – is an immense undertaking. Ian Holtham arranges the movements not in the traditional chronology – Book I (1722) then Book II (1742) – but by key. Each key pair has Book I before Book II, save at the half-way point (F minor) and the end (B minor), where he puts the lighter Book II before the profound Book I. His unique ordering exposes many correspondences and relations between the pairs not heard before.

Holtham plays Bach insightfully, adding personal ornamentation, tonal shading and articulation. His fugue voicing is always crystal clear, while his delicacy in some of the most archaic fugal types is almost subdued for such grandeur. Rapid pieces are given virtuosic renditions, difficult problems are gracefully solved. In Book II he makes sense of often rambling structures with clever contrasts of articulation and tonal shading: the G Sharp Major Prelude – the only one with f/p marks, almost unrecognisable as Bach – is exquisitely given, bound to the vast triple fugue that follows, a total contrast of introverted chromaticism. Closing with the Book I B Minor Fugue, its subject the first 12-tone row in music, Holtham takes the Largo mark literally, and plays with a grandeur and freedom of tempo and dynamic contrast that wonderfully captures its sublimity and make a fitting close to a vast and impressive anthology. ★★★★

— Limelight

A triumph of musical contemplation. The unique ordering, interlacing Books 1 and 2 by key, leads Holtham to discover many relationships between the books never considered before.

— Warren Bebbington, University of Adelaide

Artists

Ian Holtham

piano

Professor Ian Holtham is one of Australia’s most distinguished and highly regarded pianists and pedagogues. His performances of the great Classical and Romantic repertoire have drawn packed houses and strong critical acclaim for many years.

Johann Sebastian Bach

composer

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) was a German composer and organist of the late Baroque. His sacred and secular music for choir, orchestra, organ and solo instruments remains among the foundations of the Western concert and church repertory.