Italian Concerto

[nanabush]

I'm currently learning Bach's Italian Concerto, and have searched a bit about this piece on the forum, and havn't found much.  I was wondering how it compares in [overall] difficulty to the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, which I want to learn after.  I'm also wondering why it's not included on the abrsm syllabus.  Surely it's more difficult than many of the P/F's... just wondering why they wouldn't include this on the syllabus.

[contrapunctus]

The Italian Concerto is much easier than the Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue, and it is much easier than anything in the Well-Tempered Clavier, IMO.

Also, I think you should learn the French Overture instead of the Chomatic Fantasie and Fugues, as you know they are paired together in the Klavierubung.

Gould recorded the Concerto twice, but his earlier one ia much better, IMO.

[Kassaa]

The Italian Concerto is much easier than the Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue, and it is much easier than anything in the Well-Tempered Clavier, IMO.

I recently performed it, two times, and I can tell you the second movement is atleast for me more difficult to memorize than any of Bach's fugues, and that the technical demands of the third movement are also way higher than any prelude/fugue.

[bananafish]

I'm currently learning it as well. I've only started it about a month ago, but I think it's harder than WTC, because just to grasp the touch takes days (for me, at least). Another thing is that the fingerings for the first movement are something to get used to.

afterall, I believe it's harder than the P&F from WTC, but easier than the chromatic fantasy. Quite an incredible piece I must say, and I love Glenn Gould's interpretation of it.

[thaicheow]

I have been learning this piece for a few years, and still learning it, even though I come back and forth for it.

I struggle a lot on the third movement, and find that the 2nd movement is difficult as well. In the sense that the 2nd movement needs more attention on the pedalling (if you use any of them), articulation, dynamics control, and most killing one, phrasing. Just never feel that i can get it right.

Dont know when can I finish it and actually perform it. Just never find sastifaction in my own playing. 

I dun quite like Glenn Gould's Italian Concerto, neither I find Rosalyn Tureck's engaging (too heavy handed). Though both are consider the superior in interpreting bach, and I love them too. I have listened to Alicia de Larrocha's on the 20th century legendary pianists collection, and since then I feel that hers is the answer to this piece. I still havent found any other playing as engaging as hers, neither Perahia, nor Angela Hewitt.

Btw, talk about bach, his work has never been easy. 

[nanabush]

Is the fingering in the third movement more fluent than the first?  I havn't even looked at the third movement yet.  Some parts of the first movement, I had to keep replaying so many times just to get the notes down, then there was ties, stacattos everywhere, and dynamics.  I'm just finishing off the first movement now, and dabbling in the second.  I can tell why it would be hard to memorize the second movement.  The notes fall easy under the hand, but getting the feel right without having to look up at the notes every second is gonna be a b*tch.

[donjuan]

italian concerto is viciously diffcult to me.  I would do the chromatic first.