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J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier:
In-depth Analysis and Interpretation

bach WTC

The four-volume work consists of various elements. A general 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. This is followed by a catalogue of very specific Questions Regarding a Prelude and Questions Regarding a Fugue, which the reader is urged to answer for himself with regard to a particular prelude or fugue. The scope of the questions, their possible implications, and the terms used are then explianed step by step in a section entitled Additional Information.

The main body of each of the four volumes, under the heading Models Answers, contains in-depth investigations into the structure and material of each of 48 preludes and fugues along with remarks on performance practice and an exploration of the pertinent performance decision a pianist in our time faces. These individual chapters, dedicated to one prelude and fugue each, are illustrated with music excerpts, diagrams, and graphic illustrations.