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Baroque

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I

Johann Sebastian Bach
MusicBrainz

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I by Johann Sebastian Bach. 4,460 recordings in this catalogue, from 1959 to 2025.

Interactive Piano & Live MIDI

Top 100 Iconic Works

Grand piano · 88 keys

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude in C major, BWV 846

C major68 BPM
Piano excerptLeft handRight hand

A0–C8 · Scroll sideways to reach every key.

0:00
0:22

Yamaha C5 samples: Alexander Holm · Salamander Grand Piano · CC BY 3.0

Top Performers

Sviatoslav Richter

Soloist · 215 rec

Edwin Fischer

Soloist · 132 rec

Samuil Feinberg

Soloist · 120 rec

Rosalyn Tureck

Soloist · 105 rec

Pieter-Jan Belder

Conductor · 97 rec

Angela Hewitt

Soloist · 97 rec

Keith Jarrett

Soloist · 96 rec

Glenn Gould

Soloist · 95 rec

Where to start

Some selections link to individual movements. Check the recording title below each performer.

Period-instrument

Gustav Leonhardt

Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E major, BWV 854

1987 · Deutsche Harmonia Mundi

Gustav Leonhardt's harpsichord recording of Book I.

Historic

Edwin Fischer

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude and Fugue No. 20 in A minor, BWV 865

1989 · EMI

Edwin Fischer's EMI set of Book I on modern piano.

Recent

András Schiff

Das Wohltemperierte Clavier, Buch I: Präludium und Fuge g‐Moll, BWV 861: Präludium

2012 · ECM New Series

András Schiff's ECM recording of Book I on modern piano.

Recordings (4,460)

Conductor

Pieter-Jan Belder97Christophe Rousset57Bob van Asperen52Ton Koopman51Vladimir Ashkenazy51Gary Cooper50Trevor Pinnock50Daniel Barenboim49John Butt49Andrei Volkonsky48Masaaki Suzuki48Masato Suzuki48

Orchestra

Emerson String Quartet12Philadelphia Orchestra5Czech Philharmonic4BBC Philharmonic2Danish String Quartet2Kreutzer Quartet2SWR Vokalensemble2Konzerthausorchester Berlin1Kremerata Baltica1New Symphony Orchestra1

Label

Deutsche Grammophon315Decca Classics192harmonia mundi182Erato175Sony Classical160Warner Classics153Brilliant Classics151ECM New Series148Hyperion147Nimbus Records136EMI Classics133Мелодия121

Decade

1950s311960s351970s281980s3771990s6772000s12082010s11022020s382

Credited instrument

Piano2092Harpsichord1145Organ146Violin51Clavichord27Double Bass14Harp4Baritone2Bass1Cello1Guitar1
Performers
Andreas Staier · view1:38
Andreas Staier · view2:41
Andreas Staier · view0:55
Andreas Staier · view1:08
Andreas Staier · view2:16
Andreas Staier · view3:47
Andreas Staier · view1:32
Andreas Staier · view1:58
Andreas Staier · view1:01
Andreas Staier · view1:16
Andreas Staier · view1:33
Andreas Staier · view2:22
Andreas Staier · view1:30
Andreas Staier · view1:13
Andreas Staier · view5:48
Andreas Staier · view3:39
Andreas Staier · view1:34
Andreas Staier · view3:35
Andreas Staier · view2:11
Andreas Staier · view1:58

More works by Johann Sebastian Bach

View all →

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II

3266 rec

h-Moll-Messe, BWV 232

Mass·1748·2177 rec

Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080

1266 rec

Orchestersuite Nr. 3 D-Dur, BWV 1068

Suite·1730·1080 rec

Orchestersuite Nr. 2 h-Moll, BWV 1067

Suite·1738·992 rec

Violin Partita no. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004

1720·890 rec

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