On-line Book Review YO TOMITA

FRONT COVER

OVERVIEW

Dimension: 28 x 21.3 x 1.7 cm

TITLE The Well Tempered Clavier of J.S. Bach: A Handbook for Keyboard Teachers and Performers by Laurette Goldberg PUBL. DETAILS MusicSources, Center for Historically Informed Performances, Inc. (Berkeley, California, 1995); viii+98pp; Paperback $25 ISBN 0-9648179-0-X TO ORDER MusicSources, Center for Historically Informed Performances, Inc. 1000 The Alameda, Berkeley, CA 94707, USA. Phone 510-528-1685; Fax 510-524-1685; email: msources@lmi.net SUMMARY DESCRIPTION Practical guide to performing and understanding of WTC. WORKS COVERED BWV 846-893 READERSHIP Performers, teachers and students who are looking for a concise and friendly practical guide to the WTC RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION Discussion of the general character of each movement and technical demand, with insightful commentary; there are some unfortunate misrepresentation of facts in her discussion, however.

nlike the literature on analysis, there aren’t many practical guides on the ‘48’ that performers and teachers can pick and choose. In Britain, Donald Francis Tovey’s commentary that accompanies the Associated Board edition is usually thought to be the top of the reading list, despite of its stiff style of writing (as it was written in 1920s) as well as the fact that the approach to performance and our understanding of the music have moved on dramatically since.

In this review I shall focus on whether the author inspires our students by the way she writes, and whether she conveys reliable information based on the latest scholarship.

Contents in brief Introduction                                     1. In Which the Reader Becomes Acquainted with the Keyboard Instruments and Harmonic System of Bach's Time 2. In Which We Review--Albeit Briefly--the History of the Prelude and Fugue Forms, and Learn to Appreciate Their Role in the WTC 3. In Which We Are Introduced to Bach's Performance Practice 4. In Which the Author Demonstrates Her Deepest Admiration for the Prelude 5. In Which the Author Proposes a Course of Study and Analysis for Keyboardists 6. In Which, After a Brief Introduction, the Author Discusses the Prelude / Fugue Pairs of the WTC and Humbly Offers a Guide to Their Performance Appendices: A. Brief Teacher's Guide B. The Original Eleven Preludes C. Character of Preludes D. Articulation of the Fugue Subjects E. Affektenlehre (Key Symbolism) F. Glossary of Terms

commenting the pieces with great insight and conviction, but... Positive points first: the most notable and original contribution in my view is Chapter 6 where the author discusses, however briefly, both the general character of each movement and its technical demands in order to advise on what piece is appropriate to study. When commenting on the pieces with both insight and conviction, her tone is friendly but enthusiastic, and often very witty. Her advice on tempo and phrasing (and breathing) is always cogent, too. In her discussion of fugues, she is not drawn too deeply into detailed analysis, which is sensible. Unfortunately, there are also many problems in this book, which are of quite serious kind. I shall point out some of them so that the readers--who will be benefiting from this publication--do not get confused. Firstly, it has to be pointed out that this handbook was produced with less than an adequate level of editorial input. See, for example: a different account of Fischer's Ariadne Musica was given in chapters 1 and 2 (i.e. pp.4 and 9) as if two different authors wrote these chapters (viz. year of publication (1702/1715) and the unused keys); the majority of music examples appears to be taken not from the Medallion Guild edition that the author mentions on p.1, but from the Henle and NBA editions without giving them credits; Appendix E is confusing: surely Affektenlehre is not “Key Symbolism”!; who is Charles McDermott? (note 1, p.92); what is he to do with Bach and the Key Symbolism? (publication details should be given properly); nearly half of the terms described in Appendix F are inadequate (e.g. "Double fugue = two or three subjects instead of one").

• the G major fugue of WTC II “first appeared in the Notebook for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach” (pp. 54; see also p.10): it is false;
• the sixteenth-note version of the B minor Prelude of WTC II that was transmitted in the hand of J.C. Altnickol (in his later copy of 1755, and not in the more important copy of 1744) was not the later version [but an earlier version];
• the theory that “Bach actually began [compiling] Volume II in 1728” (p.10) does not originate with Prof. Don Franklin, as far as I am aware. [there is no evidence to suggest such a theory];
• the idea that the second half of C# Major prelude of WTC II is “three-part invention” is misleading: it is “fugato”.

Thirdly and finally, the areas where the author should have discussed with more care are as follows:

• “The Grammar of Music”, p. 17, esp. rhythm: the discussion of “dance rhythm” is lacking: consult Little and Jenne, Dance and the Music of J. S. Bach (Indiana Univ. Press, 1991, 2/2001)
•  “French and Italian Styles”, p. 18: too simplistic: consult David Schulenberg, The Keyboard Music of J. S. Bach (Schirmer Books, 1992)
• “[Bach’s use of slurs]”, p. 20: too simplistic: consult John Butt, Bach Interpretation (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1990)

Despite all these problems, I still think that this handbook makes a notable contribution to a large body of performing community--the students and teachers engaged in the performance of the WTC; for this reason, I would encourage the author to work on the revised edition. And this time, the publisher should give it a proper proof-reading, ideally by a musicologist.