The centerpiece of the Bach collection is a 2015 recording of The Well-Tempered Clavier, the so- called old testament of piano music, a series of 48 preludes and fugues in all of the piano's possible keys. A look at that monumental collection's recorded history could serve as a compendium of piano performance styles through the last 120 years. Unsurprisingly, Biret conforms to none, and perhaps the best way to describe her interpretations is orchestral. As the historically informed Baroque practitioners prescribe, each prelude and fugue certainly has a distinct character, but those long lines emerge with the definition of strings, brass or winds, lush and strident by turn. Trills are mellow and exquisitely shaped, and a wealth of detail is present but never exaggerated. Biret's Bach is a cliff wall to be scaled, a peak to be reached and an aspiration to be achieved.

Tracklist:

Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 847
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp Major, BWV 848
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp Minor, BWV 849
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 5 in D Major, BWV 850
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 851
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 7 in E-flat Major, BWV 852
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 8 in E-flat Minor, BWV 853
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 9 in E Major, BWV 854
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 10 in E Minor, BWV 855
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 11 in F Major, BWV 856
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 12 in F Minor, BWV 857
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp Major, BWV 858
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp Minor, BWV 859
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 15 in G Major, BWV 860
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 16 in G Minor, BWV 861
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 17 in A-flat Major, BWV 862
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp Minor, BWV 863
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 19 in A Major, BWV 864
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 20 in A Minor, BWV 865
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 21 in B-flat Major, BWV 866
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 22 in B-flat Minor, BWV 867
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 23 in B Major, BWV 868
Well-Tempered Clavier Book I~Prelude ; Fugue No. 24 in B Minor, BWV 869
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 870
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 871
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp Major, BWV 872
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 4 in C-sharp Minor, BWV 873
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 5 in D Major, BWV 874
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 875
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 7 in E-flat Major, BWV 876
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 8 in D-sharp Minor, BWV 877
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 9 in E Major, BWV 878
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 10 in E Minor, BWV 879
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 11 in F Major, BWV 880
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 12 in F Minor, BWV 881
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 13 in F-sharp Major, BWV 882
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 14 in F-sharp Minor, BWV 883
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 15 in G Major, BWV 884
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 16 in G Minor, BWV 885
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 17 in A-flat Major, BWV 886
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp Minor, BWV 887
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 19 in A Major, BWV 888
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 20 in A Minor, BWV 889
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 21 in B-flat Major, BWV 890
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 22 in B-flat Minor, BWV 891
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 23 in B Major, BWV 892
Well-Tempered Clavier Book II~Prelude ; Fugue No. 24 in B Minor, BWV 893

UPC: 747313406234
Label: Naxos
Release Date: 4.4.25
Format: CD

J Bach .S. - J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Klavier - 48 Preludes (CD)