okm1469(and bernhard)i agree and disagree at the same time. when i was younger, one of my teachers was really into teaching me as many of the bach preludes and fugues as he could. after one or two, i was finished (myself speaking). they were not as interesting as other pieces, to me. theyWERE more like studies at that point.now that i am really getting into piano more...i consider them very much performance pieces (for myself). virtuosity can be more that just playing long virtuosic pieces (not that i am glen gould, or anything) but it can be in bringing out the lines and voices as one would clearly hear when they are played on the organ. i don't always hear the voices (as they would be brought out when sung) on the piano. when i hear them on the organ...it is magnificent. i think one should play them as though they were conducting a small choir (and sing the parts as they each enter) making them sing evenly when all together. for the FIRST time, i listened to some shostakovich preludes and fugues today (on amazon). i am really tempted to go and buy some sheet music of at least three or four of them. they are probably what would be on a program of lang-lang or somebody can play them well (especially the fast one #3?) they are unique and fantastique. if i were to choose between listening, though, i would choose both. i like bach for the baroque era and i like shostakovich for the contemporary era.
dear bolivarallmon,yes! i did that when i was given glen gould's recordings of the bach preludes and fugues. when you have a good performer, lots of time (as you mention), and a relaxed time space to really listen -- i think one could 'get to know' the composer really well by listening to an entire work.on a recital program (you'd have to be prepared for it) it might overlabor the listeners though i don't see much difference between that (preludes and fugues in entirety) and variations (ie handel variations) in which you would probably play all of them so you can hear the ranges and attitudes.
Particularly, I wonder if it should/would make a difference as far as voicing is concerned with the fugues, for example? Would one in the case of Shostakovich wish to bring out the subject and it's entries, whereas with Bach, one would not? I just think it would make a difference in how one would state the music. Does this make any sense?
I don't think people mean that you should play one voice louder.They mean that you should be aware of the polyphonic character of the pieces. Don't play it vertical, like chords, but horizontal. The bringing out of the subjects means playing the right notes legato, playing the right notes for the right lenght, very slightly accent some notes. If you listen to Glenn Gould notice how he plays some notes very staccato while the others are normal. That is the idea. If he would play everything staccato it wouldn't sound as good. Fuges have voices. The voices should stay independent. That is hard to do considering some parts it really becomes like playing chords. At these times you should be careful. Keep the voices independent.But the voices character also means that the voices should be equal in most ways. At the end they should all be balanced. One voice is not more important than another, at least overal. At some part you might consider one voice more important because it plays the subject. You should really articulate the subjects so they stand out a bit. But don't be blunt and play them louder.If the performer isn't aware that the fugue contains subjects and that they are important and he/she doesn't know where they are it will really make the performance a bit poorer.
why don't you like the shostakovich preludes and fugues (lostinidle)?
Well to me i find that Bach prelude and fugues can sometimes sound like they are going no where. Shostakovich really takes it to the no where zone for me. I can't get my head around his choice of notes. I mean don't get me wrong there are some moments i like, Prelude no 15 in D flat major, but doesnt everything in that key always sound so good except his fugue in that key horrid, horrid! You play that you drive people insane. I feel like im climbing up, then i fall down, and OH i have to get up again quick climb climb! No but you are going to fall again! And now things fall on you, and you have to climb higher oh no stop wait go again, now boom bang. Throw up