Friedrich Gulda Bach: Well Tempered Clavier 180g 5LP Box Set

180 Gram 5LP Box Set! Analogue Remastering (AAA)!
Analog lacquer cutting directly from the Original Master Tapes!

In Friedrich Gulda’s recording of The Well-Tempered Clavier two significant events in the history of Western music meet. One of these is this exceptional recording. It originates in the years of 1972/73, the high and endpoint of the collaboration between the Austrian pianist and the sound-sorcerer from Villingen, Germany, Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. Since 1969, Gulda had been using the Black Forest studio’s state-of-the art technical capabilities for the recording of the music cycles of Beethoven, Debussy, and Mozart, as well as his own work. A Steinway Grand Imperial was hauled into the MPS studio especially for Gulda’s use. You can still see the marks left from where the instrument had been precisely placed to the millimeter so that the piano’s sonority could be optimally captured. All of this is what makes Gulda’s interpretations so bold and meaningful to this day. The optimal microphone placements on the piano strings reduces the distance between Bach’s work and the audience, allowing the listener to physically experience the music. The Steinway sounds out in full stereo; its extreme dynamics creates a wide emotional spectrum, ranging from delicate intimacy to unbridled extroversion. The other epic event is the work itself: although it may be taken for granted today, Johann Sebastian Bach created a cycle of works played through all 24 major and minor keys that, with its development of equally tempered tuning, was a quantum spring forward. At the same time, Bach underlined the cosmic dimension of his creation by intentionally leaving open the choice of which “clavier” the piece should be played on (at that time, Clavichord, Cembalo and organ). Independent of the mechanics, this underscores the divine substance of his music. Gulda died in 2000.

This 5lP Box Set release of the Gulda recordings celebrates the anniversary of the pianist’s 85th birthday. It especially takes into account the encounter between two geniuses; this is a direct copy from the master tape, the first time since the seventies that the true tonal color of the original has been produced, without any “corrections” of the dynamics. In this edition of 5 LP box set, the listener finds the original accompanying material, with labels, booklets, and Gulda’s comments, as well as new texts from Gulda confidant Thomas Knapp and the current sound engineer Thorsten Wyk. Finally, the listener can once again experience Gulda’s Bach the way Gulda had conceived it – as eruptive as that timeless meeting of spirit and emotion over 250 years ago.

Features:
• True to the original configuration
• Records in original edition style of MPS
• Adaptation of the original LP box
• Including the original LP booklet
• Vinyl labels modeled from the originals
• 180 gram Virgin Vinyl
• Analog lacquer cutting directly from the Original Master Tapes
• Faithfulness to the original recording
• 12" x 12" 20-Page Booklet
• Analogue Remastering (AAA)!

Selections:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Das Wohltemperierte Klavier (The Well Tempered Clavier)
Preludes and Fugues (Gesamtausgabe BMV 846-869, 870-893)

Book I (1. Teil)
Side One:
1. Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 846
2. Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847
3. Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, BWV 848
4. Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor, BWV 849
5. Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 850
6. Prelude and Fugue in D minor, BWV 851
7. Prelude and Fugue in E flat major, BWV 852
Side Two:
1. Prelude in E flat minor and Fugue in D sharp minor, BWV 853
2. Prelude and Fugue in E major, BWV 854
3. Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 855
4. Prelude and Fugue in F major, BWV 856
5. Prelude and Fugue in F minor, BWV 857
6. Prelude and Fugue in F sharp major, BWV 858
Side Three:
1. Prelude and Fugue in F sharp minor, BWV 859
2. Prelude and Fugue in G major, BWV 860
3. Prelude and Fugue in G minor, BWV 861
4. Prelude and Fugue in A flat major, BWV 862
5. Prelude and Fugue in G sharp minor, BWV 863
6. Prelude and Fugue in A major, BWV 864
7. Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 865
Side Four:
1. Prelude and Fugue in B flat major, BWV 866
2. Prelude and Fugue in B flat minor, BWV 867
3. Prelude and Fugue in B major, BWV 868
4. Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 869

Book II (2. Teil)
Side Five:
1. Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 870
2. Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 871
3. Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, BWV 872
4. Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor, BWV 873
5. Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 874
6. Prelude and Fugue in D minor, BWV 875
Side Six:
1. Prelude and Fugue in E flat major, BWV 876
2. Prelude and Fugue in D sharp minor, BWV 877
3. Prelude and Fugue in E major, BWV 878
4. Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 879
Side Seven:
1. Prelude and Fugue in F major, BWV 880
2. Prelude and Fugue in F minor, BWV 881
3. Prelude and Fugue in F sharp major, BWV 882
4. Prelude and Fugue in F sharp minor, BWV 883
Side Eight:
1. Prelude and Fugue in G major, BWV 884
2. Prelude and Fugue in G minor, BWV 885
3. Prelude and Fugue in A flat major, BWV 886
4. Prelude and Fugue in G sharp minor, BWV 887
Side Nine:
1. Prelude and Fugue in A major, BWV 888
2. Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 889
3. Prelude and Fugue in B flat major, BWV 890
Side Ten:
1. Prelude and Fugue in B flat minor, BWV 891
2. Prelude and Fugue in B major, BWV 892
3. Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 893