BACH BWV 873 PRELUDE

[ticklemyivories]

Good day to all.
I am just looking for observations, musings and ramblings ( both hither and yon, serious or satirical, harshly critical or joyously effusive) on the subject of Bach's Prelude BWV 873. It's from the WTC.

It's an oddly complex piece to learn because the ornamentation is really over the top.

Also, the interplay between the two voices in the right hand goes on for the whole piece, which I find really interesting.

In addition, I surmise the 9/8 time signature -triple compound time- implies a slower, more 'flowing' or even 'swinging' approach? ( When Bach used less typical time signatures, it always seems to have been a very intentional and sometimes quite specific choice; technically, he could have written this in 3/4 but chose 9/8 instead; surely that specific choice must mean something... or then again, maybe he was bored that week and just mixing it up?)

I am still in the middle of learning the notes, so just curious to hear others' experience with this piece.

may happiness smack you in the face like a well-aimed cream pie!

[lelle]

As for the 9/8 time signature instead of 3/4. If you are going to have triplet 8th notes on basically every beat, as well as fit in 16th notes in the same metre, you may as well do 9/8 rather than write triplets everywhere. Triplets imply that the "normal" state of affairs would have been two 8th notes per beat.

Another way to put it is that he went for the feel of 6/8 but wanted three beats per bar instead of two. 6/8 and 2/4 are also two wildly different things apart from having the same number of beats per bar.

[ticklemyivories]

thanks. i notice this is also one of bach's slower pieces with a really intricate melody. but then i also like bach slowed down on the piano, i find a lot of people don't think they like bach after being overwhelmed by pianists who race through his music like he was a romantic showboat. but when you slow down and really bring out the interplay between voices, i think more listeners are likely to have a "eureka" moment. i also recently heard about john kameel farah, who introduces aspects of persian percussion to his bach interpretation. fascinating stuff. i always thought bach would also  make great techno or house music ( a la wendy carlos or william orbit) but that is a whole other convo. also bach is well respected in the jazz world; a piece like the 873 prelude could definitely be interpreted as a 'swinging' sort of piece.

[vicentewilson]

The ornamentation in BWV 873 can feel overwhelming, especially for pianists who are accustomed to more straightforward pieces. Bach’s use of ornaments not only adds beauty but also requires a deep understanding of style and execution. Each embellishment must be performed with intention, reflecting both the musical and emotional content of the piece. As you navigate the intricacies of this Prelude, it's normal to feel both challenged and exhilarated. Each practice session can reveal new insights, whether in the technical execution of the notes or in the emotional depth conveyed through phrasing and dynamics.

[ticklemyivories]

Thanks for your thoughtful words.

I got truly flummoxed by all the ornaments ( I felt like Janet Leigh getting attacked by THE BIRDS; terrified and overwhelmed).

so then i paused to regain my composure.

Then I thought I would drop all the ornaments completely and learn the melody by itself, but that tricky old Mr. John Bach has insinuated and implied much of the melody's strengths within in the ornamentation.

so you kind of need to slog through it slowly and piece it all together with patience.

thank goodness i am an aspiring  buddhist! i've been actively trying to be less aggressive and presumptive and really enjoy the moment. it's tricky work. and honestly not for the faint of heart.

anyhow, enjoying the process is a transformative way to interpret both practice and performance.

I've still left some of the weird ornaments out. i don't want to hurt my brain by throwing too much at it in one go. my brain is old and lazy. it needs to be bribed and cajoled.

whicb reminds me of laurie anderson's BABYDOLL, whicb is a song sung by her brain, begging her to do interesting things and meet interesting people.

plus i just took a look at the fugue fo 8

[ticklemyivories]

Oops. Sorry for posting repeats.

but so it goes.

Anyhow, i also just started reading through the 875 fugue. the repeated tones in the subject are obsessing me right now. all the versions i have heard race through it so the repeated tones are like an aggressive woodpecker.

i thought it might be fun to totally slowthe entire piece down so the repeated tones are like the striking of a large bell. turn it contemplative and inward.

or if you transcribed that melody for voice, you could have the singer just hit the one note and hold it; the IDEA of how to interpret repeated notes isn't as obvious or monolithic as one might assume.
repetition is also a big feature of minimalist composition; several minimalists i can think of use repition extensively but shift rhythm or context around.

again, i enjoy listening to bach slowed down. but that just brings me back to my lazy brain.

excelsior!

etc etc

jlgve

[dizzyfingers]

Oops. Sorry for posting repeats.

You can go edit your posts - click on modify, upper right.
Delete all the text .. replace with a brief explanation or just a period:  .
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