J S Bach The Well-Tempered Clavier Book II (Nos. 25-48) by Shaw

Recorded by Shaw (age 17) on August 29, 2024
The Well-Tempered Clavier Book II (Nos. 25-48) by J S Bach BWV 870-893
Performed in Brooklyn, NY
Shaw is not a pianist. He is a cellist. Piano is his second instrument and he is self-taught. He learned The Well-Tempered Clavier Book II (Nos. 25-48) by himself. Each year he learns one long Bach piano piece for recital.
Shaw performs these self-taught piano recitals as part of his music development, as an experiment in building a musician, observing the short and long-term effects of classical music on a young player. This is his eighth year performing long Bach pieces after spending a year learning them on his own. His prior yearly performances include:
Here is the link to his performance of The Goldberg Variations on October 8, 2017: • The Goldberg Variation...
Here is the link to his performance of The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I on October 7, 2018: • The Well-Tempered Clav...
Here is the link to his performance of the complete French Suites by Bach on September 29, 2019: • Complete French Suites...
Here is the link to his performance of The English Suites Complete on Piano on October 9, 2020: • J. S. Bach The English...
Here is the link to his performance of The Six Partitas on September 8, 2021: • J S Bach "The Six Part...
Here is the link to his performance of the Two-Part Inventions and Three-Part Sinfonias on September 6, 2022: • J. S. Bach: Two-Part I...
Here is the link to his performance of The Well-Tempered Clavier Book II (Nos. 1-24) on September 1, 2023: • J S Bach The Well-Temp...
Shaw is a Pre-College student studying cello at the Juilliard School in New York City.
The Well-Tempered Clavier Book II (Nos. 25-48) was Recorded at St. John - St. Matthew - Emanuel Lutheran Church
283 Prospect Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215
David Parsons, Reverend (Thanks as ever, Dave!)
From the Encyclopedia Britannica:
The compound adjective well-tempered in the title refers to the employment of a tuning system that would work equally well in all keys-a circumstance rare in Bach’s day. An example of such a system, though not the only one available, is that of equal temperament, in which the octave is divided into 12 semitones of exactly equal intervals (compare meantone temperament). Further, by using the word clavier, Bach indicated that his music could be played on any keyboard instrument, including harpsichord, clavichord, and organ. (The piano, newly invented in Italy, was unknown in Bach’s native Germany when the first book was published.) The collection takes advantage of the knowledge that though keyboard instruments have different mechanisms and produce distinctive sounds, any reasonably competent player can move from one to another without difficulty.
Together the two volumes of The Well-Tempered Clavier consist of 24 preludes paired with 24 fugues. Bach completed the first book while employed at the royal court in Köthen (Cothen) in the 1720s and the second some two decades later in Leipzig, where he had been appointed director of church music for the city. The pieces were intended as pedagogical exercises to give keyboard players experience in working with the chords, scales, and arpeggios in each key.
Thank you for participating in Shaw's development as a musician.

[@lidijatravina7438]

Calm music for defence of peace. Thank you.

[@tjfamily9263]

What a nice thing to say. We are completely about peace - now and always - and we will use your generous words to find more avenues to let the world know that peace is always here, immediately, for the world through music and compassion and faith.