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Topic: Any sources for Bach´s articulation?  (Read 2575 times)

Offline rovis77

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Any sources for Bach´s articulation?
on: November 17, 2017, 05:36:49 AM
Hi, are there any sources that you can recommend for learning how to articulate Bach. I say this because my teacher says Bach is extremely difficult to interpret and understand, he says that the partitas are extremely difficult to understand them musically. Is Bach really that difficult to understand?

Offline themeandvariation

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Re: Any sources for Bach´s articulation?
Reply #1 on: November 17, 2017, 07:02:05 AM
There is hardly any written phrasing in Bach's keyboard music.. One way to get an idea - is to look to his writing for violin..where much can be gleaned on his thinking w re to his articulation…
Much of the time, the phrasing goes over the bar line.. One can also read Kirkpatrick's writings on this.. Or listen to his vocal phrasing in cantatas etc.
Have you asked your teacher to explain How to understand  his articulation?

Or perhaps, you are just meaning ornamentation… for that, there is a legend, usually printed at the beginning/end of some editions for clavier… (not hard to find.
4'33"

Offline hardy_practice

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Re: Any sources for Bach´s articulation?
Reply #2 on: November 17, 2017, 07:20:36 AM
CPE Bach's Essay on the true art of playing keyboard instruments will give you all the technical details.
B Mus, PGCE, DipABRSM

Offline torandrekongelf

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Re: Any sources for Bach´s articulation?
Reply #3 on: November 17, 2017, 10:45:39 PM
Probably no correct way to articulate it. I suggest you listen to recordings (Gould, Schiff, Perhia, Hewitt etc) and form your own taste that way.

Offline visitor

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Re: Any sources for Bach´s articulation?
Reply #4 on: November 17, 2017, 11:53:40 PM
If you don't know and read and listen to Turek, you are leaving so much money on the table.
She is tops in my book to reference and read and i would suggest working through the three  volumes of an I introduction to the performance of bach

Offline themeandvariation

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Re: Any sources for Bach´s articulation?
Reply #5 on: November 18, 2017, 12:49:36 AM
It is also beneficial to look at it compositionally.. where each cell begins and ends, so that one has a sense of where it 'breathes'.  

Of those performers already mentioned, and whose recordings are quite fantastic and offer wonderful windows to ponder.. I think that Schiff sees the logic of phrasing/articulation of what is implied by the compositional structures best.. (But again, i have enjoyed very much the others' take as well)
4'33"
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