J. S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2

Following his recording of the first book of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, released last year on BIS-2621 and praised by Gramophone as “a pleasurable benchmark for anyone seeking a traversal that honours every detail of the music,” harpsichordist Masato Suzuki now offers his interpretation of the second book of Bach’s masterful cycle of preludes and fugues.



No other works from the Baroque period have been as cherished, performed, and studied as these collections, whose objectives were musical, theoretical, and didactic.

Like the first, the second book of the Well-Tempered Clavier comprises a prelude and fugue in each of the 12 semitones of the chromatic scale, covering all 24 major and minor keys.



Composed almost twenty years after the first book, this sequel is a continuation of Bach’s exploration of harmony and counterpoint.

Though performed less frequently than its predecessor, it contains works of remarkable beauty and stylistic diversity, showcasing a command of counterpoint that never overshadows the music’s emotional depth, aesthetic grace, or expressive power.



Occupying a central place in Bach’s output, the second book of the Well-Tempered Clavier looks ahead to the major cycles of his final years and, in the words of his first biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel, presents “sheer masterpieces from beginning to end.”


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