VIDEO: J.S. Bach - Prelude and Fugue No. 2 from WTC Part 1

[ricercar]

This was played on a Kawai grand, recorded on earlier this month. Any feedback is much appreciated!

[carmelopaolucci]

Dear Ricercar,

You've taken a very risky approach to the prelude, far from traditional classical canons... You've probably heard Gould's 1963 performance. Your playing is convincing; you've managed to shape the piece perfectly. All the small, intricate dissonances, the structure, the dynamics, and the beauty of the cadenza get lost with too much tempo.
- Fugue:You just feel your heart beating to the pulse he gives us in the piece, which he never loses. I feel other renditions tend to focus more on bringing out the theme in different voices, but it loses the continuity that you bring with his emphasis on accentuating rhythm.
That said, I played the same piece for my project with a very different approach, more in the comfort zone of tradition.
Anyway, thank you for giving us your bold new vision of this immortal Bach masterpiece.
Greetings from Italy
Carmelo

[ricercar]

Dear Ricercar,

You've taken a very risky approach to the prelude, far from traditional classical canons... You've probably heard Gould's 1963 performance. Your playing is convincing; you've managed to shape the piece perfectly. All the small, intricate dissonances, the structure, the dynamics, and the beauty of the cadenza get lost with too much tempo.
- Fugue:You just feel your heart beating to the pulse he gives us in the piece, which he never loses. I feel other renditions tend to focus more on bringing out the theme in different voices, but it loses the continuity that you bring with his emphasis on accentuating rhythm.
That said, I played the same piece for my project with a very different approach, more in the comfort zone of tradition.
Anyway, thank you for giving us your bold new vision of this immortal Bach masterpiece.
Greetings from Italy
Carmelo

Thank you for your thoughtful commentary! I have indeed heard Gould's recording, and it does sound almost like I'm trying to imitate him. However, this was also based on how my teacher (Jura Margulis) instructed me to play this piece many years ago - "treat each note like a hammer" was basically his instruction. The way I play the fugue is also based on his advice. The Gould influence is definitely there; I'm a huge admirer and so was Margulis. I listened to your recording of this piece as well, much more legato of course which does sound nice.