J. S. Bach WTC Book II Prelude & Fugue in E-flat Major BWV 876 Robert Hill, harpsichord

[plugee]

By an international treaty signed in 1939, modern pitch is standardized at A-440. However, tuning has varied over time. In 17th-century Europe, tunings ranged from about A-374 to A-403, two to three semitones below A-440. Historical examples exist of instruments ranging from A-309 to A-455.3, a difference of almost six semitones. Some orchestral and chamber groups prefer to tune higher, at A-442 or even A-444. Baroque pitch is usually cited as A-415, which is a semitone lower than modern pitch.

[plugee]

Why does your harpsichord sound like a dulcimer?

[712Stephen]

I find it interesting that he takes the prelude slow and the fugue fast. I do the opposite!

[khutsishvili1989]

my ersion.... youtube.com/watch?v=oCDy3P-XWH­c

[Fluffy531]

great video! This is my fav Fugue of his

[BillBC]

Beautifully played...the score adds a lot, too...thanks

[helenacherry]

Why is everything a half step lower?

[earlymus]

A=415 instead of the "normal" A=440-443 is the standard pitch in the early music scene since about 1960.

[helenacherry]

Oh wow. That's really interesting; I thought A was always 440

[Allyheartzz]

Wow, thank you for the score! That's great, and a REALLY good idea, I wish everyone else would do that too.

[earlymus]

Thanks! I agree that making score-movies (I use Windows Movier-Maker) adds to the educational value of the videos, but it does take a bit of time, especially scrolling line by line.

[superlyobsessed]

wow i'm playing this song and i nver knew how nice it could sound with the fugue so happy

[anyways589]

Funny, Landowska plays this piece similarly. But, in her recording she also uses a very odd sounding register along with the buff stop. Still this interpretation is very lovely!

[xXxPridexXx]

Oh wow!!! Hearing the fugue on harpsichord makes me so happy!

[progjunky]

never seen a youtube video with the score, this is great.

[whawk94]

This is very interesting. I've heard this piece played before where the Prelude is more lively and the Fugue is more quiet, slow and solemn.. This is the opposite, and it truly shows how music can be interpreted in many different ways!

[darrens888]

actually fugue is the active one normally and prelude is quiet and slow. but this is both lively

[jts1702a]

Thank you! I have been searching for a recording of this! Now to find a clavichord version of this...

[bersa888]

It's an harpsichord. The prelude is played with the use of a "buff" register/effect.