《賦格的藝術》創作於巴哈生命最後的階段，當時巴哈即將失去視力，身體健康也日漸衰退，因此，這部作品直可視為巴哈的音樂遺書。《賦格的藝術》包括22首賦格與卡農，被認為是高級對位的教科書。創作的時候，巴哈只註明其中兩首的樂器是鍵盤樂器，其它都沒有寫明，由於音樂容易親近又有其歷史地位，到了20世紀，開始有音樂家以各種編制演出。除了古鋼琴，小型管弦樂團的版本是最常見的編制。法國鋼琴家艾馬爾的唱片數量不少，但是這張專輯卻是他首度錄製巴哈的作品。然而在艾馬爾的音樂生涯裡，探索巴哈一直是他最重要的目標，特別是這一部《賦格的藝術》，因此對於艾爾馬而言，在DG錄製這一張專輯就像長久以來的夢想實現了一樣。艾馬爾認為，《賦格的藝術》多年來一直被塑造成一部高度抽象，幾乎只有少數專家才有資格詮釋，其他人碰觸不得的作品。「事實上，這部傑作中的傑作充滿著難以置信的活力，這一點讓它十分利於演奏，每個部分都自成一個有自己創造能力、風格與秩序的小宇宙」。
曲目:
1. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 1
2. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 2
3. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 3
4. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 4
5. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 5
6. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 6. a 4 in Stylo Francese
7. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 7. a 4 per Augmentationem et Diminutionem
8. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 8. a 3
9. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 9. a 4 alla Duodecima
10. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 10. a 4 alla Decima
11. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus 11. a 4
12. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus inversus 12.1 a 4
13. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus inversus 12.2 a 4
14. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus inversus 13.1 a 3
15. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - Contrapunctus inversus 13.2 a 3
16. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - 14. Canon alla Ottava
17. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - 15. Canon alla Decima in Contrapunto alla Terza
18. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - 16. Canon alla Duodecima in Contrapunto alla Quinta
19. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - 17. Canon per augmentationem in Contrario Motu
20. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 - later version of the original print edited by Christoph Wolff - 18. Fuga a 3 Soggetti (Contrapunctus 14)