The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 - Ivory Classics

Albert Wong
PRODIGY
10 YEAR OLD
The Well-Tempered
Clavier Book 2
(Complete)
2 CD Set

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
❖ Albert Wong • The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 ❖
Preludes and Fugues Nos. 1-12 – DISC 1
Prelude No.1 in C Major, BWV 870 2:42
Fugue No.1 in C Major, BWV 870 1:33
Prelude No.2 in C minor, BWV 871 1:34
Fugue No.2 in C minor, BWV 871 1:58
Prelude No.3 in C sharp Major, BWV 872 2:04
Fugue No.3 in C sharp Major, BWV 872 1:44
Prelude No.4 in C sharp minor, BWV 873 4:37
Fugue No.4 in C sharp minor, BWV 873 2:26
Prelude No.5 in D Major, BWV 874 3:40
Fugue No.5 in D Major, BWV 874 3:04
Prelude No.6 in D minor, BWV 875 1:38
Fugue No.6 in D minor, BWV 875 1:56
Prelude No.7 in E flat Major,BWV 876 2:13
Fugue No.7 in E flat Major, BWV 876 1:54
Prelude No.8 in E flat minor, BWV 877 3:10
Fugue No.8 in E flat minor, BWV 877 3:06
Prelude No.9 in E Major, BWV 878 3:25
Fugue No.9 in E Major, BWV 878 2:39
Prelude No.10 in E minor, BWV 879 3:21
Fugue No.10 in E minor, BWV 879 2:59
Prelude No.11 in F Major, BWV 880 3:18
Fugue No.11 in F Major, BWV 880 1:45
Prelude No.12 in F minor, BWV 881 3:24
Fugue No.12 in F minor, BWV 881 2:08
Total Playing Time: 64:14
– 2 –

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
15
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
• Debut Recording •
Preludes and Fugues Nos. 13-24 – DISC 2
Prelude No.13 in F sharp Major, BWV 882 3:20
Fugue No.13 in F sharp Major, BWV 882 2:48
Prelude No.14 in F sharp minor, BWV 883 3:14
Fugue No.14 in F sharp minor, BWV 883 3:30
Prelude No.15 in G Major, BWV 884 1:34
Fugue No.15 in G Major, BWV 884 1:17
Prelude No.16 in G minor, BWV 885 2:41
Fugue No.16 in G minor, BWV 885 2:48
Prelude No.17 in A flat Major, BWV 886 4:10
Fugue No.17 in A flat Major, BWV 886 2:25
Prelude No.18 in G sharp minor, BWV 887 4:25
Fugue No.18 in G sharp minor, BWV 887 4:06
Prelude No.19 in A Major, BWV 888 1:29
Fugue No.19 in A Major, BWV 888 1:29
Prelude No.20 in A minor, BWV 889 2:35
Fugue No.20 in A minor, BWV 889 1:55
Prelude No.21 in B flat Major, BWV 890 4:00
Fugue No.21 in B flat Major, BWV 890 2:08
Prelude No.22 in B flat minor, BWV 891 2:57
Fugue No.22 in B flat minor, BWV 891 4:54
Prelude No.23 in B Major, BWV 892 2:40
Fugue No.23 in B Major, BWV 892 3:11
Prelude No.24 in B minor, BWV 893 2:22
Fugue No.24 in B minor, BWV 893 1:40
Total Playing Time: 69:35
– 3 –

❖ Johann Sebastian Bach ❖
by Albert Wong
I have known Maestro Bach for six long years. Long enough for me to learn many of his
famous compositions, but not long enough to write about him like a seasoned musicologist.
I was four when I was first told that Bach was a great composer who lived a long time ago,
and that he composed a vast number of keyboard, string, and vocal works. That was all I knew
and cared to know about him for a while. A year later, I became curious about how this great
man looked, so took a good look at some of his portraits. I found it was not hard at all to spot
him among all of the other great composers, for he had a broad face, double chin, and a stern
look, just like me. From that moment, I felt that I was very close to him, because I felt that
we two must share certain thoughts. First, since he must have eaten a lot to nourish his double
chin, he probably cherished good food the way I do. I simply can not do any serious work
without having a full stomach! Second, because he did not smile when artists drew his portraits,
he must have thought it was unnecessary, which is also the way I feel. Third, I so enjoy
learning and playing all his piano compositions. He must have believed that a good piece of
music can be played and interpreted in more than one way – which is what I believe too.
Lastly, for reasons that simply can not be elucidated, I have always felt comfortable playing
his works since I was a kid. (In case you haven’t noticed, I am a young man now! I turned ten
years old on January 1, 2000).
At age seven, I made my orchestral debut playing Bach’s F minor concerto. When I was
eight, I learned his E major and D minor concertos. In every solo concert I play, I always
begin with a Bach composition. For some abstruse reason, Bach always makes me feel secure.
It is a mysterious power that has kept, and will continue to keep me close to this composer
all of my life. When I was four, I learned to play Bach’s works the same way I learned all the
other composer’s works. For the first year, Bach’s compositions were simply Baroque music to
me, I played them purely by intuition. When I first began learning his two-part inventions at
five, my teacher, Mr. Joseph Banowetz, taught me voicing, phrasing and the proper way of
playing ornaments. Dr. Pamela Paul, has repeatedly stressed the importance of consciously
removing myself from the piano and conducting all of the voices when I play Bach.
Since I’m convinced that music played in a proper way is the guaranteed result of a systematic
approach, I try very hard to add the elements of consciousness when I play. Now,
when I pick up a new Fugue to learn, I will first take the score to my desk instead of the
– 4 –

piano. I spend time searching and unveiling
all the voices, counterpoint, and major and
minor themes which maybe wrapped up in all
sorts of disguises. Then I use the time to hear
all the voices in my brain before I start to
practice. Bach’s compositions are very clever
in their own special way. Many of his compositions
looked straight forward to me at first,
but the more I thought about and played
them, the harder they became, especially
when trying to figure out the change of spirit,
mood and personality of each voice. His
Preludes and Fugues can easily sound like
boring rondos with repeated themes. How to
make them sound musical and interesting is a
work of art. I simply cannot make a Bach
Prelude or Fugue sound right without
exhausting brain-work. It takes time and
energy to understand them! A good composition,
like a good painting, needs not only
technique but also wisdom. It is the years of Johann Sebastian Bach
accumulated wisdom, which make a good
painting or composition stand out.
Among all of Bach’s compositions, the Well-Tempered Clavier, commonly called the “48,”
are some of the most complicated works he ever wrote. Some of them have as many as five
voices occurring at the same time. They are grouped into two books, consisting of 24 preludes
and fugues each, labeled Part I and Part II. Part I was inspired by the wisdom of the J.C.F.
Fischer Ariadne musica, from a set of 20 short preludes and fugues in a chromatic key order
ascending from C to B. Bach finished Part II 20 years later, only a few years before his death.
I feel very fortunate to be given this opportunity to make my debut recording with WTC
Book II for Ivory Classics, since they were composed when Bach’s wisdom was at its apogee.
Even though Bach has stated that this group of pieces were written as etudes for advanced
students to practice, and to demonstrate that it was possible for all key signatures to be
played in tune under this new equal-temperament tuning, I think that they mean much
– 5 –

more than practicing or demonstrating
pieces. They are not only mercilessly complicated
in their architecture, they are true art!
You have to play them, think about them and
sleep with them to uncover, enjoy and appreciate
their beauty. When I approached the 24
pieces in Book II, I found myself pondering
over each one as they came thundering in, for
each one had its own unique personality.
Sometimes they looked similar but obviously
they were quite distinct from each other.
Although they required tiring brain work,
they were not boring in the musical sense.
I enjoyed his way of showing the grand, elegant,
romantic, poetic, sorrowful, delightful
dancing styles.
It was a very challenging task to try to
understand his whole life’s wisdom in the
year that I learned these pieces. There were
many frustrating moments for me in these
months! One afternoon, when I could not
find the proper way to show the spirit of a
Albert Wong age 3
certain Fugue I was working on, the feeling
of being stuck and defeated was terribly
frustrating. I stormed into our bathroom and clogged the sink drain with a half box
Kleenex tissues. Well, as you can imagine, I simply added another problem. My parents
were not thrilled one bit – I was punished for showing my mood in a wrong way. My
dinner was delayed for a least three hours that night! Patience, is what I have learned
from my experience with these 24 monumental works. I had to constantly remind myself
that it was OK if the first couple of tries did not work correctly. I needed to be patient
practicing and searching for the right interpretations. After practicing all this patience, I
would say that I have become an old soul who still does not have enough patience! What
was the reward that came out of this hard work? Playing other composers’ works
became more enjoyable and much easier than before! It was Maestro Bach
– 6 –

who made me think and understand the patterns
of all music.
The general principles that I followed
when I learned to perform these Bach compositions
were really nothing new to me.
Learning Physics made me realize that music
works the same way. Newton’s laws, developed
by the great physicist Isaac Newton
(who lived around J.S. Bach’s time),
quenched the people’s thirst for answers for
more than a century. It was not until the 20 th
century that people realized that Newton’s
Laws work only when the bodies concerned
are not too fast, too slow, too big, too small,
too hot, or too cold. People who lived at that
period of time simply could not perceive
things that could not be sensed by our five
senses. The peace and quietness of endless
space dominated the world at that time.
There were no automobiles, no factories, and
no pollution. Also, there was no need to rush
for anything. That was the world in which
Newton and Bach lived. This is why I believe Albert age 5
that Bach’s music as well as most other
Baroque composers’ music should be presented without extreme dynamics, elaborate phrases,
and/or rubato. Not too fast, not too slow, not too big (elaborate), not too small (flat), not
too hot (short), not too cold (long), not too loud, and not too soft are what I feel are the
basics of playing Baroque music.
However, we should always remember that music has to be musical no matter when or
where it is being presented. Human beings simply cannot live without music. Why? Because
music can greatly dictate people’s feelings and in order to enchant the listener’s heart, it should
be musical! We need to hear some changes of dynamics, mood and spirit even in Baroque
music. So my basic law is not to rush but to relax so that I bring out the true spirit of music
to the best of my ability.
– 7 –

❖ Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier ❖
The Preludes and Fugues were composed in two groups of twenty-four each. It was in
1722, while he was at Cöthen, that Bach assembled Book I. In his full title, he tells us much
about the nature and intention of the music:
“The Well-Tempered Clavier, or Preludes and Fugues on every Tone and Semitone, with
the major third Ut, Re, Mi, and the minor third Re, Mi, Fa. For the Use and Profit of Young
Musicians eager to learn, and also as a Pastime for those already expert in this Art, set forth
and composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, at presentation Capellmeister and Director of
Chamber Music at the princely Court of Anhalt-Cöthen. Anno 1722.”
Had Bach left us only this work, his immortality and his central position in the history of
music would have been assured. After listening to it, one shares the reverence expressed by
Robert Schumann in a letter written in 1840: “I myself make a daily confession of my sins to
that mighty one, and endeavor to purify and strengthen myself through him... In fact, to my
mind Bach is unapproachable – he is unfathomable.”
Book II did not appear until twenty-two years later, in 1744 when Bach was Cantor of
the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. The new volume was designated simply as “Twenty-four
new Preludes and Fugues.” The similarity of design between the two groups, separated by
twenty two years, is undoubtedly responsible for their having been brought together under
the one title.
Paradoxically, this work, which was to inspire and influence more musicians perhaps than
any other, was not published until fifty years after Bach’s death, although it had been circulated
in manuscript copies among his students and others. The first printed editions which
appeared in 1800-01 were issued by Nageli in Zurich, Simrock of Bonn and Paris, and
Kuhnel of Leipzig. The first English editions date from 1810.
In composing a Prelude and Fugue for each key, in the order of chromatic ascent, Bach
glorified a new system of tuning, in which the keyboard instrument is tuned equally well for
all keys. Hence, the term, well-tempered. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, therefore, was an overwhelming
demonstration of the importance of such a system of tuning to the composer.
In putting together Book I, Bach incorporated music that he had composed earlier.
Several of the Preludes exist in earlier, often simpler, versions than those in The Well-
Tempered Clavier. In Book II, also, Bach used music written separately, sometimes transposing
it to fit the key scheme. Prelude I of Book II, for instance, exists in three versions; and
there is a charming Fughetta in G major (printed by Bischoff in the appendix of his edition)
– 8 –

which served as the basis of the Fugue in G
major, No. 15, of Book II.
Book II differs from Book I in many
respects. Frederick Ilffe, in his Analysis of
Bach’s 48 Preludes and Fugues, points out that
whereas in Book I “we find Bach speculating
or making independent and original experiments
in structure,... there is no direct influence
of the Sonata type in the Preludes of this
book; but in Book II we find, together with
original and beautiful experiments... a goodly
number of specimens of the old Sonata type.”
The Preludes are every bit as fascinating as
the Fugues and, in some ways, they point
more clearly to later musical developments.
Some of them are themselves fugal in character,
such as Prelude 3 of Book II. Others are
of the Invention type, such as Preludes 8, 10,
and 20 of Book II. Others are of the fantasy
type; still others resemble the arioso.
Leichtentritt’s wonderful book, Musical Form,
contains an interesting classification and
analysis of the Preludes from this point of Albert age 5
view. However they may be analyzed and dissected,
each are glowing with beauty and inspiration. Bach is playful, reflective, passionate,
mystical, boisterous, by turns, always surprising us with some new thought or fancy in his
Preludes.
Equally amazing is Bach’s range of design and expression in the Fugues. So free is he, in
fact, that none of the fugues in The Well-Tempered Clavier obeys the strict laws of the textbooks
written after him. Ralph Vaughan Williams has gleefully pointed out that one celebrated
English teacher of counterpoint forbade his students to consult The Well-Tempered
Clavier because it did not obey the “rules”! Some of the fugues are dance-like (Book II, Nos.
15, 21, and 24); others are pure song; and some lift us to such heights of nobility of tragic
awareness that we are almost terrified by their power (Book II, Nos. 8, 9, 17, 20, 22, and 23).
– 9 –

As 21st century listeners of this great music, perhaps we should heed Schumann’s Maxims
for Young Musicians: “Learn the fundamental laws of harmony at an early age... Do not be
afraid of the words ‘theory,’ ‘through-bass,’ ‘counterpoint,’ etc.; they will meet you halfway if
you do the same... Let The Well-Tempered Clavier be your daily bread...” Moreover, as
Schumann stated that, “most of Bach’s fugues are character pieces of the highest type; some
of them truly poetic creations, each of which demands its individual expression, its individual
lights and shades.”
– Notes by Marina and Victor Ledin, © 2000
❖ Albert Wong Biography ❖
Albert Wong, born on January 1, 1990 in Boston, was the first baby boy born in Boston
that year. He now resides in Dallas, Texas. Even though he could sing many entire songs
before he could speak complete sentences, his musical interest was not revealed until he saw
and heard the piano at age three and a half. By the time he was four he enjoyed the instrument
so much that he announced to everyone that he wanted to be a pianist. He won the
grand prize of the North Texas Piano Competition at age five. Since five, Albert has been the
only private non-university student of pianist Joseph Banowetz, who teaches at the University
of North Texas (UNT). Albert’s study with Mr. Banowetz began about five years ago. Mr.
Banowetz was not in the practice of coaching gifted children but Albert proved to be a very
special case. Mr. Banowetz was surprised to hear such a proficient keyboard technique from
a five-year-old – far beyond the keyboard basics. Following his first lesson, Mr. Banowetz tested
Albert’s pitch memory. Banowetz played single notes. According to an article published in
The Dallas Morning News: “Albert named each correctly. The complexity was then increased
by playing the notes in clusters. Albert identified all those as well. Mr. Banowetz then
slammed his fist on the keys and Albert was able to name all the notes.”
Today Albert is a seasoned performer. He played his first solo recital at age six. Since
then, he has played numerous solo recitals and participated in chamber and orchestral concerts.
He has appeared on local TV shows, “Good Morning Texas” and “Positively Texas.”
He has been spotlighted in an article in Texas Monthly, The Dallas Morning News, and many
other local TV and newspaper segments. He made his orchestral debut in 1997 (at the age
of 7), playing the Bach F minor Concerto from memory shortly after he won the first prize
of the Dallas Symphonic Piano Concerto Competition. On his ninth birthday in 1999, he was
– 10 –

the featured pianist in an All-Mozart program
presented by the Chamber Music
Society of Fort Worth, and in July 1999, he
helped Dallas classical radio station WRR-
FM in promoting its “Smart Babies” CD. In
the 1999-2000 concert season, Albert performed
seven solo piano recitals around the
country in Missouri, California, and Texas.
Albert has also just won the 2000 Bayard H.
Friedman award for the Outstanding student
in the Performing Arts. This is his debut
recording.
Albert also performs on the violin, and
since the age of five, has been a featured
soloist with the Dallas Chamber Orchestra.
Currently, he is studying with Dr. James
Lerch, the retired head of the String
Department of the University of North
Texas. As of the end of May 2000 Albert has
been studying piano with Mr. Stephen
Seleny in Dallas.
Besides music, he enjoys reading, biking,
construction toys, computer games, playing Albert age 6
chess and attending concerts in the Dallas-
Ft. Worth Metroplex. “Piano isn’t the only thing Albert exceeds at. By age 3 he would ask
his mother to sit down and read the medical dictionary to him as some kids might ask for
Dr Seuss.”
In her article published in The Dallas Morning News, Deborah Voorhees wrote: “He
quickly learned the parts of the body and how each worked. In private and home school
lessons he has already studied Shakespeare, Mark Twain and J.R.R. Tolkien. He has read
biographies of Bach, Einstein, Edison, Lincoln, Washington. And he’s a bit of a news hound.
He reads Newsweek, Business Week and Texas Monthly.”
“He uses college level algebra and trigonometry in his physics lessons with Jim Knowles,
professor of physics at North Lake College.” Dr. Knowles began teaching Albert in mid-
– 11 –

November 1998 after finishing his chemistry
course as a non-university student with one of
his colleagues.
“Albert “has exceptional analytical skills,”
says Dr. Knowles. “When he makes an error,
which is rare, he’s able to listen to why it’s
wrong and correct it.” Three weeks later, he’ll
apply that understanding to a problem he’s
never seen before. “That’s the test that shows
mastery of a subject.” Dr. Knowles tries to
prepare lessons for Albert, but he always has
to be ready to change gears. Repetition helps
many students, but “there’s no way Albert
needs to do 50 homework problems. He does
three and he’s got it.”
“He also shows interest and talent in writing
and philosophy. His mind’s insatiable
appetite is what turned Albert’s mother
toward music. Neither she nor Chi-Pong
Wong, his father, could read music. Still she
took 3-year-old Albert to a music school to
test several instruments. He liked the piano’s
sound. About seven years later, he’s more fascinated
with the instrument than ever. He has
Albert age 7
grown tremendously in his musical ability.
“It’s like the difference between writing nursery rhymes and Shakespearean-quality verse,”
says Mr. Banowetz. “We used to work on what we called de-composing. He would play by
ear, adding notes or making stuff up.” His mom good-naturedly chimes in: “He used to be
too lazy to read the score.” These days, the question is “When will his hands grow large
enough to handle the big, romantic Rachmaninoff pieces? He’s among the very gifted on his
speed of runs, his trills, turns, fluency and accuracy,” says Dr. Pamela Paul, who has coached
Albert since 1997. For now Albert is too young to predict what his future holds. So few reach
the pinnacle as a full-time concert pianist. “People rarely predict what horse will win the
Kentucky Derby.” But Albert’s desire is clear. “I don’t want to be just a concert pianist,”
– 12 –

he tells his mother. “I want to be in the top 1
percent of great artists.” Albert lives to perform,
“I don’t get nervous” he says, “there is
nothing to worry about.” His dreams are to
perform in Carnegie Hall and tour the world
giving concerts. Since this decision he has
committed himself to more practice time.
Just a year ago he preferred not to practice a
piece more than 10 times through, typically
practicing for only two hours a day five days
a week. But, in preparation for this recording
and his numerous concert engagements he
now practices at least five hours a day. This
leaves little time to play, which he prefers. His
mother tries to encourage him to play ball
with the boys in the neighborhood, but
Albert doesn’t like to. “It’s too rowdy,” he
says. “My father and I used to play badminton,
but it’s too rigorous. I prefer to save
my energy for the piano. I don’t mind watching
a ballgame but don’t ask me to participate.
I wouldn’t play on a basketball team for a million
dollars.” His parents are very guarded
with Albert. They want to make sure he doesn’t
become overwhelmed with too many con-
Albert age 9
cert dates. “We don’t push him,” says Ms. Chang. “At his age we want to keep it
fun.” However, with all of the open career choices, Albert is determined to become a great
concert pianist.
After an April 23rd concert this year, Wayne Lee Gay of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram wrote:
“A remarkable talent… Albert Wong’s performances have the immediacy and responsiveness
that reveals true talent and originality. Wong consistently showed the ability to imbue
the music with his own character without overshadowing or betraying the composer. Already,
we’re beginning to hear the emergence of a distinctive musical personality, characterized by
fluidity, clarity, serenity and humor.”
– 13 –

The Dallas Morning News’ Scott Cantrell
wrote about the same concert:
“10-year-old Albert Wong strode decisively
to the piano and delivered luminous tone,
fluent technique and shapely phrasing.”
❖ Producer’s Note ❖
It was a genuine pleasure for me to produce
this debut recording with Albert
Wong. Albert is wise beyond his years. He
arrived so well prepared that in five consecutive
three-hour sessions, he was able to record
this wonderful 2-CD disc of Bach’s WTC
Book II. Albert is a truly natural pianist, he
plays from the heart – he never imitates. The
musical maturity of this young man is astonishing.
I had the pleasure of being introduced
to Albert by the famous virtuoso, Earl Wild,
Albert age 10
backstage after one of Mr. Wild’s recitals in
Texas in May of 1999. At that time I felt I was
in the presence of two great artists. At my
suggestion, Albert (then only 9 years old) began working towards his May 2000 recording of
these 24 Preludes and Fugues from Book II. Although he still cannot comfortably reach an
octave, the evenness of his playing is hypnotic. Keep your eye on this young artist,
I predict he will have a very big career. Albert’s next recording for Ivory Classics will be a disc
of Clementi piano sonatas available in the fall of 2001.
— Michael Rolland Davis, President, Ivory Classics
– 14 –

Albert Wong
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 (Complete)
1
l DISC 1 l
- 24
Preludes and Fugues
Nos.1-12, BWV 870-881
Disc 1 – 64:14
1
l DISC 2 l
- 24
Preludes and Fugues
Nos.13-24, BWV 882-893
Disc 2 – 69:35
Total Playing Time – 2:13:49
Producer: Michael Rolland Davis l
Engineer: Ed Thompson
Original 24-Bit Master
2000 Ivory Classics ® • All Rights Reserved. 64405-71007 STEREO
Ivory Classics ® • P.O. Box 341068
Columbus, Ohio 43234-1068 U.S.A.
Phone: 888-40-IVORY or 614-761-8709 • Fax: 614-761-9799
®
e-mail@ivoryclassics.com • Website: www.IvoryClassics.com