Matthew Dirst: J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1
Acis

Matthew Dirst funnels much of his time and energy into his role as Artistic Director of Ars Lyrica Houston, the Texas-based company he founded in 1998. In that capacity, he guides the period-instrument ensemble through performances of lesser-known works from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He's also, however, a highly respected harpsichordist, whose skills are on full display in his presentation of J. S. Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1. It's not his first solo go-round with the composer, as shown by an earlier recording of organ concerto reconstructions. His expertise extends to other composers too, as another release features harpsichord music by Francis and Armand-Louis Couperin. The seemingly tireless Dirst is also a music professor at the University of Houston's Moores School of Music and published author.

In 1722, Bach collected the twenty-four preludes and fugues into the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier as pedagogical exercises to be shared with pupils (as Dirst writes in liner notes, the score's title page describes its content as having been created “for the profit and use of musical youth desirous of learning, and especially for the pastime of those already skilled in this study”); twenty years later, a second book comprising the same number materialized. Inspired by Bach's example, Chopin and Shostakovich created their own sets of preludes and fugues.

Beyond their value as student exercises (Beethoven's teacher apparently had his pupil learn both books at the age of eleven), the pieces are noteworthy for their variety of moods and compositional styles. As Dirst notes, most of the fugues have either three of four independent voices, though one has two and two others five, and his assertion that no pair is alike is supported by detailed booklet commentaries that highlight the individuating features of each pair.

Memorable moments abound as the 110-minute recording plays. The “Prelude No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846” seduces instantly with the sound of radiant arpeggios and the bright timbres of the harpsichord. The partnering fugue arrests the ear with stately counterpoint as well as flourishes and trills expertly delivered. Rapid mirrored figuration distinguishes the C Minor prelude, while the interlacing of three contrapuntal figures in the fugue proves as riveting. Melodies might be in one setting cheery (the C-sharp Major fugue, E-flat Major fugue, G Major prelude) and in another melancholy, even sombre (the C-sharp Minor prelude, E-flat Minor prelude, F-sharp Minor fugue). Not surprisingly, the C-sharp Minor fugue engrosses in featuring five separate voices; the stately D Major fugue is considerably lighter in counterpoint but commands the attention with its dignified expression. If metronomic pulsation gives the D Minor prelude ample drive, the exquisite F Minor and F-sharp Major preludes are elevated by elegant design. The latter's two-part texture also catches the ear for a stop that makes the instrument resemble a lute more than harpsichord. The B-flat Major prelude dazzles on the other hand for its engulfing stream of arpeggios and scales.

The “Prelude No. 7 in E-flat Major, BWV 852” captivates in featuring patterns that first trade back and forth, combine, and finally separate for an intense contrapuntal exchange. One of the prettier pieces is the E Major prelude for its cantabile character, subtle pastoral aura, and lilting feel; its sunny, gracefully flowing fugue proves a fitting complement. Dirst deems the densest woven “Fugue No. 20 in A Minor, BWV 865” the most challenging movement of the set to play, but his execution is unerring, just as it is throughout the recording, and the endlessly singing character of the material provides no shortage of listening pleasure.

Performing on a magnificently decorated harpsichord built in 2021 by John Phillips, who drew for inspiration from the renowned ones created by the Gräbner family from early eighteenth-century Dresden, Dirst brings forth with palpable enthusiasm and verve the imagination, invention, and humanity of material that still speaks to us three centuries after its creation. While there are countless recordings of The Well-Tempered Clavier available, his is a more than credible addition, especially when his passion for the material is evident at every moment.

July 2024