The Well-Tempered Clavier: Books I and II, Complete (Dover Music for Piano) [Paperback]

Johann Sebastian Bach (Author), Classical Piano Sheet Music (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Music for Piano | Publication Date: January 1, 1984

Here is an affordable edition of the complete 48 preludes and fugues in all major and minor keys. Reprinted from the authoritative Bach-Gesellschaft edition, the book also features handy explanation of ornaments in English plus tempo indications and music corrections. "His art was of an encyclopedic nature." — Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (January 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486245322
• ISBN-13: 978-0486245324
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Bach
  • #2 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Historical Period > Baroque
  • #4 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Opera

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic bargain, June 15, 2002

By 

Dr. Christopher Coleman (HONG KONG) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Well-Tempered Clavier: Books I and II, Complete (Dover Music for Piano) (Paperback)

Another incredible bargain from Dover. Although I think their edition of the Beethoven complete string quartets (in a single volume!) is probably the best buy in all of music, this edition of The Well Tempered Clavier is a strong competitor. (If only it had included The Art of Fugue!) This is the edition I recommend for my students because of the clarity, absence of artificial or misleading editorial markings, ease of page turns, and cost. It is not perfect; what edition EVER is--in this case, one of my quibbles is that of all the minor key fugues, only ONE (g# minor) ends without a piccardy (raised) third--it simply must be an oversight, and interestingly the accidental already present in the key signature is repeated unnecessarily. Surely B natural should have been B sharp in the final measure. Regardless of the slight problems, this is the single best tool to learn Baroque counterpoint in general and fugue specifically. No textbook I know of is capable of demonstrating the fluidity of form, nor describing the sophistication of melodic and contrapuntal writing that Bach employs. Every book I know of oversimplifies or even avoids the issues that Bach so admirably handles. The answers are here, in the music, not in a text. Absolutely invaluable for the serious music student.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fewer Page Turns, February 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Well-Tempered Clavier: Books I and II, Complete (Dover Music for Piano) (Paperback)

This edition is certainly the most inexpensive on the market. True, it is "no frills" Bach--without the help of fingerings and phrasing--but I found the edition very useful. For instance, the Alfred edition takes up six pages for the Fugue in C# Maj, Book I, whereas this Dover edition only takes two. I found this very useful when playing from this edition because page turns are impossible with Bach!!

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and complete, October 13, 1999

By 

r@home - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Well-Tempered Clavier: Books I and II, Complete (Dover Music for Piano) (Paperback)

No doubt we should be pleased with this edition, stripped clean of editorials, phrasings, and fingerings, it seems very close to the "source," as Bach wrote it without the frills and boxes of an "expert" interpretation. For a basic manuscript, this is the one, complete and clear. It elucidates how much room Bach left us to find ourselves in his music, rather than finding Czerny or Tovey. In this edition, Bach's assurances as a great teacher shine through: solve it yourself, but know that it is all possible.