New video Bach @ home. Fugue n 12 in F minor BWV 857 WTC 1

Dear Friends,

In the wet and cold Italian winter today I continue with my little marathon to discover Bach's WTC 1. Hoping you will enjoy these videos and the not so brief explanations of the various pieces. I wish you happy listening.

The fugue (à 4), in deep musing, stands not a whit behind the prelude; by its theme the measured movement of uniform crotchets becomes also here a characteristic feature.
Although already the countersubject introduces semiquaver movement, and although the crotchets are slow enough to represent beats, still the Allabreve character of the fugue cannot be ignored. The minims are certainly so slow as to produce the character of measured movement, which, by the constantly recurring runs of the counter-subject (typical of the whole figuration of the long piece).
Thus it is impossible to lose sight of the already emphasized Allabreve-character of the theme and to bring out the same in performance, without allowing the small details of a highly expressive figuration to obscure it (herein the fugue differs essentially from the prelude, which has not also this Allabreve-character).
The answer of the theme is quite analogous to that of the F-major fugue, here, as there, the theme commences with the fifth of the scale (but in the harmony of the tonic) and ends on the fundamental note; the Comes has therefore to modulate from the harmony of the tonic to the key of the dominant i. e. the answer does not commence with g, but with f, so that the first melodic step is extended. The chromatic nature of the theme is faithfully preserved in the answer; it implies harmonic depths, which materially aid in bringing out the pensive character
of this fugue.
The first development includes the 4 voice entries in the order, tenor — alto, — bass — soprano: of these the first three (Dux — Comes — Dux) are immediately connected one with the other.
The second development, likewise in the principal key, is of looser construction, and contains only two theme entries.
Concluding section (re-establishment of the principal key). The chief features of the latter are the appearance of the theme which now follows in the key of the dominant {C-minor), or better still of the Comes without the distinction only necessary for the first development.
Thus the tripartite division is here easily recognized and the modulatory means are altogether of a simple character-, so that, throughout, the principal key of F-minor form the point of stress.

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/kb0qz_96FX8

Pianoteqenthusiast wrote:

carmelo.paolucci wrote:

Dear Friends,

In the wet and cold Italian winter today I continue with my little marathon to discover Bach's WTC 1. Hoping you will enjoy these videos and the not so brief explanations of the various pieces. I wish you happy listening.

The fugue (à 4), in deep musing, stands not a whit behind the prelude; by its theme the measured movement of uniform crotchets becomes also here a characteristic feature.
Although already the countersubject introduces semiquaver movement, and although the crotchets are slow enough to represent beats, still the Allabreve character of the fugue cannot be ignored. The minims are certainly so slow as to produce the character of measured movement, which, by the constantly recurring runs of the counter-subject (typical of the whole figuration of the long piece).
Thus it is impossible to lose sight of the already emphasized Allabreve-character of the theme and to bring out the same in performance, without allowing the small details of a highly expressive figuration to obscure it (herein the fugue differs essentially from the prelude, which has not also this Allabreve-character).
The answer of the theme is quite analogous to that of the F-major fugue, here, as there, the theme commences with the fifth of the scale (but in the harmony of the tonic) and ends on the fundamental note; the Comes has therefore to modulate from the harmony of the tonic to the key of the dominant i. e. the answer does not commence with g, but with f, so that the first melodic step is extended. The chromatic nature of the theme is faithfully preserved in the answer; it implies harmonic depths, which materially aid in bringing out the pensive character
of this fugue.
The first development includes the 4 voice entries in the order, tenor — alto, — bass — soprano: of these the first three (Dux — Comes — Dux) are immediately connected one with the other.
The second development, likewise in the principal key, is of looser construction, and contains only two theme entries.
Concluding section (re-establishment of the principal key). The chief features of the latter are the appearance of the theme which now follows in the key of the dominant {C-minor), or better still of the Comes without the distinction only necessary for the first development.
Thus the tripartite division is here easily recognized and the modulatory means are altogether of a simple character-, so that, throughout, the principal key of F-minor form the point of stress.

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/kb0qz_96FX8

Actually, a majestic fugue, well performed. It seems to me that this is a technically more difficul fugue ….or ?
Anyway, I think that you are now my favorite interpreter of Bach on the piano!  (and budo on jazz).
Compared with other modern pianists I like your kind of traditional approach to playing these pieces. People play Bach in so many ways. And, I have said before, it's always a pleasure to hear you play the ”carmelo-way” . Your own style. Lovely actually.

Dear friend carmelo, I think you have found your place in the sun, being yourself playing Bach. I mean, a very good desirable position.

Keep up the wonderful work you are doing. Now you already have more behind you and less left.

Best wishes,

Stig

You're right Stig! This was a particularly challenging fugue: it's really difficult to balance the voices and still maintain a certain unity of the piece. I was concentrated until the end almost without breathing because it is very easy to take wrong notes. I was only able to breathe again after the last chord. What a struggle! But god how beautiful!!!!
I'm really happy you've enjoyed it, and all the Bach piece that I played up to now. I realize I play a lot of Bach and I'm almost becoming a specialist... Even if I also adore other composers... who knows, maybe I'll start playing a bit of Handel too... I really like what you played on the organ:The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba...
Greetings from Italy
Carmelo

carmelo.paolucci wrote:

Pianoteqenthusiast wrote:

Actually, a majestic fugue, well performed. It seems to me that this is a technically more difficul fugue ….or ?
Anyway, I think that you are now my favorite interpreter of Bach on the piano!  (and budo on jazz).
Compared with other modern pianists I like your kind of traditional approach to playing these pieces. People play Bach in so many ways. And, I have said before, it's always a pleasure to hear you play the ”carmelo-way” . Your own style. Lovely actually.

Dear friend carmelo, I think you have found your place in the sun, being yourself playing Bach. I mean, a very good desirable position.

Keep up the wonderful work you are doing. Now you already have more behind you and less left.

Best wishes,

Stig

You're right Stig! This was a particularly challenging fugue: it's really difficult to balance the voices and still maintain a certain unity of the piece. I was concentrated until the end almost without breathing because it is very easy to take wrong notes. I was only able to breathe again after the last chord. What a struggle! But god how beautiful!!!!
I'm really happy you've enjoyed it, and all the Bach piece that I played up to now. I realize I play a lot of Bach and I'm almost becoming a specialist... Even if I also adore other composers... who knows, maybe I'll start playing a bit of Handel too... I really like what you played on the organ:The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba...
Greetings from Italy
Carmelo

"who knows, maybe I'll start playing a bit of Handel too..."

carmelo, if interested I have many pieces Händel on my yt. For example, listen to "Organteq The Harmonious Blacksmith" and "A nice piece by Händel" (it is The cuckoo and the nightingale)  They are played with Organteq 1 at that time.

Best wishes,

Stig