Massive trouble keeping an even tempo in BWV 546 Fugue

[lelle]

Does anybody have any advice on how to keep the tempo steady throughout the Fugue of this piece? It should be quite simple with moderately tempo-ed staccato quarters and eight notes, but I just can't do it.

I started practising without a metronome, and when I tested playing with it I noticed massive inconsistencies in tempo.

I can play along to a recording with the correct rhythm throughout, and with metronome I can also do it nowadays, though I notice that I try to pull ahead at certain passages. If i put the metronome on silent mode so I don't hear any clicks but only got the "pendulum"s movement to follow I find it impossible to keep an even rhythm.

The problem is that the passages "feel" like they are too fast or to slow when I play them in tempo, so that when I follow the metronome it either feels like I'm playing too fast or holding back in some parts.

What should I do to play this rhythmically actually quite simple piece without these problems? I mean I can't sit with a clicking metronome when I perform, can I? I've been trying to correct this for a few weeks now.

[quantum]

Depends how far off the pulse you are going.  In certain amounts it can assist with breath and phrasing.  Try to practice the piece in your head with the expression and tempo you like (no finger movements) - this will eliminate any technical issues so you can concentrate on interpretation.  Make note of where it sounds different to when you are actually playing at the keyboard.  There may be technical issues you need to sort out in these places.

If it still feels awkward in your head perhaps you need to rethink your interpretation.  You may still have some undecided sections of the piece which cause you to waiver from the pulse.  

You can also try recording yourself.  Listen to how recording sounds played back compared to how it sounds when playing. 

Are you playing this on organ?

[lelle]

Currently I have postponed any deeper attempts of interpreting the piece until I get it metronomically correct. I play Liszt's piano transcription at (Quarter note) = 130-140

The funny thing is that I play it more even in the more demanding passages like the climax towards the end of the fugue. I have attached an image of the first page with passages where I speed up marked in red, and as you can see the first part is really easy, but I still am ahead about one beat at the end of the marking.

I do try to record myself and it has helped with the most obvious parts. Tempo has always been my weakest point so even when listening to myself getting ahead or behind by about one beat I don't really hear it. However as soon as I turn on a metronome I notice everything instantly.

Without the metronome my errors "feel" right to me like they follow the pulse when they in reality are speeding up or slowing down.