Well-Tempered Clavier

Bach (Artist), Edwin Fischer (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 15, 1999)
• Label: Monopoly
• ASIN: B00000I6LI
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,020,740 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Prelude No.1 in C major, BWV846

2. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Fugue No.1 in C major, BWV846

3. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Prelude No.2 in C minor, BWV847

4. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Fugue No.2 in C minor, BWV847

5. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Prelude No.3 in C sharp major, BWV

6. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Fugue No.3 in C sharp major, BWV84

See all 38 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Prelude No.20 in A minor, BWV865

2. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Fugue No.20 in A minor, BWV865

3. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Prelude No.21 in B flat major, BWV

4. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Fugue No.21 in B flat major, BWV86

5. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book II, BWV 870-893 (BC L104-127): Prelude No.1 in C major, BWV870

6. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book II, BWV 870-893 (BC L104-127): Fugue No.1 in C major, BWV870

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book II, BWV 870-893 (BC L104-127): Fugue No.10 in E minor, BWV879

2. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book II, BWV 870-893 (BC L104-127): Prelude in F major No.11 in F ma

3. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book II, BWV 870-893 (BC L104-127): Fugue in F major No.11 in F majo

4. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book II, BWV 870-893 (BC L104-127): Prelude No.12 in F minor, BWV881

5. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book II, BWV 870-893 (BC L104-127): Fugue No.12 in F minor, BWV881

6. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book II, BWV 870-893 (BC L104-127): Prelude No.13 in F sharp major,

See all 29 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First and still best recording of The Well-Tempered Clavier, March 18, 2000

By 

Kalle Kuusava (Lahti, Finland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Well-Tempered Clavier (Audio CD)

German superpianist Edwin Fischer made first complete recording of this work in 1930's. In my opinion, it's still truly best performance. Other excellent choices are Rosalyn Tureck's, Glenn Gould's and Andras Schiff's recordings. If one wants to listen legendary cembalo version of this work, excellent choice is Wanda Landowska's recording. Edwin Fischer's recording is magical. You can't stop listening to it. After you have heard the first prelude in C major, you have to listen the whole first book of preludes & fugues. And after that, you automatically start the second book. Fischer has very beautiful singing tone. While you listen, you can imagine yourself sitting in a huge church, where a beautiful soprano sings the melody, and a small chamber orchestra makes a great accompanist. Fischer also makes the dynamic differences and the so important thing in Bach, articulation, in natural places. The sound quality is very good, and EMI has managed to put this work in three CD's, each holding up to 80 minutes of this fantastic playing. And it's mid-price. Warmly recommended to every pianist, everyone who likes Bach, and everyone who wants to get to know his music and style. Mind-blowing performance!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great old recording! Timeless! 4.5 stars, November 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Well-Tempered Clavier (Audio CD)

Great old recording, but it has a "78" sound to it. However, the playing is so full of life you almost feel as if you're hearing the piano sing, you get over the fact that it wasn't recorded with today's technology. I'd say Fischer's version of Bach's towering masterpiece belongs in the library of every Bach fan and, yes, every fan of Western art music. This man won me over only after 5 minutes. Wish I could have seen him live. I buy about 1 version of the WTC every year, like Gould, Tureck, Levin, and I still hold Fischer in high regard. Warmly recommended recording. (Not 5 stars because of the sound quality. 4.5 stars then.)

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless gold, April 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Well-Tempered Clavier (Audio CD)

This is not the EMI References release, but a Chinese-language offering with minimal documentation in English. Nevertheless, the production values seem to be on an acceptable level, and the transfer is quite fine. A word of caution, though: Monopoly has used the CEDAR process to eliminate -- to an excellent extent -- most of the surface noises; on the other hand (as is usual with this technique) the process has altered somewhat Fischer's tone and timbre. It is not a disastrous alteration, but noticeable when compared to the old LPs. But rest assured that the magnificence of Fischer's playing comes through hypnotically: he is to the keyboard what Furtwaengler is to the podium, and the unfailing concentration, the warm human wisdom, the powerful intuitive grasp of the music's architectonics -- all these qualities plus many more come through loud and clear. Along with the Busch Quartet's late Beethoven, and Furtwaengler's Bruckner, and Beecham's Mozart, this is "must-have" music-making for the ages.