Move Records Australian classical & art music, est. 1968
Front cover art for The Well-Tempered Clavier: Books 1 and 2

New release

The Well-Tempered Clavier: Books 1 and 2

Distinguished Australian pianist and harpsichordist Judith Lambden presents J.S. Bach’s complete Well-Tempered Clavier, Books I and II (BWV 846–893), recorded across nine years as a five-CD set.

Judith Lambdenpiano Johann Sebastian Bachcomposer
  • CatalogueMCD 667
  • Released1 Feb 2026
  • Playing time326 minutes 47 seconds
  • Recorded at Move Records Studio

Listen & tracks

4 of 96 tracks have a preview · 2 works · 326:47

  1. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book IJohann Sebastian Bach 48 movements137:54
    1. 1 Prelude No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846 2:06
    2. 2 Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846 2:31
    3. 3 Prelude No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 847 1:40
    4. 4 Fugue No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 847 2:05
    5. 5 Prelude No. 3 in C-sharp Major, BWV 848 1:30
    6. 6 Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp Major, BWV 848 3:02
    7. 7 Prelude No. 4 in C-sharp Minor, BWV 849 2:56
    8. 8 Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp Minor, BWV 849 4:53
    9. 9 Prelude No. 5 in D Major, BWV 850 1:30
    10. 10 Fugue No. 5 in D Major, BWV 850 2:23
    11. 11 Prelude No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 851 1:38
    12. 12 Fugue No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 851 2:40
    13. 13 Prelude No. 7 in E-flat Major, BWV 852 5:32
    14. 14 Fugue No. 7 in E-flat Major, BWV 852 2:48
    15. 15 Prelude No. 8 in E-flat Minor, BWV 853 3:43
    16. 16 Fugue No. 8 in E-flat Minor, BWV 853 6:52
    17. 17 Prelude No. 9 in E Major, BWV 854 2:12
    18. 18 Fugue No. 9 in E Major, BWV 854 2:16
    19. 19 Prelude No. 10 in E Minor, BWV 855 2:38
    20. 20 Fugue No. 10 in E Minor, BWV 855 2:06
    21. 21 Prelude No. 11 in F Major, BWV 856 1:21
    22. 22 Fugue No. 11 in F Major, BWV 856 1:57
    23. 23 Prelude No. 12 in F Minor, BWV 857 2:21
    24. 24 Fugue No. 12 in F Minor, BWV 857 4:35
    25. 25 Prelude No. 13 in F-sharp Major, BWV 858 1:38
    26. 26 Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp Major, BWV 858 2:25
    27. 27 Prelude No. 14 in F-sharp Minor, BWV 859 1:06
    28. 28 Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp Minor, BWV 859 4:01
    29. 29 Prelude No. 15 in G Major, BWV 860 1:10
    30. 30 Fugue No. 15 in G Major, BWV 860 3:44
    31. 31 Prelude No. 16 in G Minor, BWV 861 2:44
    32. 32 Fugue No. 16 in G Minor, BWV 861 2:34
    33. 33 Prelude No. 17 in A-flat Major, BWV 862 1:23
    34. 34 Fugue No. 17 in A-flat Major, BWV 862 2:48
    35. 35 Prelude No. 18 in G-sharp Minor, BWV 863 1:37
    36. 36 Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp Minor, BWV 863 3:14
    37. 37 Prelude No. 19 in A Major, BWV 864 1:50
    38. 38 Fugue No. 19 in A Major, BWV 864 4:13
    39. 39 Prelude No. 20 in A Minor, BWV 865 1:31
    40. 40 Fugue No. 20 in A Minor, BWV 865 6:47
    41. 41 Prelude No. 21 in B-flat Major, BWV 866 1:28
    42. 42 Fugue No. 21 in B-flat Major, BWV 866 2:29
    43. 43 Prelude No. 22 in B-flat Minor, BWV 867 3:16
    44. 44 Fugue No. 22 in B-flat Minor, BWV 867 3:18
    45. 45 Prelude No. 23 in B Major, BWV 868 1:29
    46. 46 Fugue No. 23 in B Major, BWV 868 2:56
    47. 47 Prelude No. 24 in B Minor, BWV 869 6:52
    48. 48 Fugue No. 24 in B Minor, BWV 869 6:06
  2. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book IIJohann Sebastian Bach 48 movements188:53
    1. 49 Prelude No. 1 in C Major, BWV 870 2:30
    2. 50 Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 870 2:37
    3. 51 Prelude No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 871 2:56
    4. 52 Fugue No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 871 2:22
    5. 53 Prelude No. 3 in C-sharp Major, BWV 872 2:33
    6. 54 Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp Major, BWV 872 2:23
    7. 55 Prelude No. 4 in C-sharp Minor, BWV 873 5:14
    8. 56 Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp Minor, BWV 873 2:55
    9. 57 Prelude No. 5 in D Major, BWV 874 6:13
    10. 58 Fugue No. 5 in D Major, BWV 874 3:45
    11. 59 Prelude No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 875 1:49
    12. 60 Fugue No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 875 2:23
    13. 61 Prelude No. 7 in E-flat Major, BWV 876 2:43
    14. 62 Fugue No. 7 in E-flat Major, BWV 876 2:18
    15. 63 Prelude No. 8 in D-sharp Minor, BWV 877 6:06
    16. 64 Fugue No. 8 in D-sharp Minor, BWV 877 5:18
    17. 65 Prelude No. 9 in E Major, BWV 878 5:27
    18. 66 Fugue No. 9 in E Major, BWV 878 3:30
    19. 67 Prelude No. 10 in E Minor, BWV 879 5:07
    20. 68 Fugue No. 10 in E Minor, BWV 879 4:42
    21. 69 Prelude No. 11 in F Major, BWV 880 3:50
    22. 70 Fugue No. 11 in F Major, BWV 880 2:28
    23. 71 Prelude No. 12 in F Minor, BWV 881 5:02
    24. 72 Fugue No. 12 in F Minor, BWV 881 3:12
    25. 73 Prelude No. 13 in F-sharp Major, BWV 882 4:26
    26. 74 Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp Major, BWV 882 3:59
    27. 75 Prelude No. 14 in F-sharp Minor, BWV 883 3:36
    28. 76 Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp Minor, BWV 883 4:51
    29. 77 Prelude No. 15 in G Major, BWV 884 3:39
    30. 78 Fugue No. 15 in G Major, BWV 884 1:51
    31. 79 Prelude No. 16 in G Minor, BWV 885 3:18
    32. 80 Fugue No. 16 in G Minor, BWV 885 4:37
    33. 81 Prelude No. 17 in A-flat Major, BWV 886 6:59
    34. 82 Fugue No. 17 in A-flat Major, BWV 886 3:28
    35. 83 Prelude No. 18 in G-sharp Minor, BWV 887 6:37
    36. 84 Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp Minor, BWV 887 5:03
    37. 85 Prelude No. 19 in A Major, BWV 888 2:14
    38. 86 Fugue No. 19 in A Major, BWV 888 2:02
    39. 87 Prelude No. 20 in A Minor, BWV 889 4:57
    40. 88 Fugue No. 20 in A Minor, BWV 889 2:33
    41. 89 Prelude No. 21 in B-flat Major, BWV 890 11:00
    42. 90 Fugue No. 21 in B-flat Major, BWV 890 3:38
    43. 91 Prelude No. 22 in B-flat Minor, BWV 891 3:15
    44. 92 Fugue No. 22 in B-flat Minor, BWV 891 5:27
    45. 93 Prelude No. 23 in B Major, BWV 892 2:46
    46. 94 Fugue No. 23 in B Major, BWV 892 5:01
    47. 95 Prelude No. 24 in B Minor, BWV 893 3:29
    48. 96 Fugue No. 24 in B Minor, BWV 893 2:44

Covering every major and minor key, The Well-Tempered Clavier – forty-eight preludes and fugues – stands among the great monuments of keyboard music. It remains a cornerstone of teaching, and a sustained journey through Bach’s counterpoint, expressive range, and harmonic design.

Although conceived for harpsichord or clavichord, the cycle has long flourished on the modern piano. Lambden brings the rare authority of both pianist and harpsichordist. She studied with Ruggero Gerlin, an associate of Wanda Landowska, and worked with pedagogues including Nadia Boulanger and Gustav Leonhardt. Her readings favour structural clarity, tonal refinement, and deep stylistic understanding.

From the luminous simplicity of the opening C major Prelude to the architectural grandeur of the final B minor Fugue, she draws out the character of each key while shaping the whole as one artistic arc.

Her long association with Bach – including earlier recordings of the English Suites, French Suites and related works – makes this complete Well-Tempered Clavier a natural addition to her discography.

The set was recorded at Move Records Studio. Vaughan McAlley and Blake Stickland handled recording and editing; Martin Wright mastered; Vaughan McAlley wrote the liner notes.

Artists

Photograph of Judith Lambden

Judith Lambden

piano

Distinguished Australian pianist and harpsichordist Judith Lambden has recorded many works on the Move label, among them Schubert’s great B-flat Sonata, Bach’s English and French Suites, the six Partitas, and a wide span of other J.S. Bach keyboard works.

 Photograph of Johann Sebastian Bach

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.

Digital booklet

Digital booklet Notes, texts and credits — read online or download the PDF Download the PDF

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$50.00 AUD

Compact disc

Buywell Music Australian Music Centre

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Apple Music

Also available to download from the iTunes Store.

Performers

Technical credits

  • Recording Engineer Blake Stickland
    Vaughan McAlley
  • Editing Engineer Blake Stickland
    Vaughan McAlley
  • Mastering Engineer Martin Wright
  • Venue Move Records Studio
  • Credit Vaughan McAlley

Details

List price
$50.00 AUD
Total playing time
326 minutes 47 seconds
Release date
Category
Classical
Genre
Baroque
Musical work copyright
© 2025 Judith Lambden
Sound recording copyright
℗ 2025 Move Records
Catalogue
MCD 667
EAN
8721465019643

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