Rethinking WTC: a new interpretation of the Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach through the prism of the theory of Boleslav Javorsky

Natalya Pasichnyk

Exposition

Rethinking WTC: a new interpretation of the Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach through the prism of the theory of Boleslav Javorsky (2023)

Natalya Pasichnyk

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About this exposition

In this project I sought to get new insights into the interpretational process, to make a contribution to the renewal of methods of working with a musical text, to find a new way to communicate meaning found in music, to broaden the role of the pianist to a co-creative one, and to unfold a new facet of the understanding of the Well-Tempered Clavier by J.S. Bach. The initial inspiration for this project came from the theory of the Ukrainian-born musicologist Boleslaw Javorsky (1877-1942), the main sense of which can be formulated as: the main foundation of the Well-Tempered Clavier (WTC) is the protestant chorales, and that the WTC is an artistic interpretation of images and plots of the Bible. The use of metaphors, images and narrative is important as a way of working with music for many musicians. For me this way of thinking has always been the most important working method, along with the wide range of other elements within my individual working processes, which inform my artistic practice. I intended to go further and through the creative process during this project develop a new methodological approach in working with the music text. I call the process in search for meaning in preludes and fugues. I try in this project to tell the story of my personal understanding of this iconic piece, often called the pianist's Bible. The story presented is not merely a descriptive Bible story, but rather a personal reflection over our existence. My working process began with trying to find and understand the connection between words in the chorales as well as other vocal works of Bach, and the music text of WTC. When analysing the found connection, each prelude and fugue receives a concrete semantic meaning. I decided to place the pieces chronologically according to the meaning I found, so that the entire WTC becomes a unified coherent story, instead of a collection of 48 separate pieces. I did not attempt to imitate the way of performing that was common during Bach's time, but rather to use all the advantages of the keyboard instrument of our time and all the expressive means it offers to share my findings. By experimenting with interweaving the motives of vocal music with WTC's music texture, I wanted to make my understanding of the genesis of the piece audible, but also to embed my reflections into my playing. It also broadened the role of the pianist to a more co-creative one, which was the common practice in Bach's time, but in an entirely different way. In other words, my intention was to make my interpretation historically informed, but to be faithful to the spirit of the time, rather than to the letter of the time. The legendary Bach scholar Albert Schweitzer wrote about WTC: "What is gripping, is not the shape, or the structure of the pieces, but the worldview reflected in them". To make my understanding of this worldview audible to all listeners, and to invite them to immerse themselves into Bach’s spiritual universe (where the music's aim is the “recreation of the spirit”), is the overall goal of the project. Bach’s faith generated his music, and so I hope that this music can in turn generate faith, which we need in our current times more than ever.

type	research exposition
keywords	J. S. Bach, Well-Tempered Clavier, chorales, piano, KMD_PhD, KMD_Grieg
date	14/12/2022
published	06/06/2023
last modified	06/06/2023
status	published
share status	private
affiliation	University of Bergen, The Grieg Academy - Department of Music
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
language	English
url	https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1861285/1861286
doi	https://doi.org/10.22501/rc.1861285
published in	Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design, University of Bergen
portal issue	7. PhD 2023
connected to	Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design, University of Bergen
external link	www.natalyapasichnyk.com

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name	Written reflection part
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	Public domain
usages	pdf

name	230605 Tableau
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	Public domain
usages	pdf

name	Artistic result - Natalya Pasichnyk_WTK - Piano Solo
copyright	@Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	01 Prelude in C sharp minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	02 Fugue in C sharp minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	03 Prelude in C major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	04 Fugue in C major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	05 Prelude in A flat major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	06 Fugue in A flat major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	07 Prelude in B flat major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	08 Fugue in B flat major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	09 Prelude in C sharp major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	10 Fugue in C sharp major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	11 Prelude in A major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	12 Fugue in A major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	13 Prelude E major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	14 Fugue in E major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	15 Prelude in D minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	16 Fugue in D minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	17 Prelude in A minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	18 Fugue in A minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	19 Prelude in D major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	20 Fugue in D major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	21 Prelude in F sharp minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	22 Fugue in F sharp minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	24 Fugue in C minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	25 Prelude in F minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	26 Fugue in F minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	27 Prelude in G sharp minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	28 Fugue in G sharp minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	29 Prelude in E flat major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	30 Fugue in E flat major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	31 Prelude in E minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	32 Fugue in E minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	33 Prelude in E flat minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	34 Fugue in E flat minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	35 Prelude in B minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	36 Fugue in B minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	37 Prelude in G minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	38 Fugue in G minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	39 Prelude in G major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	40 Fugue in G major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	41 Prelude in F major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	42 Fugue in F major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	43 Prelude in F sharp major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	44 Fugue in F sharp major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	45 Prelude in B flat minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	46 Fugue in B flat minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	47 Prelude in B major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	48 Fugue in B major
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	23 Prelude in C minor
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	01 Nun komm der Heiden Heiland
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	02 Allein Gött in der Höh sei Ehr
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	03 Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	04 In dulci jubilo
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	05 Du Friedefurst Herr Jesus Christ
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	06 Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	07 Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	08 Ach wie fluchtig, ach wie nichtig
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	09 Auf meine liebe Gott
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	10 Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	11 Von Gott will ich nicht lassen
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	12 Heilig, Heilig, Heilig
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	13 Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	14 O, Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	15 Christ lag in Todesbanden
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	16 Erstanden ist der heilig Christ
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	17 Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	18 Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heilige Geist
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	19 Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	20 Alle menschen mussen sterben
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	21 Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	22 Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	23 Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	All rights reserved
usages	audio

name	Errata N. Pasichnyk - signed
copyright	Natalya Pasichnyk
license	Public domain
usages	pdf

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Rethinking WTC: a new interpretation of the Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach through the prism of the theory of Boleslav Javorsky (2023)

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