Bach Re-imagined: with Dan Tepfer
Dan Tepfer is one of this generation's extraordinary talents and was voted a best new artist in JazzTimes (2010). He has recevied global acclaim for his 2011 release of "Goldberg Variations/Variations" a disc that sees him performing J.S. Bach's masterpiece as well as improvising upon it. He has created a new series called #bachupsidedown where he plays a goldberg variation on his yamaha piano, into a computer program he created, which then plays it back, exactly chromatically inverted. Finally, he begins a new project called "Inventions/Reinventions" where he performs Bach's inventions sequentially and then improvises inventions for the missing keys. Ask about these projects, and gain unique insights into the music of Bach from Dan!
Follow this event link to tune in!
https://app.tonebase.co/piano/live/player/dan-tepfer-bach
Check out some of Dan's work below!
Goldberg Variations/Variations at Wigmore Hall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GND7yeeMbrU
#bachupsidedown #negativeharmony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxvKggshgLs
We are going to be using this thread to gather suggestions and questions!
- What questions do you have on this topic?
- Any particular area you would like me to focus on?
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This will be of extreme interest to me. It's a skill I'm working hard to develop -- to improvise in a style and manner consistent with Bach's compositional and improvisatory practices. I am familiar with improvisation, playing mostly in a stride/swing/jazz style but want to expand on that and am presently immersed deeply in the Well Tempered Clavier. Several other Tonebase sessions have been very helpful to me in
this endeavor already. Hoping to be able to attend, but with potential work conflicts; hopefully this will be recorded for me to access later if I can't attend? Thank you!
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Do you utilize thoroughbass concepts in your improvisations? If so, How closely do you stick to them?
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Also hoping you might walk us through step by step how you approach and construct an individual improvisation. For example -- do you tend to start with a selected motive, or with a chord pattern? (or both or something else!) Does a particular chord pattern suggest to you particular types of motives/riffs/thematic material to get from point A to Point B?. Taking an example of a specific motive, can you illustrate how you perceive the harmonic or improvisational possibilities locked within? do you primarily think vertically (chords) or horizontally (musical lines) when improvising? Lots of questions! but I'll be interested in hearing whatever you have to say regardless of whether these get answered specifically.
P.S. love the playing in the above videos..
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Can’t make this live session but will catch up at the weekend.
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I wonder if Dan can tell us about his musical upbringing and education. And I wonder if he has any tips, advice, exercises that he seems as extra valuable. I’m thinking both classical and improvisational, and linking the two.
Thank you so much! Love the videos!
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I'm not going to be able to attend because I have a conflict with work.
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This was an enjoyable and interesting LiveStream. Thank you, Dan! Thank you, Dominic! I appreciate all the questions that were asked, too! Thank you!
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Thank you so much, Dan and Dominic !! I feel incredibly inspired by everything that was shared in this live-session! Amazing stuff! I love improvisation, so to get Dan's insights on this, and some of his projects is extremely valuable
