The Art of Fugue Mahan Esfahani and the Academy of Ancient Music: Thursday 21 Decembe

[doversoul1]

19.30

Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani joins the Academy of Ancient Music to perform Bach's Art of Fugue in a new instrumental arrangement by Esfahani himself. In doing so he revives the informal spirit of Bach's Leipzig coffee house concerts, in which the composer would direct his own band of musicians.
[…]
This concert is a repeat of a Proms Saturday Matinee from July 2012.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09ldslx

It will be good to hear this again but has it already been five years?!

[Pulcinella]

Issued as a BBC MM cover CD: Volume 25, Number 2.

[Richard Tarleton]

Issued as a BBC MM cover CD: Volume 25, Number 2.

I didn't understand his ordering/numbering - Contrapunctus 14 played half way through, timed at 3.38....can anyone help? There are almost no notes.

Fortunately I have 3 other performances.

[BBMmk2]

I never warmed to Esfahani's Goldberg, The Aria especially was rather slow.

[pastoralguy]

I never warmed to Esfahani's Goldberg, The Aria especially was rather slow.

And it was played on the harpsichord. ..

[Tony Halstead]

And it was played on the harpsichord. ..

Err...am I missing something here...? Isn't it supposed to be played on the harpsichord?
Having asked that, another question to be asked is, why did he use a harpsichord that seems not to allow 'synchronicity' between the hands?
We are well aware that many 19th century pianos seem to have this unfortunate disability when playing e.g. Chopin, Schumann and Liszt, but it's surprising to find an 18th century harpsichord that is apparently synchronistically faulty!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Err...am I missing something here...?

Bach didn't specify instrumentation, the work remaining unfinished at his death. Different solutions have been offered, the 2 harpsichord option being particularly favoured.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Bach didn't specify instrumentation, the work remaining unfinished at his death. Different solutions have been offered, the 2 harpsichord option being particularly favoured.

We're getting a bit confused here, Alpie - Bbm referred to Esfahani's Goldberg recording, rather than the AoF.

[BBMmk2]

We're getting a bit confused here, Alpie - Bbm referred to Esfahani's Goldberg recording, rather than the AoF.

Wel, as with a lot of JSB's works, they transfer well to other instruments, like the piano, indeed the modern piano, as in the hands of Sir Andras Schiff and Murray Perhahia, for example?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Wel, as with a lot of JSB's works, they transfer well to other instruments, like the piano, indeed the modern piano, as in the hands of Sir Andras Schiff and Murray Perhahia, for example?

Now I'm getting a bit confused here, Bbm - by "they" are you still talking about the "Goldbergs" (and Esfahani's performance of them), or "Art of Fugue", or Bach's (?keyboard?) Music in general?

(If the latter - yes, you're right: Bach sounds very good even on that most unmusical of instruments, the modern Grand Piano [if you like that sort of thing]. The most vigorous and uplifting performance of the "Badinerie" from the Second "Orchestral" Suite I've ever heard was given by a Steel Pan ensemble. But Bach knew how to write for the instruments he was familiar with, and, for me, they sound particularly "right" in all details when performed on these instruments. Of course - and to get us back to the Thread topic - as Alpie says, with BWV 1080, there are no specific details of instrumentation - so, bring on the Electric Guitars, Synthesisers, Saxophones, and Steel Pans! )

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

We're getting a bit confused here, Alpie - Bbm referred to Esfahani's Goldberg recording, rather than the AoF.

Oh!

Perhaps a touch OT though.

[BBMmk2]

Now I'm getting a bit confused here, Bbm - by "they" are you still talking about the "Goldbergs" (and Esfahani's performance of them), or "Art of Fugue", or Bach's (?keyboard?) Music in general?

(If the latter - yes, you're right: Bach sounds very good even on that most unmusical of instruments, the modern Grand Piano [if you like that sort of thing]. The most vigorous and uplifting performance of the "Badinerie" from the Second "Orchestral" Suite I've ever heard was given by a Steel Pan ensemble. But Bach knew how to write for the instruments he was familiar with, and, for me, they sound particularly "right" in all details when performed on these instruments. Of course - and to get us back to the Thread topic - as Alpie says, with BWV 1080, there are no specific details of instrumentation - so, bring on the Electric Guitars, Synthesisers, Saxophones, and Steel Pans! )

Indeed I do mean that ferney!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Perhaps a touch OT though.

I hope you appreciate the deft modulation of my final sentence of #10, Alpie

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Of course - and to get us back to the Thread topic - as Alpie says, with BWV 1080, there are no specific details of instrumentation - so, bring on the Electric Guitars, Synthesisers, Saxophones, and Steel Pans! )

It may surprise you to hear that I don't particularly like Bach on the piano. It sounds too laboured (if that's the right word) but I'd be interested to hear an orchestrated version of AoF. Didn't Munchinger do something think this?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I hope you appreciate the deft modulation of my final sentence of #10, Alpie