Bach - Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue, BWV 903 (Work in progress)

[perfect_pitch]

Greetings...

I would like to ask for help for this piece. Unfortunately, I haven't had that much experience with Bach, and would really like any advice in terms of the voicing, ornamentation, and general aspects of the piece that need working on. I won't see my teacher for another few weeks, so I'd like to try and get it a little more polished before I play it for her.

[andreslr6]

Well, for being unexperienced, this is very good! what have you played from Bach?

I liked your recording.

Ok, after relistening the fantasia I think I catched some details. There are spots when you play scales where the rhythm sounds uneven, I don't know what fingering you're using, but I believe it's the spots where you change hands? I don't have the sheet music here, but if you know of which spots I may refer to, I suggest you pay extra attention to those places, how do you practice? practicing with dotted rhythms often solves that problem. Also, something that often happens too and that is linked with this, is that the articulation in long passages like scales some times doesn't sound even as well, and even if they are intentional I believe you can polish more and make it sound more clear. So that's my first suggestion, work on evenness in rhythm and articulation.

I don't know how does your teacher work with new pieces, but I believe that the majority always ask for a very sober interpretation at the beginning (no pedal, no rubato). They usually don't bother with this when the student is at a high level already, or when the student has enough experience so to deal with the technical problems by him/herself before the teacher hears the piece.

But anyways, another detail that you can work with after solving the technical aspects is the liberties you can take. I can hear subtleties, but I believe you can take even more freedom regarding the improvisational aspects of this work, considering it's a fantasia. Things like brief sostenutos, or little breathing marks as singers and wind players have, etc. can be used here and be exploited easily. The passage that I believe needs and begs for this is the chord passage which is written in half notes (the arpeggios where you start using the pedal), I don't know if your edition already comes with a written execution, but in that place is where you can exploit every possible thing that comes to mind, that's the part for improvisation, explore the possible ornamentations, articulations, you can even add notes, like filling thirds with a passing note, etc. If it already has a written execution, you can ignore it and write down your own, just make an harmonic analysis of that segment and write them down in half notes (I hope I'm clear as to what do I mean by that) so you know what you can do and what is out of context.

That's the things that came to my mind so far.

[perfect_pitch]

Greetings Andresir6... (or should it be Sir Andre???    )

What pieces have I practiced with the intent on performing? Just this piece in the past (did it in 2008 for my LMusA), Bach Partita No. 1 in B flat, and attempted to play a Prelude & Fugue in B flat  Major, and one in f minor - although they weren't very good and were previous to the Partita and this work.

You're probably most definitely right in the faster scalic passages that change hands - my main concern for this recording was seeing if I could play it from memory, to cement at least the notes in my head for mental practice later. I did the dotted rhythms in some spots, but not all of them (both dotted quaver-semiquaver & semiquaver-dotted quaver patterns)

Unfortunately my piano teacher expects more than just a sober interpretation. She's quite hard and expects a lot so she expects me to go further than that - simply because she does encourage her students to experiment with different ideas on their own to bring to her; and then she can clarify and define what works and what doesn't, and why they do/don't work.

The one thing I've sometimes had difficulty with is playing a piece with rubato but ensuring that the pulse is still not lost - but other times I've done the opposite where sometimes I'm a little too rigid and need to free up a little. Baroque/Classical I'm usually too flexible with the rhythm and the Romantic stuff I'm sometimes usually not free enough.       I haven't actually played this piece for her since I last did it in 2008, so I'm trying to bring a rather polished work to the table for her then to take further.

I think the problem with this piece is taking those liberties... I'm not sure what will be seen as bold and unique, but still true to the Baroque form; and those that would be considered too Romantic for the music for Bach. That's what I find most daunting...   

But thanks for the time to write everything down. If you have any more bits of free advice, I would really appreciate them.

[perfect_pitch]

Greetings...

After a good 3 months of going over the work, I believe I have got it in a far better, and presentable performance.

Again, any comments you have or criticism would be greatly appreciated. This piece is done in one take, so I didn't split the Fantasia from the fugue.

[quantum]

I think you've done a lot of good work here in this most recent recording.  

The Fantasia is rather lengthy, and it may be good to differentiate the various characters and moods that appear.  Perhaps through, selected variances in breath, phrasing, articulation, dynamics, and select emphasis on certain line.  It may give more a sense of "oh that is where you want to go" in Fantasia.  

Bach has this mesmerizing ability to imply multi-part texture in a primarily monophonic structure.  I'd recommend you listen to recordings of the solo violin Sonatas and Partitas, as well as the solo Cello Suites.  This is something that really needs to be heard.  Observe how the necessity of the change in direction of the bow is akin to that of a singer needing to break or breathe within phrases.  It would be wonderful if you were to bring in some of this into the piece.


For the Fugue, I appreciated your select use of registration octaves in the bass - it was very tastefully thought out.  At various places of eigth-note groupings, you could experiment more with slurring select pairs.  The piano is not as naturally resonant as a harpsichord, and sometimes carefully selecting pairs of eighths to slur gives more grounding in tone.  You could also use such device to emphasize the gravity of certain beats.  

Again very well done.  What I say here are merely things to think about.  You have already said a lot with your interpretation.