Composed in the early 18th century, it is a collection of preludes and fugues that span all 24 major and minor keys, making it a groundbreaking work in the development of Western music. However, Bach's work was not the first of its kind, nor was it the last.

The idea of writing keyboard music in all the major and minor keys was not new when Bach began composing The Well-Tempered Clavier. In fact, composers as far back as the 16th century had experimented with writing in different keys. However, it was Bach who took the concept to the next level by writing preludes and fugues in all 24 keys, using a new tuning system called equal temperament that allowed for greater harmonic flexibility.

Before The Well-Tempered Clavier, Johann Jakob Froberger's Libro di Capricci included pieces in all major and minor keys. Similarly, Georg Muffat's Apparatus Musico-Organisticus included suites in all 12 major and minor keys, but these were written for organ and were not as harmonically adventurous as Bach's work.

After Bach, other composers took up the challenge of writing keyboard music in all keys. Frédéric Chopin, whose 24 Preludes are often seen as a tribute to Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. Chopin's Preludes are much more concise than Bach's, with each one lasting only a few minutes, but they explore a wide range of moods and emotions. Dmitri Shostakovich's, 24 Preludes and Fugues for Piano is a 20th-century equivalent of The Well-Tempered Clavier, albiet more dissonant and experimental than Bach.

J.S. Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier is the landmark work in the history of Western classical music that inspired this composer to explore the possibilities of writing keyboard music in all keys.

Justin Everhart
Bruges