Bach: Fugue in a minor BWV 543

[lelle]

Here is me playing this fugue, honest feedback is greatly appreciated, both on what is good and what is bad. Thank you

[go12_3]

Did I find anything wrong with it?  No,  not really; I don't know this piece by Bach, but it is a beautiful fugue.  You played with good consistent tempo throughout the piece. 
Keep up the good work!   

best wishes,

go12_3

[goldentone]

Wow, lelle.  You are a formidable pianist.  This is one of the most pleasurable musical experiences I have ever had.  Most impressive!

[ramseytheii]

Eh, sounds much better on the organ!

I recommend you listen to an organist playing it, and come up with some more variety of articulation. 

Walter Ramsey

[lelle]

Wow, lelle. Smiley  You are a formidable pianist.  This is one of the most pleasurable musical experiences I have ever had.  Most impressive!

Woah thanks man 

Eh, sounds much better on the organ!

I recommend you listen to an organist playing it, and come up with some more variety of articulation.

Walter Ramsey

I'm not an expert on musical terms in english, exactly what do you mean by articulation? Like I should play some parts staccato instead of legato? Any specific parts you had in mind? Or more contrast between piano/forte (this however I can blame on my sucky USB microphone, recording myself playing Scriabin op 8 no 12 didn't capture the uber-forte of the climax at all)?

I don't like this piece that much on organ, it becomes a little too much of an impenetrable wall of sound in comparison to the piano where the dynamics are varied, you can follow the different voices, etc

Thanks for te replies guys!

[perfect_pitch]

I think all of the subject entries were very clear and pronounced, just make sure that while the subject is still going with the other 2 (or is it other 3 voices) going on, that the melody continues to reign a little over the non-melodic 'filler' until the end of the subject...

But I liked it very much. Well done!

[ramseytheii]

Woah thanks man 
I'm not an expert on musical terms in english, exactly what do you mean by articulation? Like I should play some parts staccato instead of legato? Any specific parts you had in mind? Or more contrast between piano/forte (this however I can blame on my sucky USB microphone, recording myself playing Scriabin op 8 no 12 didn't capture the uber-forte of the climax at all)?

I don't like this piece that much on organ, it becomes a little too much of an impenetrable wall of sound in comparison to the piano where the dynamics are varied, you can follow the different voices, etc

Thanks for te replies guys!

You must not have heard a good organist.  When true organists play this fugue it is a real experience.. the voices are all clear, and distinctly articulated.  I recommend the recording of Paul Jacobs (not the late pianist, but the living organist).

I mean that there should be more articulation.  It's all legato, there should be much more variety.  In piano, we can use that to imitate registration changes in the organ.  There should be not just a contrast of forte and piano, but also different weights applied (this also serves to imitate organ registration).

But in the end, no matter how much specialized technique we apply, it will never sound as it does on the organ.  I recommend you learn that instrument!

Walter Ramsey

[oxy60]

Very well played! In reference to your complaint about your microphone, keep your money for a new one in your pocket. You might be able to make the one you have sound better.

Try different volume levels of playing and different volume settings for the recording. You don't need to saturate to the point of clipping (where the lines go off the graph). Leave some space. You can fill that up with your software when you increase the dynamic range. Working digitally is different than analog.

And when you do get a better (set of) microphone(s) you will need some sort of mixer.

Keep up the good playing!

[kentokhromatic]

I enjoyed your playing very much. I think with Bach fugues, there is always the conflict between trying to reach clear articulations and expression of subject entry as well as independence versus the more overall dynamic shape. To some extent, I think it is impossible to cover everything, and because of this there will be disagreement on how to interpret Bach the best. I liked your playing of it.

I like this performance of this piece:

[storyseller]

Very demanding fugue! You pull it of and moreover you let it's beauty shine clearly. Nice job.

I would like to hear more of the subject as in every fugue, especialy when the left hand takes over. Sometimes you bring out the soprano bearing ornamental figures over the voice that leads the subject or the counter-subject.

And I would propose you should aim for the structure of the fugue, a broader scope maybe. This unlike the WTC fugues is really long and more complex in some ways so I would like to hear a ritenuto when there is a cadenz so that I can focus my attention on the entrance that is about to happen. And the episodes conecting the material maybe more pp or more like a climax, something directing us to the theme rather that something that should come out per se...

Then again.... this is just my view... Overall I liked it very much.

 

[lelle]

woah, lots of useful feedback here, thanks guys!  And I am happy that I'm getting compliments even!

I like this performance of this piece:

Never heard that performance before, I liked it a lot. But it was Roland Pöntinen's playing that inspired me to learn this fugue myself