J. S. Bach: The 48 at 8

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke Jan 5, 2008

Back in 1722, Johann Sebastien Bach wrote a prelude and accompanying fugue for every single key signature on the piano, just to prove how easy the new well-tempered tuning system. Made common in the 18th century, the well-tempered system meant no more retuning the entire instrument every time a performer wanted to change keys. In 1744 Bach repeated the feat, composing 24 more prelude/fugue pairs.

Now a familiar part of any piano students' repertoire, these two sets of preludes and fugues (entitled the Well-Tempered Clavier, Books I and II) have inspired several other several composers after Bach to compose sets of preludes and fugues or simply sets of preludes based on patterns of key signatures, most notably Shostakovich and Chopin. Bach had a pedagogical bent and many teachers today use his sets of preludes and fugues to teach keyboard technique. His fugues are especially useful in developing voicing, or the ability to make one phrase or melody stand out over another that is being played simultaneously.

Now every morning at 8am (Greenwich time), the BBC Radio 3 brings the general public one of J.S. Bach's 48 preludes and fugues. Though The 48 at 8 program is nearly 2/3s over, listeners can still listen till January 17, 2008.

For more information, or to listen online, please visit the BBC Radio 3 website.