This week’s video features Mahan Esfahani in Fugue No. 15 in G major, BWV 860/2 from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I. The recording comes from his new Hyperion Records album, performed on a double-manual German harpsichord by Huw Saunders—a modern replica of an instrument thought to have belonged to Bach himself.
In his booklet notes, Esfahani reflects that much of the Romantic language around Bach “inspires devotion and awe, but very little love.” Yet this fugue shows there is much to love: clarity, brilliance, and warmth on an instrument perfectly suited to the music.
The album represents a major milestone in Esfahani’s ambitious project to record all of Bach’s keyboard works. With The Well-Tempered Clavier, listeners have the rare opportunity to experience the music on the instrument Bach had in mind when composing the 48 Preludes and Fugues.
👉 Listen to the complete album here
📺 Watch the video here:
Subscribe to our newsletter