Tips on playing Bach preludes....

[atticus]

 I wondered if anyone could offer some tips on playing the Bach preludes.  I'm looking for ways to make them sound better when I play them and I haven't played very many so any tips at all would be appreciated (even the basics)!

Specifically, what does it mean to bring out the different voices?  Also if the motif is played by the LH should any RH played during the LH motif be played very softly?

Thanks!
atticus

[Alde]

There are many different ways to perform Bach.  That's one of the reasons why I love Bach.  His music sounds great slow, fast, soft, loud.
It seems like any one you talk to will have their own opinion on how to perform Bach.  Even when you listen to many recordings, they are all different.  I guess that's why Bach is used for auditions, exams.
So don't be afraid.  Play Bach how you feel.  Everyday you play/practice these preludes will sound and feel different.

[richard w]

I wondered if anyone could offer some tips on playing the Bach preludes.  I'm looking for ways to make them sound better when I play them and I haven't played very many so any tips at all would be appreciated (even the basics)!

There are a lot of Bach preludes! I'd suggest choosing one to learn, and then asking about specific difficulties you feel you are having. It is a bit difficult to know where to start with dispensing tips, with such a large field.

Specifically, what does it mean to bring out the different voices?

First of all, you have to identify  which notes belong to which voice. This can generally be done by observing the direction in which stems point. Often in Bach there can be more than one voice in each hand. The skill of bringing the voices out is just that! Make the voice of your choice more prominent than the other voices. This can be done with dynamics, but also with articulation, or a combination of the two.

Also if the motif is played by the LH should any RH played during the LH motif be played very softly?

That depends. The subject of a piece does not always have to be brought to the fore. Sometimes the other part(s) might be brought to the fore for a change.

From here, the best thing you can do is to get some recordings and see how other people interpret Bach. You can learn a lot just by listening observantly.

[lostinidlewonder]

Generally speaking about Bach keyboard music; since the guy never considered of the sound of the piano while he was composing, we have to be careful as to how we go about expressing his music when we play it on this modern instrument.

I think it is first incredibly important to play the piece without trying to give more to one part or the other, instead take a lot more care and detail to your phrasing, when your hands lift from the keys, like a singer taking a breath. This is what is the most important aspect of playing Bach in my opinion. If all notes are totally even, dull yes i know, but if they are totally even but articulated perfectly with good phrasing, then the music sounds divine. Take out the phrasing and the music dies. So, knowing when to lift and drop the hands, and when to maintain form and keep fingers above their notes is so important when playing Bach.

One thing that is very important before you try to do anything "pianistic" with Bachs music that you master Bach's music exactly as written, and be able to make the climaxes of the piece felt. If you can do that then you are on the right track and then you should start thinking about expressing the piece more pianistically.

There are a few more important things about playing bach preludes. There is a number of melodic lines in Bach where it is not decisive what should be brought out, since lots of Bach's melodies combine in counterpoint forming bigger bodies of harmony. This usually brings up the rule of thumb that peices with semi quavers are legato while the quavers are more stacatto.

When bach puts these melodies together the two work together creating the new harmonic meaning, as well as a melody and rhythm. You do not need to bring out at the expense of others, like keeping one part softer than the other bring out this etc, instead you should try to maintain the tone of parts that tend to be naturaly more difficult to bring out.

[bernhard]

Richard is right:

There are a lot of Bach preludes! I'd suggest choosing one to learn, and then asking about specific difficulties you feel you are having. It is a bit difficult to know where to start with dispensing tips, with such a large field.

The more specific your question, the more useful the answer is likely to be.

In the meantime, have a look at reply no. 9 on this thread:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2857.msg59558.html#msg59558

and these threads may also interest you:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2585.msg23066.html#msg23066
(reply #20:  Rosen quote on Bach – Reply # 22 & 25 Rosalyn Tureck wisdom and discussion of Baroque performance)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,3219.msg28310.html#msg28310
(how to interpret Bach at the piano: as a harpsichord?)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4430.msg41215.html#msg41215
(Patterns in Bach’s music)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4912.msg46590.html#msg46590
(Books on the interpretation of Bach)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2856.msg25145.html#msg25145
(Although this thread relates to Partita 2, much can be applied to the WTC as well)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,3056.msg26761.html#msg26761
(Allemande of French suite no. 1 – but as above, much that is said here can be applied to the WTC)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,3171.msg27807.html#msg27807
(Sarabande from English suite 5 – same as above)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2180.msg18518.html#msg18518
(Prelude 1 book 1 – when to use the pedal and about dynamics)

Just the tip of a huge iceberg.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[atticus]

Thanks for the suggestions and links!