Prel BWV866 as another little preview of my new midiedition WTK I

[Steffen Fahl]

This one is scarcly edited at all it is nearly pure real and harsh played mididata but recorded nevertheless with samples again.  (No there was no blood on the keyboard afer playing it like that ;-)

But seriously: Everybody knows it is not that difficult to play it like I do. So this is my question to discuss:

I all time felt that this the excessive conception of this interpretation is far from being Bach-like, but this certain piece in my impression nevertheless must played like that.
I am curious what you think about.

best
fahl5

[birba]

Not bad.  I think if I heard someone play it like that live, (and it's not impossible, even I can do it) I would just say the beginning is a bit too fast.  I really don't think Bach intended it that way.  And I don't think it would be possible on a harpsichord - especially in his time.  But after that, it sounded very good and very musical and not very midibased!

[keyboardclass]

Nice sample but doesn't work for me.  You seem to be taking a sledge hammer to crack a nut.  Have you tried clavichord samples?

[Steffen Fahl]

Hi birba, Hi keyboardclass,
I think you both met the point.
I play grandpianomusic with a composition for harpsichord. This is not that uncommon especially with Bach but this is a very old discussion, since Wanda Landowska first started to play Barockpieces again on rebuild harpsichords.

But is that historical correct interpretation realy more authentic than to play the piece on a Grandpiano and let him do what makes fun on a Grand? Do we show "no behaviour" if we play the piece with impusles the original instrument would not been able to show at all. On the other hand there were definitly quite brilliant sounding concert-harpsichords in Bachs time, on which you defenitly might play things like that with much effect.

I thought about a similar Bach-project as the Haydn on a sampled Walther and a sampled modern grand. It might be a way to respect both the reasonable own musical possibilities of the modern means and the traditional roots of the composition. But this is to late for the WTK, since I have recorded it only with the modern grand in my ears and probably I would have played it quite different with harpsichord samples. It would not make any sense just to change the samples now. Perhaps I'll try it with another bachscore not that wellknown (if I ever find any) or the Steibelt-Sonatas for Thalberg-mad ;-).

Still the question if an interpretation which  is obviously not baroque must necessarily be
inauthentic stays unecided for me.
best
fahl5

[keyboardclass]

Er..., I said clavichord.

[birba]

I don't think Bach would sound well on a clavichord.   But I guess that's just my ear, because he sounds good on the piano.

[keyboardclass]

Just you wait one cott'n pick'n minute!  Bach's students at the St. Thomas School invariably had clavichords as that was all that would fit in their cubicles.  He was a clavichord teacher!

[Steffen Fahl]

Er..., I said clavichord. Just you wait one cott'n pick'n minute!  Bach's students at the St. Thomas School invariably had clavichords as that was all that would fit in their cubicles.  He was a clavichord teacher!

That does not mean at all that clavichords offers the musical optimum for the welltempered piano. I know that Haydn still has had a high pedagogic opinion for those instruments, because of their ability to modulate the volume and the pitch of the tone while playing "a bit". If you ever played one you know what that means "a bit" compared with the modern piano. The range is like  you nearly hear nothing or a bit less of nothing.
No I have not tried clavichordsamples. The only clavichordsamples I Know are technically nearly an historical sampleset for their own but not that convincing as for instance the pianoforte or the baroque-orgue from the same company. The german company that currently produce pretty good samplesets of historic instruments, still has none. So lets wait perhaps... 
So what did you with Bach, playing on your private clavichord or, using your Steinway D but trying to be as "loud" as you would expect from a clavichord?
best
fahl5

[keyboardclass]

Your Haydn was nice - just the right type of piano.  It's just that if you are sampling why go for the big Steinway?  The world is your oyster instrument wise.

[birba]

Just you wait one cott'n pick'n minute!  Bach's students at the St. Thomas School invariably had clavichords as that was all that would fit in their cubicles.  He was a clavichord teacher!

I think you're right.  I remember reading somewhere that Bach liked the sound of the clavichord because you could control the touch.  But I still prefer the brilliant and compact tone of a harpsichord.  And I've decided that's going to be the next purchase in my ritirement ventures!