Well-Tempered Clavier

[Kapellmeister27]

i have decided that after many years of neglecting this work, i am going to slowly learn most or all of them one at a time (probably over several years.)

could someone please rank them in approximate difficulty (like the beethoven sonata thread)

please dont fight over this, i just want to know which ones i should start with and which ones to leave alone for now. 

also, if a particular P and F has one part this is much harder or easier than the other, you can make speecial mentoin of that too.

[pseudopianist]

i have decided that after many years of neglecting this work, i am going to slowly learn most or all of them one at a time (probably over several years.)

could someone please rank them in approximate difficulty (like the beethoven sonata thread)

please dont fight over this, i just want to know which ones i should start with and which ones to leave alone for now. 

also, if a particular P and F has one part this is much harder or easier than the other, you can make speecial mentoin of that too.

Quoted from Bernhard


  Re: Plan for learning Bach's WTC
« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2004, 12:47:03 AM »   

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a look here:

https://www.serve.com/marbeth/fugues.html

Now here is a progressive order for learning the WTC (from easiest to most difficult). As with all lists of this kind, variations do exist, and I would love to see some different lists. (Hmoll?)

1. no. 15 in  G (Book II)
2. no. 6 in Dm
3. no. 21 in Bb
4. no. 10 in Em
5. no. 20 in Am (Book II)
6. no. 11 in F
7. no. 2 in Cm
8. no. 9 in E
9. no. 13 in F#
10. no. 21 in Bb (Book II)
11. no. 6 in Dm (Book II)
12. no. 19 in A (Book II)
13. no. 11 in F (Book II)
14. no. 19 in A
15. no. 14 in F#m
16. no. 18 in G#m
17 no. 2 in Cm (Book II)
18. no. 5 in D
19. no. 7 in Eb
20. no. 14 in F#m (Book II)
21. no. 7 in Eb (Book II)
22. no. 1 in C
23. no. 17 in Ab
24. no. 13 in F# (Book II)
25. no. 15 in G
26. no. 12 in Fm (Book II)
27. no. 1 in C (Book II)
28. no. 24 in Bm (Book II)
29. no. 10 in Em (Book II)
30. no. 16 in Gm
31. no. 5 in D (Book II)
32. no. 18 in G#m (Book II)
33. no. 24 in Bm
34. no. 9 in E (Book II)
35. no. 4 in C#m (Book II)
36. no. 23 in B
37. no. 3 in C# (Book II)
38. no. 12 in Fm
39. no. 3 in C#
40. no. 8 in D#m (Book II)
41. no. 22 in Bbm
42. no. 17 in Ab (Book II)
43. no 4 in C#m
44. no. 8 in D#m
45. no. 20 in Am
46. no. 22 in Bbm (Book II)
47. no. 16 in Gm (Book II)
48. no. 23 in B (Book II)


Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Kapellmeister27]

thanks, i really should learn to use the search feature more effectively

[pseudopianist]

thanks, i really should learn to use the search feature more effectively

Thank Superma... Bernhard.

[BoliverAllmon]

did you create that list or someone else? the a minor book II is only fifth on your list. I would put it much higher. I doubt you will ever see prelude in C (which you ranked much higher )in the syllabus of any certifications, but the a minor is on the grade 8 and the DipRSM.

boliver

[alzado]

With all due respect, I believe such questions are rather absurd.

If any pianist has the musicianship to undertake the Well Tempered Clavier, he or she must surely have enough judgment to carefully page through the material, study it, and form their own judgments as to relative difficulty of the different pieces.

The idea we are supposed to believe -- that a skilled pianist stands helpless, lost and bewildered, perhaps with tears in his/her eyes, waiting for someone to cue him in on what's easy and what's hard --  preposterous.

Its pitiful.  Alas that Bernard provides this "help" so readily.  Help much better not given.

It's like Rembrandt asking his fellow painters, "what brush should I use?"

[fuel925]

It's like Rembrandt asking his fellow painters, "what brush should I use?"

No, its nothing like that at all. Rembrandt was/is a huge figure in the world of art, whereas the people on this forum who ask such questions (including myself) are mere students to the piano, not virtuosos. The only absurd thing in this thread is you drawing parallels between virtuosic artists and student pianists.

[cfortunato]

https://www.serve.com/marbeth/fugues.html

Now here is a progressive order for learning the WTC (from easiest to most difficult). As with all lists of this kind, variations do exist, and I would love to see some different lists.

I guess this is the fugues only and not the preludes.  That's part of the problem with rating them by difficulty.  They go in pairs and they are not of similar difficulty.  No 1 in C,f'rinstance, has an extremely easy Prelude and an extremely difficult fugue (well, difficult for ME, at least).

[BoliverAllmon]

did you create that list or someone else? the a minor book II is only fifth on your list. I would put it much higher. I doubt you will ever see prelude in C (which you ranked much higher )in the syllabus of any certifications, but the a minor is on the grade 8 and the DipRSM.

boliver

oh and angela hewitt ranks it as one of the hardest and most complex