Bach Prelude n 10 in in E minor BWV 855 WTC1

[carmelopaolucci]

Dear Friends,

I'm publish this piece to continue my dream of recording the entire Well Tempered Clavier,to achieve this feat, I didn't choose a famous acoustic piano, but simple entry-level digital piano, because I'm convinced that even with "poor equipment" but with a lot of good will, it's possible to overcome the difficulties and achieve appreciable results on a collection that often makes even professional pianists tremble.
The pale coloured key of E-minor suggested to Bach two ideas totally differing from each other. The prelude is full of passion, of painful palpitation, of impetuousness.
It seems as if it were a pianoforte arrangement of a Trio for violin, lute, and harpsichord. All three instruments carry out their parts in a consistent manner, until the entry of the Presto (indicated by Bach himself), somewhere about the middle of the piece. But the contents of this Presto only differ in appearance from those of the first section; a glance at the lower voice shows that the beginning of the same is only the transposition of the opening measures from E-minor to A- minor; but the violin has been carried away by the lively movement, and now the harpsichord follows, for the most part, in 6ths and 10ths, while the lute is silent, at any rate is no longer noticeable.
It was really fun to study it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Greetings from Italy
Carmelo

[essence]

Nice - but I find it a bit dry. Those quaver RH chords are more like semi-quavers! Was it totally without pedal.

Even harpsichord versions have a bit of resonance.

Have you listened to Angela Hewitt?

[carmelopaolucci]

Nice - but I find it a bit dry. Those quaver RH chords are more like semi-quavers! Was it totally without pedal.

Even harpsichord versions have a bit of resonance.

Have you listened to Angela Hewitt?

Thank you so much, essence, for your comment, and for following my videos during this little adventure with the WTC1.
I rarely use pedal for Bach in general, partly to avoid confusing the harmonies, and partly because you can still slur them simply using your fingers and it's not necessary. In some cases, the pedal, especially the half-pedal, increases the depth of the notes, so by changing it often and intelligently, you could avoid the problem of shallow depth and a sound that's too dry (lacking in harmonics). Using an entry-level digital piano like mine, the half-pedal technique is impossible.
If I compare the differences between my playing without pedal and with pedal on a piano that allows this technique, I personally tend to lean toward the former. This is a very dramatic piece, and I imagine the central line with its chords as pizzicato strings, which is why the chords seem shorter.
This is my way of seeing this piece, obviously I have neither the hands, nor the imagination, nor the talent of Mrs. Hewitt, I am simply an amateur pianist like you.
But I'm really happy I was able to study and play it.
Greetings from Italy
Carmelo

[essence]

This is a very dramatic piece, and I imagine the central line with its chords as pizzicato strings, which is why the chords seem shorter.

Thanks. That explains that the way you played them was intentional, and that is fine. Novel, even.