Prelude in C (No. 1 from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1)

This well known prelude opens the first book of the WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER by Johann Sebastian Bach. Improvisational in form, the prelude uses a simple rhythmic figure to outline the harmony which frequently progresses in chordal sequences. A quiet and unassuming piece, the prelude appears in three of Bach’s collections of the keyboard works: the Wilhelm Friedmann Clavier book, the second Anna Magdalena Book, and in its final version as the first prelude of the WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER. Though it was intended for the harpsichord or clavichord, the effect of the repeated arpeggios is enhanced by the subtle blend of sound possible on the modern piano. Introspective in tone, the meditative prelude is suited to individual interpretations. this personal quality of the prelude confirms pianist, scholar Charles Rosen’s assertion that Bach’s keyboard works were written above all for the pleasure of the Performer.