The Well-Tempered Clavier (German: Das Wohltemperierte
Klavier), BWV 846–893, is a collection of solo
keyboard music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. He
first gave the title to a book of preludes and fugues
in all 24 major and minor keys, dated 1722, composed
"for the profit and use of musical youth desirous of
learning, and especially for the pastime of those
already skilled in this study." Bach later compiled a
second book of the same kind, dated 1742, but titled it
only "Twenty-four Prelu...(+)
The Well-Tempered Clavier (German: Das Wohltemperierte
Klavier), BWV 846–893, is a collection of solo
keyboard music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. He
first gave the title to a book of preludes and fugues
in all 24 major and minor keys, dated 1722, composed
"for the profit and use of musical youth desirous of
learning, and especially for the pastime of those
already skilled in this study." Bach later compiled a
second book of the same kind, dated 1742, but titled it
only "Twenty-four Preludes and Fugues." The two works
are now usually considered to make up a single work,
The Well-Tempered Clavier, or "the 48," and are
referred to respectively as Books I and II. The
Well-Tempered Clavier is generally regarded as one of
the most influential works in the history of Western
classical music.
Although the Fugue XXIII was originally written for
Harpsichord in B-Major, I created this arrangement for
Woodwind Quartet (Flute, Oboe, Bb Bass Clarinet and
Bassoon) in C-Major.