I think, I have a reason to drink a nice glass of „Federweißer“ this evening.
The reason to celebrate a bit for me is, that I have completed the first 13 preludes and fugues of WTC II, which is one more than exactly the half. (I have recorded C, c, Cis, cis, D, d, Eflat, eflat, E, e, F, f and still f-sharp minor for this site. ) So I have to go to the next 11 of the 24 pairs in summary and it would be consequent to have a go at F-sharp-major in the next step.

The pair in f-major I play completely without pedal. In the following I would like to explain some ideas of my interpretation:

Prelude: the prelude has the structure of a four to five part invention or motet. For me it has a rhetorical, speaking respective narrative character. Its equal flow has also lyrical moments for me. I personally find it to be boring to play a consequent legato all the time. I try to loosen it from time to time a bit by careful approaches to non legato. The reprise (from bar 57 on) I play in pp as a contrast to the parts before. For me – like in nearly all Bach-pieces – the harmonical tension beneath the polyphonic lines is very important. (For example I mostly try to play a dominant-chord stronger than a tonic and similar things.)

Fugue: what I have said about the harmonical tension applies also to the fugue, of course. Playing Bach on a modern piano for me means also giving soul to the tone, which originally is more a romantic feature, because on a harpsichord this hardly was possible. (Only on a clavichord you can influence the tone directly by the force of your touch, that´s why I would like to have one, btw).
The fugue has a blightful subject. I try to bring out that character by a flowing tempo and quite a lot of non legato. But there also are some more lyrical moments for me in this fugue, especially at the end (from bar 73 on and again from bar 90 on), when enter the sighing motifs. So concerning the tempo I had to find a good balance between not so fast, that I can´t bring out the sighing motifs expressively (from bar 73 I play them p and from bar 90 I always make a decrescendo from the first to the second note of the sighing motif), and not so slow, that the blightful character would have had to suffer.
Of course, the voicing of the subject always is one of my first aims while playing fugues. But there also are places, I have decided to give other voices priority (as it should be in artistic playing), f.ex. at the end from bar 90 on, when that interesting figured middle voice with its sighing motifs enters.
Apart from the harmonical tension respective function with my dynamic I always try to underline the dramatic (rhetorical) structure ant this partly is subjective.

Critical comments and praise are appreciated. Enjoy!

Here are the video-links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWreWp3u ... ideo_title (Prelude BWV 880)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hju4QhRW ... ideo_title (Fugue BWV 880)

The audiofile below is the sound-track of the videos above.


Bach - Prelude & Fugue in F Major, BWV 880

Hi Andreas,

You know I can't critique member's Bach recordings. I'm sorry about that. But I will clink my glass of Merlot (red wine) with your glass of Federweißer to celebrate your accomplishment!! (btw - what is Federweißer?)

This is on the site.

Hi Andreas,

I listened to your recording and wish I could toast you as I think this recording is a job well done! A question is did you use a metronome for this recording? It sounds to me very strictly on the beat The prelude sounds nice and the fugue.. downright challenging! I think you sidestepped the difficulty as it sounds nice to me.

Sounds nice,

~Riley

Great work ! I personally prefer the prelude a bit more flowing (it somehow reminds me of Bach's elegant and flowery handwriting with all the curls), but your approach works too.

I much like your relaxed and bouncy take on the fugue. The tempo and articulations seem just right, and there's some nice moments of rubato. The only little nags I have are towards the end of the fugue. You seem to hurry in bar 85, the thirty-second notes in bars 92/93 are just a touch uneven, as is the final trill (nice idea, BTW). The last six bars don't seem to have quite the same precise articulation as before, they sound more legato. Maybe that was intentional.
I could not find any wrong notes, so no reason to re-record. You have earned your schnapps allright

Now I should get on with my WTC recordings, or you'll get there long before me. Some longer and more difficult pieces have been distracting me recently.

Pianolady wrote:


No problem, Monica, of course, I know, that you always keep out of the Bach-discussions here. Hope, I will hear something from Chris and other members.



Thank you, that´s nice!



"Federweißer" is something like partially fermented new wine, which is typical for this season. Here in Germany we traditionally like to drink it to a piece of onion tart.

Thank you for having put it on the site, Monica!

Pianoman342 wrote:


Thank you for your praise, Riley! No, I never have practised it with metronome, I have developed my "inner metronome", which is much more important than the little nasty tick-tack-thing.

Techneut wrote:


Thanks for the praise, Chris. Yes, I also could imagine a faster version of the prelude could work and your comparison with Bach´s handwriting appeals to me. As you say my approach works, too, and somehow I felt it like this (for this time).



Yes, right, I think, it´s the "jump" into the subject-entry, which beginns there in bar 85, and made me become a little bit faster for that moment. I don´t know, if I should count it to "interpretation" or "uneveness", if I´m honest.



But if, only a little touch, I think. I feel that thirtysecond-notes as a kind of final-climax, which has something "wild" and "improvisatory", may be that´s the reason, why a do a bit of (nearly audible) agogic here.



I can´t say, that it was intentional, my non legato isn´t always planed (except in the subject, of course, and in some counterpoints), I just do it spontaneously, if I feel, it needs some change in the moment. In every case I wanted to bring out the motif-dialogue in the two upper-voices, have you noticed that?



Phew! (Btw, "Federweißer" is not a "Schnapps", but something like a partially fermented new wine (see my explanation to Monica above).



Of course, I´m curious on your next WTC-piece, which one will you record in the next step? I also hope to be able to augment my tempo of recording a bit, I think it could take one or two years I will finish the cycle. (On the other hand I have sworn to myself to take all the time is necessary for to make good recordings I´m at least halfway satisfied with.)

Oooh yummy! Thanks for the information - that sounds delicious !

Andreus,
Very nice playing! Clean, articulate, well voiced, with a pinch of rubato at just the right structural moments. Musical throughout! You capture the spirit of both works very well. I salute you repeatedly for your attempt to capture such an enormous project. After, all, the WTC is the Old Testament of pianism! I cheer you on.

Regards,
Eddy

Ooh Eddy, you are misspelling peoples' names again.... You know Bad Things can happen when you do that

Oh CRAP! I'm so sorry! BTW, (Chris I hope you read this) I am a far worse typer than speller!

Andreas, Andreas, Andreas, Andreas, ... <I have to write this 100 times!> Andronso, Alfonso, Alfonzo, Oh no!

Andreas,

Lovely performance. I particularly enjoyed the fugue and how you gave such life to the bouncy, jig-like (gigue-like - not sure which way to go) rhythm. Made me want to dance.

Scott

Musical_md wrote:


Thank you so much for your encouraging words, Eddy! Coming from a good pianist like you it´s really a motivation for me to continue that project. And yes, I absolutely agree, that the WTC is the like Bible for the pianists! For me it has this highest value!

Scott wrote:


Thank you for the praise, Scott. Yes, I also feel that dancing character, the baroque suite is the origin of many later forms, BTW (f.ex. also for the sonatas).

Pianolady wrote:


It truely is delicious.