Chromatic Vertigo Bach @ home. Fugue n 10 in E Minor BWV 855 WTC 1

Dear Friends,
Here's another step towards my dream of recording all of WTC 1 with pianoteq. Wonderful journey full of obstacles but little by little it progresses.
The Fugue — the only one of the Well-tempered Clavier in 2 voices — is of somewhat mournful mood, and yet there are no painful convulsions: it is rather of a contemplative character, like the beholding of nature clad in its autumn garb, when even the falling leaf and the barebecoming branches afford esthetic enjoyment. The relationship of the theme to the E- major Prelude may not be a chance one; anyhow it is instructive to note the
same, and, for the grasping of the meaning, important.
The theme consists, apparently of three measures, but in reality has four, since by an unexpected harmonic turn the second measure becomes third.
The chief sections are:
1. Exposition: a 8-measure periods; first Dux {E-minor—B-minor) in the soprano, and then Comes {B-minor— F#-major) in the bass; the episode which follows concludes in G.
2. Modulation section a) Dux (G—D) in the soprano; Comes (D—A) in the bass; an episode modulates through C-major to A minor (with a remarkable unisono of both voices);
3) Dux {A -minor— E- minor) in the bass, Comes
{E-minor—B) in the soprano; an episode modulates to
D-minor\
c) Dux {D-minor — A-minor) in the bass, Comes (A-minor — E) in the soprano; another episode {e7—0e =c6 — d7 — g+— b7 [unisono) finally leads to
4. The concluding section in the principal key, which
only consists of 4 measures: dux in the soprano, and then,
once more Dux, commenced in the bass, but completed
in the soprano.

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/TGOZiLaA3hI

carmelo.paolucci wrote:

The Fugue — the only one of the Well-tempered Clavier in 2 voices — is of somewhat mournful mood [...] like the beholding of nature clad in its autumn garb, when even the falling leaf and the bare-becoming branches afford esthetic enjoyment.

Well executed with confidence and speed!

I know my following comment doesn't really matter, but I always play this much slower and allow the descending chromaticism to convey the melancholy of the piece and ease out the full flavour that E-minor, as a key, suggests. On a piano it's easy to allow the descending notes to ring out like bells, but on a harpsichord one has to hold them for slightly longer duration to give them the demarcation they deserve. This then repeated each time the DUX (first theme) is repeated helps to give the piece structure and lead the listener to the dazzling finale where the DUX is repeated almost triumphantly. The COMES (second theme) is there to support and lend contrast. You can't fully bring these out if you rush through the piece at a great gallop - well I can't anyway.

Once again, a fine display of technical prowess and an other mile stone in your journey - keep it up!

DEZ