JS Bach's 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' in its entirety at our 2024 Holy Week Festival
The Well-Tempered Clavier is one of the glories of Western art, only rarely performed in its entirety. In 1722 JS Bach published a prelude and a fugue in each of the twelve major and twelve minor keys (Book 1), and twenty years later he repeated the process (Book 2). Each of ‘The 48’ lasts only a few minutes, but between them they explore a wealth of characters, styles, and moods, representing not only the diversity of musical language available to the composer at the time, but also exploring the whole gamut of human emotional experience.
Acclaimed pianist Libby Burgess is performing Bach's masterpiece 48 times; once in each of England's 48 counties. She is half way through her epic journey around the country, and we are thrilled to be hosting the City of London performances as part of our Holy Week Festival (24th - 31st March 2024). During the festival, Libby will perform the entire collection across six concerts. Each concert will include a carefully crafted selection of preludes & fugues from Book 1 and Book 2 (the set lists will be published shortly).
The six performances (each lasting 45-55 min.) take place:
- on Tuesday 26th March at 9am
- on Wednesday 27th March at 11am
- on Wednesday 27th March at 7.15pm
- on Maundy Thursday 28th March at 10am
- on Maundy Thursday 28th March at 3pm
- on Maundy Thursday 28th March at 9pm
Bach wrote his massive and magnificent collection "for the benefit and use of the musical youth eager to learn, as well as for the special pastime of those already skilful in this study". The project is fundraising for musical charities who provide much-needed help to those same categories of people today – musicians young and old. The nominated charities are: Help Musicians, Youth Music, Live Music Now and Future Talent. Between them they help hundreds of thousands of musicians every year, offering financial support, creating opportunities, addressing inequalities, and altogether safeguarding the future of the music world.
So far the project has raised over £30,000. The concerts are free, with a retiring collection in aid of the charities.