The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, BWV 846–869 (Johann Sebastian Bach) (2025)

Table of Contents

1722 Recommended editions 1. C major, BWV 846, Prelude 1. C major, BWV 846, Prelude (earlier version) 1. C major, BWV 846, Fugue 2. C minor, BWV 847, Prelude 2. C minor, BWV 847, Fugue 3. C-sharp major, BWV 848, Prelude 3. C-sharp major, BWV 848, Fugue 4. C-sharp minor, BWV 849, Prelude 4. C-sharp minor, BWV 849, Fugue 5. D major, BWV 850, Prelude 5. D major, BWV 850, Fugue 6. D minor, BWV 851, Prelude 6. D minor, BWV 851, Fugue 7. E-flat major, BWV 852, Prelude 7. E-flat major, BWV 852, Fugue 8. E-flat/D-sharp minor, BWV 853, Prelude 8. E-flat/D-sharp minor, BWV 853, Fugue 9. E major, BWV 854, Prelude 9. E major, BWV 854, Fugue 10. E minor, BWV 855, Prelude 10. E minor, BWV 855, Prelude (earlier version) 10. E minor, BWV 855, Fugue 11. F major, BWV 856, Prelude 11. F major, BWV 856, Fugue 12. F minor, BWV 857, Prelude 12. F minor, BWV 857, Fugue 13. F-sharp major, BWV 858, Prelude 13. F-sharp major, BWV 858, Fugue 14. F-sharp minor, BWV 859, Prelude 14. F-sharp minor, BWV 859, Fugue 15. G major, BWV 860, Prelude 15. G major, BWV 860, Fugue 16. G minor, BWV 861, Prelude 16. G minor, BWV 861, Fugue 17. A-flat major, BWV 862, Prelude 17. A-flat major, BWV 862, Fugue 18. G-sharp minor, BWV 863, Prelude 18. G-sharp minor, BWV 863, Fugue 19. A major, BWV 864, Prelude 19. A major, BWV 864, Fugue 20. A minor, BWV 865, Prelude 20. A minor, BWV 865, Fugue 21. B-flat major, BWV 866, Prelude 21. B-flat major, BWV 866, Fugue 22. B-flat minor, BWV 867, Prelude 22. B-flat minor, BWV 867, Fugue 23. B major, BWV 868, Prelude 23. B major, BWV 868, Fugue 24. B minor, BWV 869, Prelude 24. B minor, BWV 869, Fugue

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1722

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Total duration: 110'

1. C major, BWV 846, Prelude
1. C major, BWV 846, Prelude (earlier version)
1. C major, BWV 846, Fugue
2. C minor, BWV 847, Prelude
2. C minor, BWV 847, Fugue
3. C-sharp major, BWV 848, Prelude
3. C-sharp major, BWV 848, Fugue
4. C-sharp minor, BWV 849, Prelude
4. C-sharp minor, BWV 849, Fugue
5. D major, BWV 850, Prelude
5. D major, BWV 850, Fugue
6. D minor, BWV 851, Prelude
6. D minor, BWV 851, Fugue
7. E-flat major, BWV 852, Prelude
7. E-flat major, BWV 852, Fugue
8. E-flat/D-sharp minor, BWV 853, Prelude
8. E-flat/D-sharp minor, BWV 853, Fugue
9. E major, BWV 854, Prelude
9. E major, BWV 854, Fugue
10. E minor, BWV 855, Prelude
10. E minor, BWV 855, Prelude (earlier version)
10. E minor, BWV 855, Fugue
11. F major, BWV 856, Prelude
11. F major, BWV 856, Fugue
12. F minor, BWV 857, Prelude
12. F minor, BWV 857, Fugue
13. F-sharp major, BWV 858, Prelude
13. F-sharp major, BWV 858, Fugue
14. F-sharp minor, BWV 859, Prelude
14. F-sharp minor, BWV 859, Fugue
15. G major, BWV 860, Prelude
15. G major, BWV 860, Fugue
16. G minor, BWV 861, Prelude
16. G minor, BWV 861, Fugue
17. A-flat major, BWV 862, Prelude
17. A-flat major, BWV 862, Fugue
18. G-sharp minor, BWV 863, Prelude
18. G-sharp minor, BWV 863, Fugue
19. A major, BWV 864, Prelude
19. A major, BWV 864, Fugue
20. A minor, BWV 865, Prelude
20. A minor, BWV 865, Fugue
21. B-flat major, BWV 866, Prelude
21. B-flat major, BWV 866, Fugue
22. B-flat minor, BWV 867, Prelude
22. B-flat minor, BWV 867, Fugue
23. B major, BWV 868, Prelude
23. B major, BWV 868, Fugue
24. B minor, BWV 869, Prelude
24. B minor, BWV 869, Fugue

The standard version of this collection is based on the autograph manuscript of 1722 (denoted A1 in the Neue Bach-Ausgabe), to which Bach later made three subsequent series of minor revisions (A2 in probably 1732, A3 probably after 1736, and A4 in probably the 1740s). It is this final version that is given here.

The Neue Bach-Ausgabe also gives the earliest version of the collection (denoted α1). This earlier version is broadly similar to the 1722 autograph manuscript; only the preludes in C major and E minor have significant differences, and are consequently given on these pages.

Some preludes also exist in intermediate versions between α1 and A1: α2 refers to intermediate versions of the preludes in C major (BWV 846/1), C minor (BWV 847/1), D major (BWV 850/1), D minor (BWV 851/1), E major (BWV 854/1), E minor (BWV 855/1) and F major (BWV 856/1), whilst α3 refers to later intermediate versions of the preludes in C minor (BWV 847/1), C-sharp major (BWV 848/1), C-sharp minor (BWV 849/1), E-flat minor (BWV 853/1) and F minor (BWV 857/1). With the exception of the second (α3) intermediate version of the C minor prelude (BWV 847/1), all of these intermediate versions are those in the Notebook for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.

In BWV^1,2,2a, the main collection is identified as BWV 846–869, with the earlier C major and E minor preludes identified separately as BWV 846a and 855a respectively. In BWV³, the earlier versions are identified as BWV 846.1–869.1 and the standard version as BWV 846.2–869.2.

Recommended editions

Neue Bach-Ausgabe (Bärenreiter) · V, 5 · BA 5021-01 · Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann · ed. Wolfgang Plath [versions of BWV 846/1, 847/1, 848/1, 849/1, 850/1, 851/1, 853/1, 854/1, 855/1, 856/1 and 857/1 from the Notebook for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach]
Neue Bach-Ausgabe (Bärenreiter) · V, 6/1 · BA 5070-01 · Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I · ed. Alfred Dürr [versions α1 and A1, also including further versions of BWV 847/1 and 851/2]
Associated Board · ed. Richard Jones
Bärenreiter · BA 5191 · ed. Alfred Dürr [including further version of BWV 851/2]
Bärenreiter · BA 5163 · Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach · ed. Wolfgang Plath [versions of BWV 846/1, 847/1, 848/1, 849/1, 850/1, 851/1, 853/1, 854/1, 855/1, 856/1 and 857/1 from the Notebook for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach]
Henle · HN 14 · ed. Ernst-Günter Heinemann
Henle · HN 15 · ed. Ernst-Günter Heinemann
Henle · HN 1014 · ed. Ernst-Günter Heinemann
Peters · EP 11502 · Clavier-Büchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach · ed. Christoph Wolff [versions of BWV 846/1, 847/1, 848/1, 849/1, 850/1, 851/1, 853/1, 854/1, 855/1, 856/1 and 857/1 from the Notebook for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach]
Wiener Urtext · UT 50050 · ed. Walter Dehnhard