double voicing

[trance_dude]

Hi, one of the pieces I am working on is J. S. Bach Little Prelude in D Major BWV 925.  My teacher has pointed out that while I am playing the notes OK, I am not paying enough attention to the proper voicing.  For example there are many instances when a given voice is held for a quarter note, or measure, or two, as the other voices continue, and you need to find a way to hold down that note for the proper duration, while playing the other voices (which can be tricky!)

However I found the following recording of the piece, by a clearly talented pianist and recording crew, where the piece is played very staccato while seemingly ignoring the voicing.  There are obvious instances where the music (also see below) indicates a longer note duration than is actually played.

Is this just artistic leeway?  I actually think the recording sounds great!  What is the general consensus as to how closely one should follow strict voicing, with respect to Baroque music.  Would the answer be different for romantic music?

Where did "voicing" in classical music originate from? 

Thanks!!!

https://www.pianoshelf.com/sheetmusic/826/bach-bwv-925---prelude-in-d-major-826

[brogers70]

I don't think that the fellow in the recording you posted is ignoring voicing at all. Voicing can mean several things. People talk about "voicing" a chord, and they mean deciding which notes within the chord to bring out. I think what your teacher is talking about, though, is maintaining a musical line in each voice of a polyphonic piece, like this prelude. It certainly helps to hold the longer notes for their full value, but that's not the only thing you can do.

First, make sure you hear individual voices in the recording you have. Follow along on the score several times and listen carefully to each voice. There are four voices in there, but usually only three are active at once. So pick out soprano, alto, tenor, and bass lines and follow them. Then do it again, singing along with each voice. Then play each voice individually on the piano. Make sure you know what they sound like one by one.

Next, when you go to play the piece, think about how to distinguish one voice from the other. You can play one louder or softer, play one more staccato and the others more legato. Gently shape the line in each voice (subtle crescendos or diminuendos as the voice rises and falls). Even just concentrating on hearing an inner voice while you are playing will help you bring it out subconsciously.

As to holding those notes. One thing that is often very helpful in Bach is finger swapping; you play a note with one finger and then silently switch in a different finger to hold down the key so that the original finger is free to strike a different note. One exercise to get comfortable with finger swapping is this...... You are going to play a C major scale in parallel sixths in the right hand. So you start E/C with 1/4, then go to F/D with 2/5. Then silently switch fingers so that 1/4 are holding down F/D and 2/5 are free to play G/E. Then switch again and keep going. Practice that until you can do the finger swaps silently and quickly and you'll find it very useful in Bach, and elsewhere.

[trance_dude]

Thanks for the input.  So I've been playing the piece a bit while paying more attention to the voices and it's funny, although it initially made it harder to play (this piece in particular has some really weird fingering - so much so that the editors of the music I sent before had to write out a separate "execution" / fingering guide for one section) - I'm finding it makes it "flow" much better.  It makes it easier to play in the sense that I have a better sense of where each voice is heading.  I'm a little less reliant on reading the music, somehow.

I tried the exercise you mentioned.  Tricky, but I can totally see how it would improve finger swapping!  thanks!