# Well Tempered Clavier Books 1 & 2



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Probably a dumb question.

I notice many artists record Book 1, but not Book 2.

Is Book 2 considered in any way inferior to Book 1?
Thanks :tiphat:


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

ArkivMusic lists 81 entries for Book 1 and 73 for Book 2 - not much of a difference. 

Book 2 is generally considered more intricate and complex than Book 1.


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## Turangalîla (Jan 29, 2012)

Book 2 inferior to Book 1? I would say not at all, unless by “inferior” you mean more difficult, or perhaps somewhat less accessible on first hearing. But if anything, I would say it’s even better, and I think most of my colleagues would probably agree with me.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Book 2 is not inferior to Book 1 at all; however, the fugues in Book 2 are more complex. That means they are harder to follow, perhaps less "catchy."

Let it stand for the record that I prefer Book 2.


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## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

Itullian said:


> Probably a dumb question.
> 
> I notice many artists record Book 1, but not Book 2.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I have been wondering the same thing. Not if 2 is inferior but why do many record only 1 book.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Because the performers lose their recording contracts?


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

jegreenwood said:


> Because the performers lose their recording contracts?


Or the first book didn't generate enough revenue for the record company?

Although to be honest the numbers don't suggest that.


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## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

Both of those could actually be close to the truth. 

Or maybe they move on to something else.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

This is from Yo Tomita's research on the manuscripts if WTC 2



> In the past, WTC II was frequently regarded less highly, or was thought less attractive, than WTC I. This may still be true. As a result, we have seen significantly fewer esoteric approaches to the work than to WTC 1.2 This attitude of our scholars was often related directly to Bach's supposed attitude to the work. This was sometimes supported historically: considering that there survives neither the authentic title of WTC II nor a complete bound volume, scholars such as Fuller-Maitland and Dickinson tended to think that WTC " was written with no very strong motive beyond a possible use as teaching materlal.3 Ittenberg goes so far as to say that a "major creative Impulse Is not found In the second book".4 It Is hardly conceivable, however, that while composing several Important large scale works, viz., CU3 (- 1739), CU4 (-1742) and the Art of Fugue (ca.1740-), Bach would allow himself a significant amount of time in compiling such a large scale composition as WTC II without a "major creative impulse". We should also remember that WTC II was not a commissioned work, with no payment or attached obligation. In addition, it is dangerous to assume that the lack of a title page or a binding were the evidence of Bach's low spirit towards WTC II. Those could have existed and be now missing; or Bach could have asked his copyist to write a title page. At any rate, it is reasonable to assume that in preparing WTC II Bach needed no incentive in advertising a concept of employing all twenty-four keys, for this was no longer innovative by 1740.5
> Another unfavourable attack on WTC II was made against its structure as a collection of pieces. It is said more or less unanimously that as a collection WTC II is 'ess unified than WTe 1".6 The unity to which we refer is about three factors of relations between the collection as a whole and the individual pieceswithin, viz., sequence, size and style. The first factor GrQy describes asfollows:
> ... the keys, moreover, are sometimes felt to be arbitrary in comparison with those of the first book - one can perfectly well imagine some of them in other keys than those in which they appear. Transposition does not affect their essence; the sequence of moods, too, has not the same logic and necessity as in the eariier collection}
> Related to this are discussions about the stylistic diversity in the preludes and the use of diverse fugal techniques (fairly free to extremely elaborate). This was regarded partly as a result of the re-use of older compositions.
> ...


http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/11258/1/277931_vol1.pdf


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2020)

I have seen a few artists, this one in particular, who started with Book II--perhaps indeed in case their contract ended early!










(It's quite good, by the way.)


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