The Keyboard Music of Bach

I'm also quite relaxed about Bach on the piano, even though I prefer the harpsichord.
I figure, Bach himself was an enthousiastic arranger, so I guess I do not disturb his rest by listening to a string quartet playing his work.

Heard a fugue of Bach (BWV 578) played by a saxophone quartet last winter, that was great!

Or did I mention that before?
I'm getting old and I need a drink.

:guiness:

 

--- ---

A drink to clear the memory I suppose.
Proost :guiness:

 

And another one to Bach's health errr.... rest then: skål!

:guiness: :guiness:

 

No one would say you're getting old. But I deeply sympathize, I often feel just like that... I'm even warming to beer, which I never did in the past. A pint of stout between friends, miammm
:guiness: Let's the three of us get to a silent pub and get friendly through the absorption of a few pints... (Tones won't come: he is a teetotaller).

 

Nice idea, saude! :guiness:

 

Isn't it possible to get non-alcoholic beverages in a silent pub?

I'll think about your suggestion .... it's tempting. Though my finanicial situation is pretty bad right now.

Berlin could be an option, though.

And then, after drinking loads of German beer, we annoy the librarians of the Musikabteiling at the Staatsbibliothek with silly questions like bitte, zeigen Sie uns das vollendete Manuskript von der Kunst der Fuge Johann Sebastian Bachs.

Btw, since you've mentioned Tones .... I haven't seen him around for a while, not even in his favourite Cantata Thread. Hope he's all right.

 

How would a librarian (a German one) react to this? But you would have to translate, my German is lousy (practically non-existent right now).

I think all is well with Tones; he is just busy. But he would drink orangeade and would drive us home

 

He,he.

I think he is well. He sent me a PM a few days ago.

 

I got it! I knew it!
Now I know where I know you from!
You're that American soldier bloke in that famous war movie saying something like I wonder what bitte means.

:gatling:

Better not say that to the German librarian. :inferno:

BTW: my question meant Entschuldiging , pleaze zzhow uzz ze entire original finizhed manuzkript of Bach'z Aart of Zze Fugue.

 

No, I did understand the question; in fact I told my wife about it because it was so funny in our context: but I would need you both to understand the librarian's answer.

Yes, I'm Buffalo Bill! :clint: You found me out!!

Tones wrote to me too.

And Skål to you too, dear pe-zulu.

 

I misunderstood your reaction because of my lousy English.

I phoned the Berlin Staatsbibliothek this morning and asked them for the manuscript. After a long waiting the answer was: Die Polizei ist informiert. Das Manuskript ist als vermißt gemeldet.

Mmm, probably seen too many German Krimis during my youth.

Btw, topic duty: am I listening to some Bach's keyboard music?
Yes, listening to Bach's Kunst der Fuge (really?), played by Sergio Vartolo (Naxos). His style of playing is a bit 'stop-and-go' sometimes, but overall I think it's a well-reflected interpretation.

 

That is my idea of a German library, indeed.

Your English is better than mine! And your sense of humour is better than mine, too.

Many thanks for making me smile

I never listened to the Vartolo version. But pe-zulu certainly has it (I think he has listened to most of the versions ever available, even the impossible to find ones). So let's wait for his answer.

In the meanwhile, if I find it, I'll buy it, too.

 

How did you know?

Well, I have listened to Vartolo's AoF all in all three times some months ago. Beautiful sounding instrument, delicate touch and all that. A few strange changes of registrations. Generally slow tempi - does not bother me as such. What spoils the performance for me is his inconsistency concerning tempo. He changes tempo very often and seems to have no true basic pulse. Maybe he concentrates upon being as spontaneous as possible, but it does not work for me. I think he tears the music apart.

My former organ teacher once told me this joke:
Two organists attend a recital of a collegue. Afterwards organist no. one asks organist no. two: "What do you think of his tempo?" And organist no. two answers: "Which one of them?".

Regards,

 

What a pity Tureck didn't record AoF.
Well, maybe pe-zulu has it anyway since he has "the impossible to find ones".

 

They were talking about Rübsam?

Seriously now, I had a (Naxos) Rübsam déjà-entendu sometimes, whilst listening to Vartolo.

 

But the difference is that Rübsam has got a basic pulse which keeps the music together.

 

A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the interval of an octave.

 

Where are you rds, pe-zulu, marc? The forum needs you!

 

I am here.

 

Fantastic! Then we can discuss Godberg variations, but not Gouldberg variations.
You know, I have tried to reverse my apparent lobotomy by this famous composition.
Great success!
I have found that Karl Richter's 1970 recording is interesting in its own way.
Then Andrei Gavrilov's piano version is stunning, sort of Gould with out the humming and chair and bad taste. But if you are after beauty, check out Scott Ross's studio 1988 version.
Then there is Andreas Staier's new record. It is ugly and interesting, in that order.
Then there is Chiara Massini's record that is in youtube. I have that too