Selections from The Well Tempered Klavier, Book 1 arranged for four horns [Digital Download]

There is little to say about the Well-Tempered Clavier that has not already been said. It is a touchstone in the development of harmonic and contrapuntal technique; a culmination of centuries of increasingly complex polyphonic writing in the Renaissance, and they would lay an unshakeable foundation for centuries of progress. A working knowledge of their structure a must for any serious student of music.

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote two sets of preludes in all 24 major and minor keys, and these arrangements are taken from the first set, which he completed in 1722. My goal was not to adapt them for the sake of adapting them. I have drawn on my experience as a professional horn player to select three preludes and three fugues from Book 1 that would adapt especially well to the horn.

Do not be put off by the G-sharp minor movements! They are much easier in practice than they seem. I have enharmonically flipped them into a flat key, and they prove a rewarding challenge on horn.

Click here to purchase a print copy of this work.