Intermezzo & Fugatine

on the Eb Major Prelude and Fugue of the Well-Tempered Clavier Bk 1

Publisher: Rassel Editions, NY

Since 1992 Lasser has been writing counterpoints to blend with the Preludes and Fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier of J.S Bach. What began as playful challenge has become a long-range plan to build counterpoints to all of the 48 Preludes and Fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier. The composer writes: “These are not just melodies placed over the Bach works, but in fact are truly new contrapuntal lines built out of the same motivic materials of their respective Prelude or Fugue. In the process, a new work emerges.” Here, Lasser has arranged the E major Prelude and Fugue from Book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier for 2 pianos where one pianist plays Lasser’s work while the other pianist plays the exact Bach Prelude and Fugue of J.S. Bach.