Keyboard instruments > Piano solo
Johann Sebastian Bach
The Well-Tempered Clavier Part II BWV 870-893
Editor: Yo Tomita
Fingering: András Schiff
49.95 $
Urtext Edition, clothbound
Pages: 180 (XVII, 163), Size 23,5 x 31,0 cm
Order no. HN 17 · ISMN 979-0-2018-0017-2
The world-famous pianist András Schiff, a most familiar name to Bach fans on account of his complete recordings of Bach’s piano works, has provided fingerings for both parts of the Well-Tempered Clavier. He discusses aspects of performance practice in a detailed preface. The basis for the musical text was Henle’s revised edition of Part I published in 1997 and Yo Tomita’s revision of Part II (spring 2007). The eminent Bach scholar Tomita discusses the complicated source situation of Part II in an extensive preface. A detailed commentary rounds off the edition. Both parts of the Well-Tempered Clavier are also available as Henle Urtext editions without fingerings and as study editions.
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Reviews
This edition by a leading Bach scholar is a vast improvement of the previous Henle “Urtext” edition …
[Harpsichord & Fortepiano, 2008]
… the clarity and authority of this edition is exemplary. The introductory notes have been expanded and a commentary at the back explains editorial decisions. Study scores of these Preludes and Fugues are also available - same layout, same accompanying notes, also clear to read from, but in A5 size and no fingering! Excellent.
[Piano Professional, 2008]
It has the high quality of appearance that one expects from the publisher, and much of the layout is the same as Henle’s previous editions. But in detail it represents the sources more exactly, with an editorial policy that aims at Bach’s latest adjustments rather than following a particular MS.
[Early Music Review, 2007]
Een uitgever die zulke meesterwerken inzichtelijk weet te maken en die er bovendien speelplezier voor weet aan te wakkeren, verdient de allerhoogste lof.
[Pianowereld, 2007]
Contents
- The Well-Tempered Clavier II BWV 870-893
-
Prelude C major BWV 870
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue C major BWV 870
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude c minor BWV 871
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 4/5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue c minor BWV 871
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5/6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude C sharp major BWV 872
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue C sharp major BWV 872
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude c sharp minor BWV 873
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5/6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue c sharp minor BWV 873
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 6/7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude D major BWV 874
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 6/7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue D major BWV 874
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude d minor BWV 875
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue d minor BWV 875
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude E flat major BWV 876
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 4/5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue E flat major BWV 876
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 4/5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude d sharp minor BWV 877
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue d sharp minor BWV 877
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude E major BWV 878
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue E major BWV 878
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 4/5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude e minor BWV 879
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5/6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue e minor BWV 879
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 6/7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude F major BWV 880
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5/6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue F major BWV 880
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude f minor BWV 881
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 3/4)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue f minor BWV 881
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 4/5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude F sharp major BWV 882
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5/6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue F sharp major BWV 882
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 6/7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude f sharp minor BWV 883
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue f sharp minor BWV 883
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 6/7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude G major BWV 884
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 4/5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue G major BWV 884
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude g minor BWV 885
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 4/5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue g minor BWV 885
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude A flat major BWV 886
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue A flat major BWV 886
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 6/7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude g sharp minor BWV 887
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue g sharp minor BWV 887
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude A major BWV 888
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue A major BWV 888
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 6/7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude a minor BWV 889
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 4/5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue a minor BWV 889
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5/6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude B flat major BWV 890
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue B flat major BWV 890
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude b flat minor BWV 891
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue b flat minor BWV 891
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 6/7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude B major BWV 892
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5/6)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue B major BWV 892
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 6/7)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Prelude b minor BWV 893
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 4/5)Other titles with this level of difficulty » -
Fugue b minor BWV 893
Level of difficulty (Piano): medium (Level 5/6)Other titles with this level of difficulty »
The levels of difficulty of the
piano music published by G. Henle Publishers
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
easy | medium | difficult |
The levels of difficulty of the piano music published by G. Henle Publishers
Level | Grade | Example |
---|---|---|
1 | easy | Bach, Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, nos. 4 and 5 |
2 | Bach, Well-Tempered Clavier I, no. 1 Prelude C major | |
3 | Beethoven, Piano Sonatas op. 49,1 and 2 | |
4 | medium | Grieg, Lyric Pieces op. 12, no. 4 |
5 | Schumann, Fantasy Pieces op. 12, no. 1 | |
6 | Chopin, Nocturnes op. 27, nos. 1 and 2 | |
7 | difficult | Beethoven, Piano Sonata op. 10, no. 3 |
8 | Beethoven, Piano Sonata op. 81a | |
9 | Schumann, Toccata op. 7 |
Guide to the levels of difficulty
"I don't know what 'difficult' means. Either you can play or you can't" – this was the rather terse comment by the great violinist Nathan Milstein, on being asked about the unbelievable difficulty of Niccolo Paganini's Caprice no. 1.
The relativity of the evaluation of difficulty in music immediately becomes clear. Yet I gladly take up this great challenge, presented to me by G. Henle Publishers. For I am aware of how useful a guide like this can be, both from my own experience as well as that of many colleagues. In particular so as to be able to identify "appropriate" works. For example for music teachers, who teach at very different levels, from beginners to those preparing for music conservatories, but also for all those interested amateurs for whom this guide is intended.
After careful deliberation I have settled on nine levels of difficulty, which I have divided into three groups: 1–3 (easy), 4–6 (medium), 7–9 (difficult). A number of parameters have been considered when assessing the level of difficulty. I have not just looked at the number of fast or slow notes to be played, or the chord sequences; of central importance are also the complexity of the piece's composition, its rhythmic complexities, the difficulty of reading the text for the first time, and last but not least, how easy or difficult it is to understand its musical structure. I have defined "piece" as being the musical unit of a sonata, or a single piece in a cycle, which is why Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier" Part I comprises a total of 48 levels of difficulty (each prelude and fugue is considered separately), Schumann's Sonata in f sharp minor op.11 only has a single number. My assessment is measured by the ability to prepare a piece for performance.
While assessing the pieces, it became clear that the medium level of difficulty (4–6) is the trickiest. Now and again this means that a piece is judged as a "3/4", even if it only deserved a "3" as far as piano technique is concerned. An example of such a "borderline" case (easy/medium) is Schumann's "Scenes from Childhood" op. 15 Von fremden Ländern und Menschen or at the other end "6/7" part of Bach's "English Suites". And of course within a main category there are also "from-to" evaluations (e.g. 7/8).
Any evaluation of art or music will always be subjective, even if the aim was to be objective. Despite the fact that I have endeavoured to be as careful as possible, I am all too aware that the results of my work can be called into question, and am therefore grateful for any suggestions you might have.
Prof. Rolf Koenen © 2010