New video Bach Fugue nr 9 in E Major BWV 854 from WTC I

carmelo.paolucci wrote:

Dear Friend,

That's the first Fugue of the year for me, the crisp air of the holidays is not forgotten, and this is one of those fugue that give you a strong boost.. Another small step this new year towards my goal of trying to record all of Bach's WTC 1 with Pianoteq.

In the fugue (a 3) one feels something of the joy of a wandering life which indeed well befits the spring-mood of the key. The energetic run of the short theme (alto), is not peaceful enjoyment, but resolution, active energy.
The semiquaver movement of the second motive continues without interruption until the close of the whole fugue, and first, as countersubject (counterpoint to the Comes), then, as filling up until the entry of the third voice (bass); with 6th measure taken as 7th. Here the sixth parallels appear to show us two wanderers arm in arm. The syncopated motive, which is here taken up by the alto part, is likewise turned to account further on, and first in the immediate continuation. This elevated mood becomes more intense still in the next episode (over the moving bass busy with the motive a of the countersubject).
The hearts of the wanderers expand, and in jubilant tones sounds again the theme in the soprano (the Dux in a higher position). I leave to the imagination, once aroused, to complete the picture, and only point, besides, to the episode after the second development, in which the bass moves along somewhat painfully, and the alto sighs from weariness, while the soprano advances with merry hum.
The concluding section (entirely in the principal key) has, first of all, a complete development (bass: Dux, soprano: Comes, alto: Dux), and after a free imitation of the great episode of the middle part in the principal key, still an incomplete one (soprano: Dux, alto — after an episode of four measures — Comes). What simplicity in the disposition and development as compared with the gigantic fugue in Eb-minor!

My actual setting is:

Played on Yamaha P125 piano stage                                          Video Recording Samsung Galaxy A54.
VST: Hamburg Steinway D Pianoteq Stage 8.4.0

https://youtu.be/D70oCIbxmbk

In short this time,
You are a good  pianist and you have your own special technique, ”Carmelo technique”, and your exquisite performance is very clear - every time! Thank you Carmelo.
And,
nice to see your growing project post  Thank you!

Best wishes,

Stig

carmelo.paolucci wrote:

[...] The hearts of the wanderers expand, and in jubilant tones sounds again the theme in the soprano (the Dux in a higher position). I leave to the imagination, once aroused, to complete the picture, and only point, besides, to the episode after the second development, in which the bass moves along somewhat painfully, and the alto sighs from weariness, while the soprano advances with merry hum. [...]

I see that your preface to the performance is lifted directly from Hugo Riemann' book, Analysis of JS Bach's Wholtemperirtesclavier. Available here if anyone wants to read it for themselves: https://archive.org/details/analysisofj...2/mode/2up

Riemann's colourful descriptive narrative on this particular work is full of artistic licence shall we say? I'm not sure Bach, a devout religious man would appreciate his work being described thus? It may well have tickled Victorian audiences to imagine such descriptions but not to my taste. Modern interpretations are more inclined to seek the beauty of the work's construction, it's mathematical purity and harmonic richness. When played on period instruments the work stands out as great on it own merits without titillating narrative.

Perhaps what the interpreter may be thinking whilst performing is not something we need to share. I don't think I'll look at another piece of Bach in the old familiar way I used to - LOL!

Well done on continuing your monumental (or should I say climatic?) adventure

DEZ