Bach - Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV846 (WTC I)

[andhow04]

the very first prelude and fugue, which bartok deems the 22nd hardest out of 48.  i learned this many years ago and it only took a little while to get it back in the fingers, and of course i changed several voicings in the fugue.

the prelude is played in many different ways, and my main goal was to avoid a preciousness or a too sweet and fuzzy approach.  the fugue is a masterpiece of stretto, making it very economical because most notes relate in some way to the subject.

(22)

UPDATE: 5/17/13 i replaced this set, even tho the previous version was pretty good, because of one split note in the fugue. i just decided that the very first fugue couldn't have any errors, no matter how small! in the end, thsi version turned out to be better anyways.

[pianoplayjl]

Nice! There is nothing I can say that is bad. This I think is a nice example of what a P&F sounds like and I'm also learning this piece, which your recording is a good example. I like the way you bring out the fugue subjects out over the others.

JL

[scottmcc]

Very nice.  You play it quite a bit faster than I, and your articulation of the fugue is very crisp and clean.  The strettos in the middle third of the piece are masterful.  I think this fugue gives the interpreter great latitude for interpretation, especially with regard to voicing, and every recording of it that I have is significantly different: richter, Gulda, Hewitt each have very different takes on this piece. I would argue that the fugue is not just economic in its construction, there isn't a single wasted note. 

 In a few months I hope to get my interpretation of this up to snuff so that I can post it, although I will say in advance that you are clearly a far better pianist than I will ever be.

[megadodd]

This was just lovely.

[pianoplayjl]

My ears seem to be dumb but I hear that your prelude you play with no pedal and yet you manage to produce a bright warm rich tone and sounds like a water fall! I think maybe slow down a tad the prelude.

JL

[mike_lang]

Beautifully done!  Perhaps a little more breathing room in the prelude?

Cheers,
Mike

[andhow04]

My ears seem to be dumb but I hear that your prelude you play with no pedal and yet you manage to produce a bright warm rich tone and sounds like a water fall! I think maybe slow down a tad the prelude.

JL

that's right, there is no pedal strictly, though i am using the finger pedal technique which is so common in bach's music. in fact i read that when he wrote slurs in his organ music (not referring to the two-note "sigh" figures) it meant to hold the chord tones, even if he didn't write thm in longer note values.

[johnmar78]

thanks for sharing with us. 10/10