Another story suggests that the Goldberg in the title refers to one of Bach’s pupils, John Gottlieb Goldberg but he would have only been about fourteen years of age at the time and an unlikely recipient of such a complex set of pieces. Bach composed the variations supposedly for an insomniac Count Keyserlingk who requested some pieces to cheer him through the long sleepless nights. This set of variations are considered by many as the most important harpsichord work of the Baroque Period let alone one of Bach’s most ambitious projects. They are each little masterpieces and effortlessly capture the genius of Bach and his music. What Bach achieved here was monumental and in many ways opened the way for a whole new expanse of keyboard compositions. Bach could not have known how the piano of today would sound and this needs thought when approaching these works. Ensuring the clarity of Bach’s part-writing is paramount as is being able to mark the climatic moments in each piece. One key consideration Tovey makes in his editorial notes to the ABRSM collection is that “Bach writes very accurately what is to be played but, he leaves the performer free as to how it is played.” Taking the time to understand the time in which these works were composed is also crucial regarding any decision in how they are played. They not only offer every aspiring pianist the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world and style of Bach but also to develop their polyphonic technique in playing fugues of three and four voices. The importance of these works cannot be overstated. He then moves to C minor for the second then chromatically upwards to C sharp major for the fourth and C sharp minor for the fifth and so on. The well-tempered part of the title refers to the fact that the establishment of a tonal system of keys was still a reasonably new idea following the fall from popularity of the modal system that dominated music before.īach begins his epic journey through all the keys in C major for the first Prelude and Fugue. Another important title for this collection of works is “The Well-tempered Piano”. They are a collection of pieces that span all twenty-four major and minor keys used in Western Music. The 48 Preludes and Fugues have become iconic in the Bach catalogue of works.
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