Pierre-Laurent Aimard – SJE Arts International Piano Series
J.S. Bach The Well-tempered Clavier Book II, BWV 870-893
[The interval will be half-way through, between Prelude and Fugue no. 12 and Prelude and Fugue no. 13.]
One of the world’s foremost pianists performs one of J.S. Bach’s most exceptional works.
‘…for the profit and use of musical youth desirous of learning, and especially for the pastime of those already skilled in this study…’ J.S. Bach’s exceptionally modest introduction to The Well-tempered Clavier – a work of such brilliant skill and invention that it may be the most influential keyboard music of all time.
The two books of The Well-tempered Clavier – each a complete set of preludes and fugues running through all the major and minor keys – were published twenty years apart. By the time Book II appeared in 1742, Bach was in the last decade of his life. While Book I is brilliant, Book II reaches a higher plane of imagination and complexity. To play the set in its entirety is extremely demanding on a performer.
Pierre-Laurent Aimard is acclaimed as an authority in the music of our time – a friend and collaborator of Messiaen and of Ligeti – but he is also recognised as a significant interpreter of piano repertoire from every age. Twelve years ago, he recorded the first book of The Well-tempered Clavier. This concert is an unmissable chance to hear him tackle the towering challenge of Book II.
With thanks to Professor Nick Couldry for his generous support of this concert.
Pierre-Laurent plays Prelude and Fugue in C from The Well-tempered Clavier, Book I:
And a film featuring Pierre-Laurent Aimard:
On Wednesday 20 November, 6 pm, Music at Oxford are showing PIANOMANIA at the Ultimate Picture Palace.
Pianomania takes the viewer along on a humorous journey into the secret world of sounds, and accompanies Stefan Knüpfer at his unique job, finding and tuning the perfect piano for world famous pianists like Lang Lang, Alfred Brendel, Rudolf Buchbinder and Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Each piano has its own personality, each piece demands its own timbre, and every interpretation has a particular temperament. To find the right instrument with the necessary qualities, compatible with the vision of the virtuoso, to tune it to perfection and finally to get it on the stage, requires nerves of steel, boundless passion, and the extraordinary skill of translating words into sounds.
For details see Music at Oxford