Bach, J.S. / Art Of Fugue (Andrew Rangell, Piano), The
| Album: | Art Of Fugue (Andrew Rangell, Piano), The | Collection: | Classical | |
| Artist: | Bach, J.S. | Added: | Oct 2012 | |
| Label: | Steinway And Sons | |||
A-File Activity
| Add Date: | 2012-10-28 | Pull Date: | 2012-12-30 | Charts: | Classical/Experimental |
|---|
Album Review
Larry
Reviewed 2012-10-23
Reviewed 2012-10-23
Bach, J.S. / The Art of Fugue (Andrew Rangell, piano)
Bach (1685-1750) began The Art of Fugue around 1741-42, but it was unfinished at his death. Its fugues and canons are an expression of his unequaled knowledge of contrapuntal composition and methods of variation. He regarded it as the summa of his art. Each draws on Theme 1 (the 4-bar subject of Fugue 1), but varies melodic detail, rhythm, texture, register (bass, treble) and tempo, using with ever more complex contrapuntal techniques used to create the superimposed voices. The theme is austere but beautiful, lucid, solemn, simple and memorable. Bach plays it straight, syncopated, backwards, inverted, diminished and augmented. Fugues 1-4 use 16th-century vocal polyphony style. In Fugues 5-7 the voices’ entries overlap. Fugues 8-12 are double fugues (two separately developed subjects) and introduce new themes. Fugues 12 and 13 are “mirror” fugues with contrasting material; in each, the first fugue is “upright” and the second has all voices inverted. The four canons are in 2 voices, using variants of Theme 1. The final fugue is huge but unfinished, and incorporates Bach’s name in the 3rd of three themes in three sections (Bb, A, C, B natural = “H” in German). The number “3” often signified the Trinity in Bach’s works. Listeners cannot fail to enjoy and mark the grandeur of hearing Theme 1 (Contrapunctus 1) and then any variation or variations you choose, so long as you inform them of the nature of the music they are hearing.
1. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus I (3:10)
2. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus II (2:28)
3. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus III (2:56)
4. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus IV (3:10)
5. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus V (3:13)
6. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus VI In Stylo Francese (3:46)
7. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus VII Per Augmentationem Et Diminutionem (4:12)
8. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus VIII (5:43)
9. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus IX Alla Duodecima (2:43)
10. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus X Alla Decima (4:12)
11. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus XI (6:55)
12. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Canon I, Per Augmentationem In Contrario Motu (4:01)
13. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Canon II, Alla Ottava (2:13)
14. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus XII Rectus (3:08)
15. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus XII Inversus (3:10)
16. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus Xiii Inversus (2:09)
17. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus Xiii Rectus (2:13)
18. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Canon III, Alla Decima In Contrapunto Alla Terza (4:20)
19. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Canon IV, Alla Duodecima In Contrapunto Alla Quinta (1:54)
20. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Fuga Soggetti (8:51)
Bach (1685-1750) began The Art of Fugue around 1741-42, but it was unfinished at his death. Its fugues and canons are an expression of his unequaled knowledge of contrapuntal composition and methods of variation. He regarded it as the summa of his art. Each draws on Theme 1 (the 4-bar subject of Fugue 1), but varies melodic detail, rhythm, texture, register (bass, treble) and tempo, using with ever more complex contrapuntal techniques used to create the superimposed voices. The theme is austere but beautiful, lucid, solemn, simple and memorable. Bach plays it straight, syncopated, backwards, inverted, diminished and augmented. Fugues 1-4 use 16th-century vocal polyphony style. In Fugues 5-7 the voices’ entries overlap. Fugues 8-12 are double fugues (two separately developed subjects) and introduce new themes. Fugues 12 and 13 are “mirror” fugues with contrasting material; in each, the first fugue is “upright” and the second has all voices inverted. The four canons are in 2 voices, using variants of Theme 1. The final fugue is huge but unfinished, and incorporates Bach’s name in the 3rd of three themes in three sections (Bb, A, C, B natural = “H” in German). The number “3” often signified the Trinity in Bach’s works. Listeners cannot fail to enjoy and mark the grandeur of hearing Theme 1 (Contrapunctus 1) and then any variation or variations you choose, so long as you inform them of the nature of the music they are hearing.
1. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus I (3:10)
2. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus II (2:28)
3. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus III (2:56)
4. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus IV (3:10)
5. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus V (3:13)
6. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus VI In Stylo Francese (3:46)
7. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus VII Per Augmentationem Et Diminutionem (4:12)
8. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus VIII (5:43)
9. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus IX Alla Duodecima (2:43)
10. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus X Alla Decima (4:12)
11. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus XI (6:55)
12. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Canon I, Per Augmentationem In Contrario Motu (4:01)
13. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Canon II, Alla Ottava (2:13)
14. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus XII Rectus (3:08)
15. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus XII Inversus (3:10)
16. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus Xiii Inversus (2:09)
17. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Contrapunctus Xiii Rectus (2:13)
18. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Canon III, Alla Decima In Contrapunto Alla Terza (4:20)
19. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Canon IV, Alla Duodecima In Contrapunto Alla Quinta (1:54)
20. The Art Of Fugue, BWV 1080 - Fuga Soggetti (8:51)
Track Listing