What is the Well Tempered Clavier?

Bach the Teacher:

The Well-Tempered Clavier is one of the most universally loved and admired of all the great masterpieces of music. Bach wrote book one in his late twenties. He commented simply that these preludes and fugues were composed to help young players eager to learn and also to satisfy more advanced musicians... Bach composed a prelude and fugue for every single key so that his students could learn to play in any key, no matter how many sharps and flats.

and Well Tempered?

For a start, it has nothing to do with being in a good mood, though if you are listening to Bach's Well Tempered Clavier, you will probably find yourself in one! 'Well Tempered' in baroque music terms pertains to the tuning of the harpsichord or other keyboard instrument

Because of a mysterious natural kink in the way harmonic overtones vibrate on a string, first noticed by Pythagorus, it is actually impossible to tune a keyboard instrument so that it sounds perfectly in tune in every single key signature, i.e. G major (with one sharp), B major (with 5 sharps), c minor (with 3 flats), and so on.

Ever since the middle ages a compromise has been found by slightly adjusting (tempering) the tuning of certain notes so that when the instrument is played in the most images keys (i.e., those with not too many sharps and flats) it sounds in tune.

Equal temperament means that instead of tempering a few notes a lot so that the basic keys are in perfectly tune, all the notes are tempered a little bit so that any key sounds almost in tune. To most people this sounds acceptably in tune.

What is Obbligato?

Bach the innovator:

Bach loved the Harpsichord and organ and he was a great virtuoso on both. When it came to accompanying a soloist, he just couldn't hold back--he found himself filling in the texture with extra parts. He finally invented a new type of piece which enabled him to satisfy his need for a full sound; in the obbligato sonatas the harpsichord plays two parts (one with each hand) and the solo instrument plays another.

Allegro from Bach's sonata in G for violin and obbligato harpsichord

What is BWV?

BWV stands for Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, and is a catalogue number from the comprehensive listing of Bach's huge output compiled by the German musicologist Wolfgang Schmieder in 1950.

Other great composers have had their works catalogued too: For example we can identify Mozart's works by their KV (Köchel-Verzeichnis) numbers, or much of Beethoven's music with WoO numbers (Werke ohne Opuszahle, works without opus numbers, refering to those not published during his life time).

Bach and the Viola Gamba

Bach wrote his three sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord between 1717 and 1723, while he was in charge of music at the Cöthen Court. The reasons are clear: Bach's employer, Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen was himself an amateur gamba player; sonatas for the Prince's favourite instrument were going to go down well!

The Viola da gamba (literally 'leg viol') emerged at the beginning of the 16th century from the union of two families of instrument, both of Arab extraction--the lute (plucked, with frets, like a guitar) and the rebec (precursor of the violin). It first appeared in Renaissance Italy and Spain, and was immediately very popular.

By the 18th century, the Gamba was most popular in England and France, where it had become the most noble and highly developed solo instrument beside the lute and harpsichord. By this time however the Italians were almost completely ignoring it in favour of the new and more brilliant violin. In Germany, composers were interested in the special tone-qualities of the viola da gamba.

Bach wrote many solos for the viola da gamba in his great choral works in all of which he demands the gamba on account of its special sound and the associations it evokes. For example in the gamba solos at the moment of Christ's crucifixion in the St. Matthew and St. John Passions (works that could be described as unstaged opera depicting the story of Christ's last days as recounted in the gospels of St. Matthew and St. John), the yearning or painful and melancholic qualities of the gamba sound are exploited.

What is a chaconne?

Many forms in classical music have originated from popular dances and songs; the chaconne seems to have migrated to Spain from Latin America as a dance-song. By the 18th century it had been transformed into a piece for instrument or orchestra, having 3-beats to a bar, with a firm melody in the bass part and ingenious variation or elaboration in the upper parts. Often the term chaconne and passacaglia are interchanged.

Other famous chaccones/passacaglias:

• Henry Purcell (1659-95): Chaconne in g minor for strings
• Heinrich Biber (1644-1704): Passacaglia for solo violin

Bach the family man...

The story behind Bach's chaconne for violin

In 1720, Bach had to accompany his Patron, Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen to the Bohemian spa of Karlsbad. What greeted him on his return home was recounted by a contemporary:

"Having spent 13 years in happy marriage with Maria Barbara, his first wife, he suffered the severe distress of discovering, on his return that she had passed away and been buried, although he had left her in the full bloom of health at his departure."

According to one theory, this piece was written as a 'tombeau' --an epitaph in music--for Maria Barbara Bach, dedicated to her memory. Not only has Bach engraved her name in cryptographic form at the opening of the ciaccona, but he has incorporated many chorale (hymn) tunes to do with death and resurrection into the music. These are quoted in italics on the listening guide you will receive at the concert ...

What is basso continuo?

The basso continuo means the accompanying instrument or instruments in baroque music. Rather like today most pop groups have a drummer and bass guitar to keep the rhythm and energy going, so most baroque ensembles will have a basso continuo. The basso continuo plays the bass line. The bass line forms the foundation of all baroque music.

Which instruments play basso continuo?

• The standard combination is harpsichord plus cello or viola da gamba. Different instruments such as lute, organ or harp often join, or even replace these 'mainstays' to create different effects.

What does it look like on the music?

from Bach's continuo sonata in G major

• The solo part (in this case violin) is written on the top stave
• The bass line is written on the bottom stave
• The continuo players know which chord to play by reading the figures (numbers above the bass line)

Bach the teacher:

Bach obviously loved the bass line of the sonata in G for violin because he used it for teaching his most talented pupils: one example is a beautiful trio sonata for flute, violin and basso continuo written by a Bach pupil which uses this same bass line.