Bach - Partita No.2 Cm

[mig]

This is a home recording I made a week or so ago. Comments are more than welcome, of course.

[mig]

Here are the Rondeau and Capriccio, which didn't fit because of the 4 attachment per post limit.

[didier_brest]

Very nice!

[randmc]

I like it so far......I haven't gotten through them all yet, but I'm listening to one as I type.

[mig]

Thanks for the kind replys, guys. Maybe I'll upload some more when I have time. I got an upcoming solo recital, so it would probably do good for me.

[iumonito]

This is headed in the right direction.  Keep at it.

Should you care for some suggestions:

Sinfonia: Are you familiar with the concept of double dotting in baroque music?  the 8th notes at the begining of the phrases in the grave can be much shorter, like a 32nd, same the 16th (play like 32nds).  You can do a real trill on the low a-flat  The following andante is faster and not as legato as my taste, but what you are doing is not incorrect.  Consider the syncopations written out rubato.  It will change your life.  The fuga should be the same tempo as the preceding andante, about the tempo you settle in in the second or third page.  I like to play this with lots of hemiola, but that may be an ideosincracy.

[iumonito]

For the rest, would you be interested in considering the concept of notes inegales?  You can dot lots of internal rhythms, specially in the allemande, courante and sarabande.

whenever you have intervals of a half-step, you should consider playing legato, specially in groups of two notes (lost of that in the rondeau).

And as for the repeats, IMO you are playing about half of this piece.  In particular, you are missing the big moment when at the end of the second half (in the tonic) you jump back to the dominant to repeat the second half.  It is a great moment.

Finally, I feel that you are a little stingy with the ornamentation.  More little baroque twirly things to mark the good parts.  I would say as a rule of thumb, whenever you think a note or interval should have an accent, you can play a short trill or a turn.

And by all mean, roll the last chord.  In general you are to roll baroque chords, but particularly here, where you have an unification necessity with the chord at the begining.

How old? How long with this piece? I must confess, when I was 13 I did not play this as clean as you do.

If this sounds like a mystery to you, at some point get yourself these two books, which are a good place where to start:  badura-Skoda's book on Bach interpretation and Konrad Wolff's principles of interpretation (or something like that, it has been a while).

[mig]

iumonito,

Thanks a lot for your remarks. It does sound a bit new to me, as I live in some kind of "cultural isolation", and my teacher is somewhat conservative regarding baroque music. As you may know, the Russian pianistic school, until recently, was almost fully based on Schweitzer for its Bach playing. I'll order the books you mentioned as soon as I can. As for the repeats, you're right, but I think it would be too much Bach in my recital (I'm also playing the B-flat minor Prelude and Fugue from WTC I). As for my age, I'm 17, and I started the partita about a bit less than a year and a half ago, played it on a recital a year ago, and left it to "rest", because I had a concert with the Ukranian National Symphony Orchestra in summer. And now I'm getting ready for my solo recital and a concert with the National Orchestra of my country, and they are just 3 weeks apart.

[iumonito]

Cool.  Great Ukranian pianists: Richter, Horowitz, right?

Stanislav Ioudenitch plays a very good Bach in terms of elements of Style.  Pogorelich (trained in Moscow) and Shtarkman as well.  I agree, though, with your descriptions.  I think of Gavrilov and Demidenko, and to certain extent Stanislav Bunin and totally see your Schweitzer connection.  I feel the major influence in your playing, though is Gould.  N'est pas?

If you can get them, the recordings of the English harpsichordist Trevor Pinnock are particularly enlightening and liberating.

Never enough Bach.

What concerto?

[mig]

I'll try to find those recordings you mention, if I can. I haven't heard Pogorelich with Bach, but I like his Scarlatti very much. As for Gould, you are probably right, although I've never really thought about it. And I think I should clear things up. I am Ukrainian, but I currently live in Costa Rica. When I went to Ukraine this summer, I kind of understood what can a cultural life of a city may be, as opposed to were I live. And when I said "the National Orchestra of my country", I meant the Costa Rican National Symphony Orchestra. As for the concerto, it's Rach 3.

[mig]

iumonito,

I searched for the books you mentioned. Didn't have trouble finding Badura-Skoda, but I do have trouble with Wolff. I find two books by him: "Schnabel’s Interpretation of Piano Music" and "Masters of the Keyboard". I think I'm missing something. Thanks

[iumonito]

Hey, que tal?

Yep.  I didn't recall that , but it is Masters of the Keyboard.  Here is the link to Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0253336902/qid=1127615967/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1_10/104-6698566-3742343?v=glance&s=books

What cadenza, the long or the short?  If you care for comments on the concerto, feel free to post even without the accompaniment.  I don't play it, but I love it.

A subtle connection between rachmaninov and bach.  Both great emotional writers, great melodists, harmonists and polyphonists.  Masters of the keyboard (here you go, konrad) but never for the sake of shallow display.

[mig]

Thanks,
De donde eres?
I'll be ordering the books as soon as I can.
About the cadenza, I play the short one, why?, when I was beginning to learn the concerto (4 years ago), I didn't give it much thought, and besides, I like the short one better.
About the Bach connection. When Van Cliburn came to Costa Rica, about a year ago,
in a private meeting between him, the Minister of Culture, and my teacher, Cliburn just jumped at the digital piano that was in the room, and started playing the theme form Rach 3, and said something like "This is no russian folklore, as people believe, it's Bach"
Just a thought.