Bach: Prelude (and soon fugue) in Bbminor

[pianoman53]

So I did a new recording of this magnificent piece. Last time, I'd worked on it for 2 weeks or so. Now it's been at least a month.

I didn't have time to record the fugue today, so it will come on Monday or so.

It was recorded in my school on one of the, sadly, best instruments we've got. It hasn't been tuned for so long time that I don't even notice if it's out or not. The repetition is horrible, and the pedal makes sounds it shouldn't make.

It's on the heavy side in some forte-parts

[pianist1976]

Well, the notes are there. It sounds nice but in my humble opinion it still needs some things. The upper voice its quite well singed but the other voices are almost only accompaniment in your rendition. Bach's music is not (most of the times) accompanied melody but polyphonic music so there are "secondary" voices that must be surfaced sometimes.

The most contrasting, painful harmonies inside the score must be highlighted in some way. Regarding the tempo, it's a bit static. Joining the tempo, polyphony and dynamics, it lacks "direction". This work doesn't need a romantic rubato but also not the contrary, a completely strict tempo.

Just a constructive criticism, hoping it helps Keep the good job, I think it's on the right way.

[slobone]

You're off to a great start. This is one of Bach's most soulful pieces, it can be played with a lot of expression -- the Baroque era wasn't anywhere near as dry as people sometimes make it out to be. I agree that one of the things you want to do is give the piece more of a feeling of direction, every note should be part of a line. Played on the piano you can get away with more dynamics and even a touch of rubato. You might try a slightly faster tempo too.

But the most important thing is to do more with the voices. It's basically in four parts, each of which should be singing its own line. Even when you have only two notes, for example the F-Gb in the second voice in the first measure. That should be a two-note phrase. And it makes a duet with Db-Eb in the third voice, you can bring that out too. The bass has a lovely melody in measures 7-9 that should sing more.

Anyway, it's a great piece, you can have a lot of fun with it. And listen for the voices all the time.

[joebee]

You learn your pieces very well.  Do you play "lento"  pieces only?  Joebee

[pianoman53]

Haha, Oh... How fun to see a recording of an unpolished piece I played it better on concerts

No, I play many fast pieces too. Just happens to be that I don't record as much as I should...

[joebee]

Haha, Oh... How fun to see a recording of an unpolished piece I played it better on concerts

No, I play many fast pieces too. Just happens to be that I don't record as much as I should...

Record one of your fast pieces and post it please.  Promise me?