Ensemble de deux CD. En février 1987, Keith Jarrett enregistre, sur un piano à queue Steinway, le premier livre du Clavier bien tempéré de Johann Sebastian Bach. C'était le premier d'une série d'enregistrements acclamés de Bach qu'il réaliserait pour ECM. Le 7 mars 1987, avant la sortie du studio, Jarrett a interprété l'intégralité du WTC Book I devant un public au Troy Savings Bank Music Hall dans l'État de New York, un lieu réputé pour sa belle acoustique ; un enregistrement live d'archives de ce concert est présenté pour la première fois. Lorsque l'album studio est sorti, la manière de Jarrett dans ces préludes et fugues emblématiques a surpris de nombreux auditeurs par sa retenue poétique. Le pianiste était profondément en phase avec ce qu'il appelait " le processus de la pensée " chez Bach ; en n'imposant pas indûment sa personnalité à la musique, Jarrett a permis à chaque note de la partition de transparaître via le lyrisme naturel des lignes mélodiques contrapuntiques, la pulsation dansante du flux rythmique. Ces qualités sont frappantes dans l'enregistrement live. Peu d'artistes de jazz ont autant exploré le répertoire classique, de Bach et Mozart à Chostakovitch, Bartók, Barber et bien d'autres encore, que Jarrett.
- Disc 1
- Das Wohltemperierte Klavier: Book 1, BWV 846-869
- Prelude in C Major, BWV 846 (Original Version)
- Fugue in C Major, BWV 846 (Original Version)
- Prelude in C minor, BWV 847 (Original Version)
- Fugue in C minor, BWV 847 (Original Version)
- Prelude in C-Sharp Major, BWV 848 (Original Version)
- Fugue in C-Sharp Major, BWV 848 (Original Version)
- Prelude in C-Sharp minor, BWV 849 (Original Version)
- Fugue in C-Sharp minor, BWV 849 (Original Version)
- Prelude in D Major, BWV 850 (Original Version)
- Fugue in D Major, BWV 850 (Original Version)
- Prelude in D minor, BWV 851 (Original Version)
- Fugue in D minor, BWV 851 (Original Version)
- Prelude in E-Flat Major, BWV 852 (Original Version)
- Fugue in E-Flat Major, BWV 852 (Original Version)
- Prelude in D-Sharp minor/E-Flat minor, BWV 853 (Original Version)
- Fugue in D-Sharp minor/E-Flat minor, BWV 853 (Original Version)
- Prelude in E Major, BWV 854 (Original Version)
- Fugue in E Major, BWV 854 (Original Version)
- Prelude in E minor, BWV 855 (Original Version)
- Fugue in E minor, BWV 855 (Original Version)
- Prelude in F Major, BWV 856 (Original Version)
- Fugue in F Major, BWV 856 (Original Version)
- Prelude in F minor, BWV 857 (Original Version)
- Fugue in F minor, BWV 857 (Original Version)
- Disc 2
- Das Wohltemperierte Klavier: Book 1, BWV 846-869
- Prelude in F-Sharp Major, BWV 858 (Original Version)
- Fugue in F-Sharp Major, BWV 858 (Original Version)
- Prelude in F-Sharp minor, BWV 859 (Original Version)
- Fugue in F-Sharp minor, BWV 859 (Original Version)
- Prelude in G Major, BWV 860 (Original Version)
- Fugue in G Major, BWV 860 (Original Version)
- Prelude in G minor, BWV 861 (Original Version)
- Fugue in G minor, BWV 861 (Original Version)
- Prelude in A-Flat Major, BWV 862 (Original Version)
- Fugue in A-Flat Major, BWV 862 (Original Version)
- Prelude in A-Flat minor/G-Sharp minor, BWV 863 (Original Version)
- Fugue in A-Flat minor/G-Sharp minor, BWV 863 (Original Version)
- Prelude in a Major, BWV 864 (Original Version)
- Fugue in a Major, BWV 864 (Original Version)
- Prelude in a Minor, BWV 865 (Original Version)
- Fugue in a Minor, BWV 865 (Original Version)
- Prelude in B-Flat Major, BWV 866 (Original Version)
- Fugue in B-Flat Major, BWV 866 (Original Version)
- Prelude in B-Flat minor, BWV 867 (Original Version)
- Fugue in B-Flat minor, BWV 867 (Original Version)
- Prelude in B Major, BWV 868 (Original Version)
- Fugue in B Major, BWV 868 (Original Version)
- Prelude in B minor, BWV 869 (Original Version)
- Fugue in B minor, BWV 869 (Original Version)
