The Perilously Tempered Trombone
24 preludes and fugues in every major and minor key selected from Volumes 1 and 2 of J.S. Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier
Mike Hall alto, tenor, bass trombone

Preludes arranged by Mike Hall
Fugues arranged by Ralph Sauer (Cherry Classics Music)

J.S. Bach declared that this music was …composed for the profit and use of musical youth desirous of learning, and especially for the pastime of those already skilled in this study. And indeed, while these preludes and fugues are clearly constructed with keyboard in mind, their compositional integrity make them ideal candidates for other instruments to play in creative arrangements. After I recorded Ralph Sauer’s arrangement of Art of Fugue he asked me to consider recording his arrangements of the Well Tempered Klavier fugues. I was already involved in the J.S. Bach School for Trombone project and this recording grew naturally from that. After recording several of the fugues it became clear that the preludes were needed to complete this project. So after the fugue recordings were done I set about arranging and recording the preludes. This work has been greatly rewarding. I hope you take as much inspiration from them as I have. Mike Hall

Equipment:

  • Conn 36h alto trombone with B-flat attachment, Greg Black custom mouthpiece similar internally to Bach 18
  • Bach 36 tenor trombone with detachable F attachment, Schilke 50 stock mouthpiece and David Houser custom mouthpiece, similar internally to Mt. Vernon Bach 5GS
  • Conn 62 bass trombone with independent F/G-flat Lindberg valves, CKB 1 1/2G stock mouthpiece and Schilke 60 customized for Bruce Nelson
  • AKG C214 microphone into Audient iD14 interface into ProTools 11 running on Windows 7/10 platforms

Special thanks to Steve Latham, Kaushik Sethunath
Cover photo John Toomey

MIKE HALL teaches trombone/euphonium and brass chamber music at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, USA, serves as Literature Reviews Editor for the International Trombone Association Journal and also teaches in the Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts. He previously served on the faculties of the University of Kansas and Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Hall has performed extensively throughout North and South America, Europe and China performing a range of styles and literature with symphony orchestras, wind and chamber ensembles and as featured soloist. He also has an extensive background in commercial music backing entertainers, playing in large and small group jazz settings, and performing in theater and studio recording ensembles. His study of Baroque performance practice as applied to modern trombone has led to six solo recordings: Arcangelo Corelli Solo Chamber Sonatas, Opus 5 – J.S. Bach: The Gamba Sonatas – Benedetto Marcello Solo Sonatas, Opus 1 – J.S. Bach: Art of Fugue – J.S. Bach School for Trombone and Johann Ernst Galliard: Six Sonatas. Music for a New Millinium, new sonatas for trombone and piano, was released in 2015. Mike Hall is a C.G. Conn and Selmer Bach performing artist.

  1. Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 846: I. Prelude No. 1
  2. Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 846: II. Fugue No. 1
  3. Prelude and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 847: I. Prelude No. 2
  4. Prelude and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 847: II. Fugue No. 2
  5. Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major, BWV 872: I. Prelude No. 3
  6. Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major, BWV 872: II. Fugue No. 3
  7. Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Minor, BWV 873: I. Prelude No. 4
  8. Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Minor, BWV 873: II. Fugue No. 4
  9. Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 850: I. Prelude No. 5
  10. Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 850: II. Fugue No. 5
  11. Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 875: I. Prelude No. 6
  12. Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 875: II. Fugue No. 6
  13. Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Major, BWV 876: I. Prelude No. 7
  14. Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Major, BWV 876: II. Fugue No. 7
  15. Prelude and Fugue in D-sharp Minor, BWV 877: I. Prelude No. 8
  16. Prelude and Fugue in D-sharp Minor, BWV 877: II. Fugue No. 8
  17. Prelude and Fugue in E Major, BWV 878: I. Prelude No. 9
  18. Prelude and Fugue in E Major, BWV 878: II. Fugue No. 9
  19. Prelude and Fugue in E Minor, BWV 879: I. Prelude No. 10
  20. Prelude and Fugue in E Minor, BWV 879: II. Fugue No. 10
  21. Prelude and Fugue in F Major, BWV 856: I. Prelude No. 11
  22. Prelude and Fugue in F Major, BWV 856: II. Fugue No. 11
  23. Prelude and Fugue in F Minor, BWV 881: I. Prelude No. 12
  24. Prelude and Fugue in F Minor, BWV 881: II. Fugue No. 12
  25. Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp Major, BWV 858: I. Prelude No. 13
  26. Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp Major, BWV 858: II. Fugue No. 13
  27. Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp Minor, BWV 859: I. Prelude No. 14
  28. Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp Minor, BWV 859: II. Fugue No. 14
  29. Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 884: I. Prelude No. 15
  30. Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 884: II. Fugue No. 15
  31. Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 861: I. Prelude No. 16
  32. Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 861: II. Fugue No. 16
  33. Prelude and Fugue in A-flat Major, BWV 862: I. Prelude No. 17
  34. Prelude and Fugue in A-flat Major, BWV 862: II. Fugue No. 17
  35. Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, BWV 863: I. Prelude No. 18
  36. Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, BWV 863: II. Fugue No. 18
  37. Prelude and Fugue in A Major, BWV 864: I. Prelude No. 19
  38. Prelude and Fugue in A Major, BWV 864: II. Fugue No. 19
  39. Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 865: I. Prelude No. 20
  40. Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 865: II. Fugue No. 20
  41. Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Major, BWV 890: I. Prelude No. 21
  42. Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Major, BWV 890: II. Fugue No. 21
  43. Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Minor, BWV 891: I. Prelude No. 22
  44. Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Minor, BWV 891: II. Fugue No. 22
  45. Prelude and Fugue in B Major, BWV 868: I. Prelude No. 23
  46. Prelude and Fugue in B Major, BWV 868: II. Fugue No. 23
  47. Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 893: I. Prelude No. 24
  48. Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 893: II. Fugue No. 24