A recording of J.S. Bach's 'Preludie in C' played by Neil Balfour.

When J.S. Bach began working on his epic Well-Tempered Clavier in 1722, chances are he wasn't thinking that it would become one of the defining musical texts in keyboard history. But, somehow, it has - and the Prelude No. 1 in C Major is where it all starts.

The Well-Tempered Clavier (there are two volumes of it, each containing a prelude and a fugue in each musical key) kicks off in C Major, the most 'natural' musical key, so he obviously made sure that the first entry is a good one. Few pieces of keyboard music sound so delicate and fragile, but there's a very Bach-ian stability to it as well. 

It's a strikingly simple piece to begin with, gently phasing through different chords and registers, but it's one of those pieces that demands to be tinkered with. Consequently, you'll hear plenty of different interpretations of this much-loved work.

Prelude No. 1 In C Major | Bach

My take on Chopin's saddest little prelude.  Two and a half minutes of ache.


Chopin Prelude No. 4 In E Minor, Op. 28

A cello quartet arrangement of the second movement from J S Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068.
Cello arranged and performed by Deryn Cullen
Mix and mastering by @dan-cullen

J S Bach - Air on the G - String

A cello quartet arrangement of the second movement of Vivaldi's Cello Sonata no. 3 in A minor RV43

Vivaldi - Cello Sonata III in a minor - Allegro

Franz Liszt: Ungarische Rhapsodie Nr 2

Hugh Wolff leads the New England Conservatory Philharmonia in a performance of Beethoven's Egmont Overture. Recorded live in Symphony Hall, Boston April 23, 2014.

Beethoven: Overture to Egmont, op. 84

Lukas Graham - Love Someone Slower Ballad Cover

Antonio Vivaldi "La Stravaganza" Concerto No.2 RV.279

Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041

Thomas Gould, violin
Senesino Players

Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concerto in A minor: 1.

Ponchielli. Dance of the Hours arranged for string quartet. Download PDF sheet music at <a href="http://www.musicforstrings.com/en/string-quartet-sheet-music/121-ponchielli-dance-hours-gioconda-string-quartet.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.musicforstrings.com</a>


Ponchielli. Dance of the Hours. String quartet arrangement

Markus Gottschlich- piano
https://www.markusgottschlich.com/store/of-places-between-album

Schubert Impromptu Op.90 No.3

A sample of Neil Balfour's musical journey.