Composed c.1715-22, with later rev.; 10 minutes

Nicholas Kitchen writes: 

I was inspired by the string transcriptions by Mozart and Beethoven of works from the Well-Tempered Clavier.  Beethoven created a cello quintet version of BWV 867 and Mozart’s transcriptions resulted in K. 404 and 405.  I have arranged both books of the Well-Tempered Clavier for string quartet, bringing the richness of the quartet’s expressive sound to the Preludes with their enormous range of moods and taking advantage of the string quartet’s capacity for creating lively musical conversation to allow the complex counterpoint of the fugues to be heard with a special vitality.  I have also created string quartet versions of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and numerous organ works.

 Autograph manuscript of title page of Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier