The Well-Tempered Clavier

E53077

keyboard music collection musical composition

The Well-Tempered Clavier is a landmark collection of keyboard preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys by Johann Sebastian Bach, celebrated for its technical rigor and profound musical expression.

Observed surface forms (3)

Surface form	Occurrences
Clavier-Übung	1
Das wohltemperierte Klavier	1
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I	1

Statements (58)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	keyboard music collection ⓘ musical composition ⓘ
abbreviation	WTC ⓘ
alsoKnownAs	The Well-Tempered Clavier ⓘ surface form: Das wohltemperierte Klavier
catalogNumber	BWV 846–893 ⓘ
composer	Johann Sebastian Bach ⓘ
contains	Fugue in A minor, BWV 865 ⓘ Fugue in A-flat major, BWV 862 ⓘ Fugue in B minor, BWV 869 ⓘ Fugue in B-flat major, BWV 866 ⓘ Fugue in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ Fugue in C minor, BWV 847 ⓘ Fugue in C-sharp major, BWV 848 ⓘ Fugue in D major, BWV 850 ⓘ Fugue in D minor, BWV 851 ⓘ Fugue in E minor, BWV 855 ⓘ Fugue in E-flat major, BWV 852 ⓘ Fugue in F major, BWV 856 ⓘ Fugue in F minor, BWV 857 ⓘ Fugue in G major, BWV 860 ⓘ Fugue in G minor, BWV 861 ⓘ Prelude in A minor, BWV 865 ⓘ Prelude in A-flat major, BWV 862 ⓘ Prelude in B minor, BWV 869 ⓘ Prelude in B-flat major, BWV 866 ⓘ Prelude in C major, BWV 846 ⓘ Prelude in C minor, BWV 847 ⓘ Prelude in C-sharp major, BWV 848 ⓘ Prelude in D major, BWV 850 ⓘ Prelude in D minor, BWV 851 ⓘ Prelude in E minor, BWV 855 ⓘ Prelude in E-flat major, BWV 852 ⓘ Prelude in F major, BWV 856 ⓘ Prelude in F minor, BWV 857 ⓘ Prelude in G major, BWV 860 ⓘ Prelude in G minor, BWV 861 ⓘ
firstBookCompleted	1722 ⓘ
form	prelude and fugue ⓘ
genre	Baroque music ⓘ
influenced	Western classical keyboard repertoire ⓘ tonal harmony pedagogy ⓘ
intendedInstrument	clavichord ⓘ harpsichord ⓘ keyboard ⓘ
keyCoverage	all 24 major and minor keys ⓘ
languageOfTitle	German ⓘ
notableFor	contrapuntal complexity ⓘ expressive depth ⓘ technical rigor ⓘ
numberOfBooks	2 ⓘ
numberOfFugues	24 ⓘ
numberOfPieces	48 ⓘ
numberOfPreludes	24 ⓘ
periodOfComposition	early 18th century ⓘ
secondBookApproximateDate	c. 1742 ⓘ
tuningConcept	well temperament ⓘ
usedFor	composition study ⓘ keyboard technique training ⓘ

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

The Well-Tempered Clavier → alsoKnownAs → The Well-Tempered Clavier ⓘ

this entity surface form: Das wohltemperierte Klavier

Goldberg Variations → collection → The Well-Tempered Clavier ⓘ

this entity surface form: Clavier-Übung

Johann Sebastian Bach → notableWork → The Well-Tempered Clavier ⓘ

Cöthen court → notableWorkComposedThere → The Well-Tempered Clavier ⓘ

this entity surface form: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I