More than two centuries after its composition, johann sebastian bachs the art of fugue is still a work that is full of mystery. A true example of ars perfecta, the art of fugue is not simply a demonstration of contrapuntal theory intended for musicians adept in refined polyphonic technique. This is not an interpretation that wants to grab you by the lapelsbut rather one which by its natural ebb and flow aims to draw you stealthily into the music and have you breathe with it, so. After having recorded the complete organ works of bach, bernard foccroulle rounds off his musical voyage with the art of fugue. Js bach bwv1014bwv1037 violin sonatas, fugues and suites flac today.
Fugue xiv inachevee, choral devant ton trone je vais comparaitre bwv 668. Three approaches to bachs problematic art of fugue by. With the purchase of a cd or vinyl record dispatched from and sold by amazon, you get 90 days free access to the amazon music unlimited individual plan. The recordings were made in the years 1983 to 1989 with the addition of the art of fugue recorded in 1999, the transfer to sacd is generally very successful and results in better sound than i expected it is smooth, clean and detailed for the most part and. The art of fugue by johann sebastian bach 16851750. An indepth analysis of bachs canons and fugues, including an extended section on the art of fugue, prepared by tim smith, associate professor of music history at northern arizona university.
Too modern for its own time, not understood by the romantics, unjustly regarded as purely theoretical by certain musicologists at the beginning of the twentienth century, it is now finally recognized as one. The recording is presented in channel classicss signature stunning sacd sound. As a result there are many very fine recordings already in existence, including my two personal favourites by phantasm arranged for viol consort and angela hewitt on the piano. Download and print top quality the art of the fugue, bwv 1080 contrapunctus i complete sheet music for string quartet by johann sebastian bach with mp3 music accompaniment tracks. With this theme bach writes 14 fugues one was unfinished and 4 canons. Bach the art of fugue 38316 channel classics records. The art of fugue an overview the art of fugue is a series of contrapuntal movements, all based on a single.
In the scenes presented here, gould plays a pair of movements from johann sebastian bachs the art of fugue gould was nearing the end of his life when he gave these performances. Bach wrote hundreds of pieces for organ, choir, as well as many other instruments. Bachs art of fugue is written in open score, allowing it to be played on all manner of instruments, including the keyboard. In this fugue, bach permutes the subjects of contrapunctus viii in three ways. Bachs purpose in writing this music, to illustrate the art of fugue to the generations to come, is brought vividly to life by these fine musicians. This is a gigantic triple fugue tightly linked with contrapunctus viii. Bach the art of the fugue, bwv 1080 contrapunctus i. Bach contrapunctus 1 from art of fugue sheet music for piano. This puts the inversion firmly on the d minor triad, unlike the troubled wandering of the contrapunctus iii subject, and the result is a joyful transformation of the. The art of the fugue by gould, glenn from amazons classical music store. Written in the last decade of his life, the art of fugue is the culmination of bachs experimentation with.
It seems likely that bach embarked on serious work on the art of the fugue only after finishing the second book of the welltempered clavier. The work has long remained an enigma for there are no indications of tempo markings, instrumentation or suggestions as to how it should be. Certainly, from the viewpoint of many later generations, he was the first composer to make fugue the basis for a whole and complete piece of music, one that often seemed to serve no purpose beyond the purely musical. Bach the art of the fugue glenn gould 2015 2444 hd flac 9 apr. This complete collection of bachs organ music is an enjoyable and, considering its extremely low price, a recommendable purchase. The art of fugue bwv 1080, is an incomplete musical work of unspecified instrumentation by johann sebastian bach 16851750. The art of the fugue is a compendium of theoretical musical knowledge of the era and it is still a towering monument of the western music, alongside 48 preludes and fugues and st matthew passion. This performance of bachs art of fugue is an analog recording originally released in 1986. Hi, ive been working on bachs bwv 1080 for some time, and i wanted to ask whether somebody here has played all of it and which parts he would consider to be the hardest ones. The enlarged version comprises four simple fugues, two regular subject, and two inverted subject all for four voices. Bachs the art of fugue, bwv 1080, broken off at the end by the composers death, was written out in open score, with no indication of instrumentation. On how melody, harmony and the ineluctable march of a musical idea in its. Fugues vi et vii, canon par augmentation et mouvement contraire, fugues viii a x side 3.
Though the order of the fugues and placement of the canons is a matter of endless debate, it is clear that bach had a progression from the simplest to most complex counterpoints in mind when he conceived the compendium. The multiple opposing organs playing through different channels creates a great effect. Reviews of fergusons completion engineered for the most vivid possible presence of organ sound and clarity of counterpoint, recorded in full 20bit digital stereo. This might be seen as consistent with bachs lutheranism so great is the glory and profundity of the object of worship or regard that it needs no exaggeration in asserting its claim. It has been preserved in two versions, the second printed after bachs death containing revisions and additions by the composer. Bach gave no title to the piece, the title we know it by today, the art of fugue, was added to the fair copy by the hand of bachs soninlaw johann christoph altnickol and in the first edition of 1751. Bachs art of fugue, performed by kimiko ishizaka, with an animated graphical score. This work consists of 14 fugues and 4 canons in d minor, each using some variation of a single principal subject, and generally ordered to increase in complexity. I thank them for it, and ive changed my opinion completely about the music. Performing on the newlyconstructed craigheadsaunders organ closely modeled after a 1776 instrument by the central german organbuilder casparini, lippincott brings a maturity of vision to art of fugue that is based on a lifetime of distinguished interpretations and insights into bachs organ. This is an excellent multichannel sacd, which takes great advantage of what the medium can do. It was first digitally mastered and offered on cd in 1988, then was remastered in 2001 and paired with a new recording of bachs musical offering as part of alia voxs boxedset edition the testament of bach. Written in the last decade of his life, the art of fugue is the culmination of bachs experimentation with monothematic instrumental works.
The art of fugue or the art of the fugue original german. These works, composed in memory of buxtehudes father, may be the models for bach mirror fugues in d minor, entitled contrapunctus nos. In the right hands, the art of fugue is a masterpiece, no longer purely theoretical. Few organists are as well known or as highly praised for their bach recordings as joan lippincott. Bach art of fugue channel classics ccssa38316 sacd ms.
The art of the fugue davitt moroney early music vancouver. This work consists of 14 fugues and 4 canons in d minor, each using some. Bach complete organ music hans fagius 5 sacd 19831989,19992005 classical j. A mong the works of bachs last decade, the art of fugue is completely open in its instrumentation.
Actual manuscript is a puzzle on its own there are no indications for the instruments, and according to some sources, bach never intended it to be. Its last and unfinished fugue uses the b a ch motif. Bach was acutely aware of symbolism in art and religion and used it extensively in his works and was well aware of the subtle subliminal effect it has on the listener in addition to the harmonic progressions, melodic intervals, rhythmic motives and patterns. Johann sebastian bach the art of fugue i part usage attributionnoncommercialshare alike 3. I n the art of fugue, bach plays to god and himself in an empty church, the critic and composer wilfrid mellers memorably wrote. Js bach bwv1080 the art of the fugue fugue canon for keyboard flac today. Baroque the art of the fugue, by the baroque composer johann sebastian bach. Get the flash player to see this player contrapunctus iv. Between 1979 and 1981, the canadian pianist glenn gould collaborated on a series of documentary films with the french violinist, writer and filmmaker bruno mansaingeon. Johann sebastian bach performer, jordi savall performer. The governing idea of the work, as put by bach specialist christoph wolff, was. The art of fugue is comprised of 14 fugues and four canons. The sequence of 20 fugues and canons, grouped according to. Fugue and the art of counterpoint are often almost bywords for bach the composer.