Bach - Partita No. 1 in B flat (Work in Progress)

[perfect_pitch]

Let me first just say that Baroque is not my specialty, so this may seem a little dull but I need advice on how I'm going in terms of capturing the Baroque style and the conviction of each of the movements...

If you have any decent advice - then let me know because I sure could use some.

Just don't judge the piano too harshly - I KNOW it's a piece of sh*t, but it was all I had today - plus I'm recovering from a finger injury I've had in the last few days - nothing serious, but it stopped me practicing for a couple of days.

Any advice you have - please share with me.

[perfect_pitch]

Movements 5 & 6

[birba]

Very very good. I really like your Bach.  Modern, yet stylistically impeccable.
I would play the prelude a little faster, though.

[pianisten1989]

Thx for the upload I've also played this partita, and it's actually way more difficult than it sounds, like all Bach. In general, don't be afraid to play it with rubato. Some ppl have this idea that you should play Bach like a metronome, but that's just weird.. Uhm.. and play all voices separate, it helps more than one thinks. And it sounds silly, and don't do this where ppl can see you, but try to sing the movements, and dance to them.

Prelude: Be careful you don't mark every beat with an accent, it takes away all the swing/dance. Though, don't be afraid to add some accents on syncopated notes, it makes it swing a bit more. And I'd play it quite much faster, but that's maybe cause it's a new piece for you.

Allemande: I liked this pretty much, and not much I could say, without meeting you in real life, and show you what I mean... The same here, though, add some accents. Like in bar 7, I'd do a small accent on the highest note in the left hand. Have you ever listened to a violinist playing Bach? It's pretty cool. Even though it's a one voice instrument, Bach writes it as if there were more. The same here. That part can be made in 4 voices: right hand the first 2 beats, right hand the 2 following beats. And the same in the left hand. Try to make them sound like 4 instruments.
And the beautiful part starting in bar 12, don't forget the left hand, especially not the high notes, Especially not in bar 14 and 16.

Corrente: More accents! Be rather rough! It's not a shy, but very outgoing movement. I'd see the first movements as one big movement in a concerto, so I wouldn't end it too quiet.

Sarabande: Try to play it more like an improvisation. And listen to the left hand. Bach puts almost all low base notes on the 2nd beat, do don't hide them.. And I wouldn't play the repeat like that. It's almost a different tempo, but that's just taste.. I guess...

Menuets: I can't put words on what I'd change, so I wont. Though, if you do the Da capo, you could play the last chord in menuet 2 like bar 16, in menuet 1. Then you don't have to stop, and it sounds better, I think.

Gigue: I would play the bas notes with a slur, but I know many ppl would, so I wont complain about that. You could make a broader dynamic range.

Well done

[perfect_pitch]

Thanks pianisten - definately things to keep in the back of my head.

I'll have another look at the Bach over the week... Today I'm hoping to record the 3rd Movement of Petrushka... Here's hoping.

Whats everyones impression on my tempo choices for the Partita (except for Prelude - I know that's to be a little faster)

[pianisten1989]

Except for the sarabande, I didn't really think of the tempo... So I probably didn't mind