Bach - WTC II Prelude and fugue no. 23 in B major BWV 892 - Schornsheim | Netherlands Bach Society

The notes move up and down and against one another in this last but one prelude of the second part of The Well-Tempered Clavier, performed for All of Bach by Christine Schornsheim. Here, the emphasis clearly lies more on texture and variety than on a strict reading of the rules. Already in the first bar, it is striking how many ornaments Bach prescribes. The quick semiquavers never pause for breath in the three sections of the prelude. The middle section, with its free virtuosity, could easily come from a keyboard concerto. After so much cheerfulness, the fugue strikes a more serious tone: an equally awkward and clear theme in semitones rings through the parts like a bell. Twice, just before the ending, the music hangs tensely on a ‘faltering’ motif, which had arisen discreetly at the start. As is always the case with Bach: nothing goes to waste! We recorded Bach’s first book of the ’Wohltemperirte Clavier’ at the homes of 24 different musicians. For the second book, performed in its entir