The Well-Tempered Clavier

Michael Houstoun

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2025 BEST CLASSICAL ARTIST (Finalist)

Michael Houstoun has been among the most acclaimed and respected pianists for over 50 years. After working abroad for several years, he returned to New Zealand in 1981 to build an impressive career from his Manawatū home, with a repertoire that spans from J.S. Bach to the present day. He is a strong and enthusiastic advocate of contemporary New Zealand music, regularly recording and performing works by local composers.

The music of Bach is a significant cornerstone for Michael. As he says, “For a pianist like myself, someone for whom music virtually begins with Johann Sebastian Bach, he provides a series of bottom lines of incalculable value everywhere and always. For the musician who wants to learn about melody, musical pulsation, polyphony and its harmonic implications, Bach is the greatest teacher. For me, Bach’s music is of the utmost humanity, and its consolations are without limit. Even in the chromatic depths of a minor key fugue, despair is held at bay. Such indomitability is inspiring, and even learning one prelude and fugue can give us a never-to-be-forgotten taste.”

ALBUM REVIEW by Elizabeth Kerr (FIVE LINES)

Produced by Kenneth Young
Recorded by John Jungseok Kim and Steve Garden
Mixed and mastered by Steve Garden
Design by UnkleFranc
Printed by Studio Q

1. Book One, C major Prelude 02:18
2. Book One, C major Fugue 02:11
3. Book One, C minor Prelude 01:20
4. Book One, C minor Fugue 01:26
5. Book One, C sharp major Prelude 01:15
6. Book One, C sharp major Fugue 02:20
7. Book One, C sharp minor Prelude 02:40
8. Book One, C sharp minor Fugue 04:23
9. Book One, D major Prelude 01:10
10. Book One, D major Fugue 01:49
11. Book One, D minor Prelude 01:45
12. Book One, D minor Fugue 02:16
13. Book One, E flat major Prelude 03:37
14. Book One, E flat major Fugue 01:52
15. Book One, E flat minor Prelude 03:21
16. Book One, D sharp minor Fugue 06:09
17. Book One, E major Prelude 01:18
18. Book One, E major Fugue 01:13
19. Book One, E minor Prelude 02:02
20. Book One, E minor Fugue 01:18
21. Book One, F major Prelude 01:02
22. Book One, F major Fugue 01:20
23. Book One, F minor Prelude 02:10
24. Book One, F minor Fugue 04:38
25. Book One, F sharp major Prelude 01:15
26. Book One, F sharp major Fugue 02:09
27. Book One, F sharp minor Prelude 01:13
28. Book One, F sharp minor Fugue 02:48
29. Book One, G major Prelude 00:57
30. Book One, G major Fugue 02:46
31. Book One, G minor Prelude 02:03
32. Book One, G minor Fugue 02:46
33. Book One, A flat major Prelude 01:19
34. Book One, A flat major Fugue 02:29
35. Book One, G sharp minor Prelude 01:40
36. Book One, G sharp minor Fugue 02:27
37. Book One, A major Prelude 01:14
38. Book One, A major Fugue 02:09
39. Book One, A minor Prelude 01:10
40. Book One, A minor Fugue 04:25
41. Book One, B flat major Prelude 01:10
42. Book One, B flat major Fugue 01:45
43. Book One, B flat minor Prelude 02:39
44. Book One, B flat minor Fugue 03:04
45. Book One, B major Prelude 00:52
46. Book One, B major Fugue 02:04
47. Book One, B minor Prelude 05:44
48. Book One, B minor Fugue 06:18
49. Book Two, C major Prelude 02:21
50. Book Two, C major Fugue 01:42
51. Book Two, C minor Prelude 02:48
52. Book Two, C minor Fugue 02:12
53. Book Two, C sharp major Prelude 01:34
54. Book Two, C sharp major Fugue 01:43
55. Book Two, C sharp minor Prelude 03:35
56. Book Two, C sharp minor Fugue 02:20
57. Book Two, D major Prelude 05:17
58. Book Two, D major Fugue 02:50
59. Book Two, D minor Prelude 01:36
60. Book Two, D minor Fugue 01:34
61. Book Two, E flat major Prelude 02:34
62. Book Two, E flat major Fugue 02:13
63. Book Two, D sharp minor Prelude 04:05
64. Book Two, D sharp minor Fugue 03:37
65. Book Two, E major Prelude 05:04
66. Book Two, E major Fugue 03:02
67. Book Two, E minor Prelude 03:42
68. Book Two, E minor Fugue 02:48
69. Book Two, F major Prelude 02:54
70. Book Two, F major Fugue 01:51
71. Book Two, F minor Prelude 04:14
72. Book Two, F minor Fugue 01:49
73. Book Two, F sharp major Prelude 03:07
74. Book Two, F sharp major Fugue 02:39
75. Book Two, F sharp minor Prelude 02:59
76. Book Two, F sharp minor Fugue 05:00
77. Book Two, G major Prelude 02:29
78. Book Two, G major Fugue 01:21
79. Book Two, G minor Prelude 02:11
80. Book Two, G minor Fugue 03:28
81. Book Two, A flat major Prelude 03:34
82. Book Two, A flat major Fugue 03:17
83. Book Two, G sharp minor Prelude 04:10
84. Book Two, G sharp minor Fugue 03:23
85. Book Two, A major Prelude 01:39
86. Book Two, A major Fugue 01:13
87. Book Two, A minor Prelude 04:29
88. Book Two, A minor Fugue 01:40
89. Book Two, B flat major Prelude 07:14
90. Book Two, B flat major Fugue 02:17
91. Book Two, B flat minor Prelude 02:34
92. Book Two, B flat minor Fugue 04:53
93. Book Two, B major Prelude 01:57
94. Book Two, B major Fugue 03:23
95. Book Two, B minor Prelude 02:09
96. Book Two, B minor Fugue 01:58