Bach BWV 846 (Fugue in C major) comment please!

[lelle]

Hello there!
My name is Leo, and I am 15 years old.
I looooove playing Bach, his WTC fugues are really fun to play. It's so fun that I sometimes can sit down with a fugue that I am not really practising, and play it badly, but still love it. They are so amazing to just sit and watch, and when YOU are behind the keys and play, it is wonderful no matter how godawfully bad you actually play (for me it feels like that at least).
However I have picked a number of fugues that I am gonna really work on until I play them well. It is the C major, C minor, C# minor, d minor (maybe D major also, havent decided), maybe Eb major, F# major, g minor, G# minor, maybe a minor though it is almost too difficult, and maybe also the h minor Fugue. (I would love to play Bb major also, but it feels too difficult. Same applies to C# major).

I would be happy if someone could watch my performance (though the sound isnt very good) and tell me what I need to work the most on, and also what is good since only negative feedback wont do any good except putting me off from playing the piece.

Since I did the recording 4 hours ago I have already spotted thousands of unforgivable errors but I want to hear your opinion also. Despite the most apparent one, hitting the wrong key at a place, I sometimes feel that I am not bringing out some voices as much as I should and want sometimes. The tempo is also waving around a bit, since I am pretty tired of playing the piece today (I played it 15 times and recorded it but there always was some error, this one has the least errors except the waving tempo WHY CANT I EVER RECORD SOMETHING WITHOUT ERRORS???++ sigh). There is also some lol background noises from my family at the end... well well...

I am playing from the notes since I don't know the piece by heart yet.

Well here is a link to the C major fugue played by me at youtube anyway:

I repeat:

I would be happy if someone could watch my performance (though the sound isnt very good) and tell me what I need to work the most on, and also what is good since only negative feedback wont do any good except putting me off from playing the piece

Comments plix

[teresa_b]

Hi Leo,

I think you have a very nice start!  You play realy well to be able to manage 4-part fugues at your age.  You obviously love Bach--that's going to take you far. 

I thought your articulation was clear.  The tempo sounded OK, although I might step it up a tiny bit when you feel even more secure with the notes. 

If you would like suggestions, mine would be to think about where the music is going, and what you want to say.  Bach can get mechanical if you don't focus on dynamics and flow (very hard with all those voices to bring out!).  Look at the voices--think "Where is this stepwise theme going?"  It should be not dah,dah,dah,daaah, but dah, dah, dah, daaah...with slight crescendo.  Think about the phrases in the different voices, play them separately, and try putting them together while listening very closely. 

You play it very well--now you just need to really listen and put more variation in dynamics and flow into it.  It will be fabulous!
Great work!
Teresa

(By the way, I think this would be better in the Audition Room?)

[quasimodo]

awesome!
The only negative criticism I have is about the tuning of your piano, please do something about that.
Oh! maybe somewhat less pedal. Dry it more frequently. Fine playing, really.

[pianistimo]

i thought you brought out the voicing really well!  maybe too much now.  time to pull back and not be so obvious.  only in the first two or three notes and then 'blend.'  you take it to five.  do you think this is good or bad advice.  it's just what i 'feel.'  maybe your teacher has other ideas.  most of the time students err the other way and can't figure out the voicing.  but once it is figured out - it's almost as if you want to create a 'unison' of all the voices and remember their different qualities.  just like sopranos have one quality and tenors another.  you could almost (very slightly) give them different qualities by making some slightly slower and louder/softer - maybe each successive voice slightly faster?  or slower.  just experiment. when you get to the middle - more of a blending of all the voices - and then as you 'retreat' you can work backwards to slowing down gradually?

i like everyone else's comments, too.  i think you are doing GREAT for 15 years of age.  and your motivation is high because many students only work preludes.

[lina rose]

hi Leo, i thought your performance was really good and it's great that you love Bach, his fugues are indeed fun! 

[sarrasani]

Good. Sincerely, not a great video by a technical point of view: audio quality, piano tuning, noises.  But you manage well the piece, that is the most important
thing. Clear articulation, no problems with the 4 voices, good sound and fluent playing. The tempo is not slow for my tastes (I play it very faster, but this has no importance). Continue so, good work! All the best,
Sandro

[lelle]

Oh nice, seems like I am going in the right direction after all Maybe I dare show the fugue to my teacher now at this stage? Or should I practise some more first?

Thanks for the replies 

[quasimodo]

Oh nice, seems like I am going in the right direction after all Maybe I dare show the fugue to my teacher now at this stage? Or should I practise some more first?

Thanks for the replies 

definitely show it to your teacher, s/he'll be very proud of you, I believe.

[giannalinda]

Hi my name is Gianna, and I listened to your recording. It sounded good, but I (personally) think that you need to make the louds louder and the softs softer.  I also think that you should speed up a little in some places and slow down in others. That is the way that I like to play it, and I think it sounds good this way..... But...... of course.....don't do it just because I suggested it! It sounds good though. Hope my advice helps.

P.S. Wannah know something!? I am Bruce Springsteen's cousin! isn't that cool!