1.

The Well Tempered Clavier Book 1

a. Preludes and fugues through all the tones and seimtones
both as regards the major third or Ut Re Mi and as concerns
the minor third of Re Mi Fa. For the profit and use of the
musical youth desirous of learning, as well as for the
special pastime of those who are already skilled in this
study. Composed and written down by Johann Sebastian
Bach, p.t. Capplemeister to His Serene Highness, the Prince
of Anhalt-Cothen and Director of His Chamber Music. Anno.
1722.
b. Clavier meaning keyboard. In Bachs time, that included
the clavichord, the harpsichord, and the organ, as well as
the pianoforte.
2. History
a. The first collection of keyboard pieces in all 24 keys
b. Completed in 1722 but not published until 1801
c. Earlier versions of some of the preludes were included in
Klavierbuchlein fur Wilhelm Friedeman Bach
i. C# Major Prelude and Fugue
1. Originally in C major
ii. E Minor Prelude
1. In short for and to be played with
accompanying E major
d. Manuscripts
e. The only existing near-complete copy in Bachs own
handwriting is dated 1732. Some editors suggest that this
autograph manuscript was written in 1722 and amended
by Bach in 1732. Others suggest that the 1722 autograph
has been lost.
3. Tuning
a. Well-Temperament
i. Allowed the acceptable performance of music in each
of the 12 major and 12 minor keys
ii. Meantone temperament was the system in general
use before the adoption of well-temperament favored
specific keys.
1. A sharp could not function as a flat, and viceversa.
iii. Well temperament in not equal temperament.
1. Well temperament tried to preserve
individually of keys.
2. In equal temperament, all intervals except the
octave are slightly out of tune.
3. In well temperament only three to five tones
are tempered.

4. The Preludes
a. No particular restrictions.
b. Introduction to the Fugue
5. The Fugues
a. Unity between prelude and fugue is usually through mood,
style, or tempo, not necessarily motivic.
6. Notable Editions
a. Franz Kroll - C.F. Peters
b. Franz Kroll Bach-Gesellschaft
c. Dr. Hans Bischoff Kalmus
d. Alfred Kreutz Peters Urtext
e. Otto von Irmer Henle Urtext
f. Ernst-Gunter Heinemann Henle Urtext
g. Denhard/Kraus Wiener Urtext
h. Carl Czerny Schirmer
i. Ferruccio Busoni Kalmus
i. Substituted Eb Major and G Major Fugues between
books.
j. Edwin Hughes Schirmer
k. Alfred Durr Baerenreiter
l. Willard A. Palmer Alfred