J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, BWV 846-869

Trevor Pinnock

Released on 10/04/2020 by Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
Main artists: Trevor Pinnock
Genre: Klassiek

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It’s a strange feeling seeing Trevor Pinnock’s name again on the front of a Deutsche Grammaphon release, more than twenty years since the release of his numerous productions for the yellow label’s former sub-label dedicated to early and baroque music, Archiv Produktion – yet it’s also rather exciting.

The artist produced the album himself with the help of renowned sound engineer and artistic director Philip Hobbs who has succeeded in capturing the beauty of his instrument built by David Way, modelled on an instrument by Henri Hemsch. This recording of Book I of J.S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, recorded at the Colyer-Fergusson Hall at the University of Kent in August 2018 and January 2019, was a dream come true for the British harpsichordist as he admits in the touching introductory text, confessing his lifelong admiration for the dual character of the first book. For example, some diptychs have a completely educational, almost formalist character which is ideal for those learning the art of playing or composition, while others, such as the final Prelude and Fugue in B minor are revelatory of a greater ambition for composition and innovation, and even border on the abstract, and are therefore more difficult for novice musicians to grasp. Pinnock also notes that this music is essentially intended to be listened to and shared in small circles between family and pupils, for example.

The intimate tone is indeed striking when listening to this interpretation for the first time. The harpsichordist had no hesitation in including all twenty-four preludes and fugues from the first book, unified in their ensemble by a certain lightness. Even within the robust framework, his playing exudes happiness, a sense of joie de vivre, even in keys that are usually more melancholic (Prelude and Fugue in E minor(), subdued (Prelude and Fugue in B flat minor, sombre (Prelude and Fugue in F minor) or uneasy (Prelude and Fugue in G sharp minor), throughout the two hours that this First Book lasts. An enthralling version not to be missed. © Pierre-Yves Lascar/Qobuz

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J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, BWV 846-869

Trevor Pinnock

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The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, BWV 846-869 / Prelude & Fugue in C Major, BWV 846 (Johann Sebastian Bach)

I. Prelude