Tonebase Bach Stage
This thread is dedicated to J.S. Bach keyboard music. We would like to renew the inspiring spirit of the old thread "Group-Journey through J.S. Bach" based on the inventions and extend to the entire Bach repertoire: inventions, preludes, fugues, toccatas, dances of the Suites and Partitas...
This is for everyone who wants to join!
We can enjoy Bach music together and motivate each other in the process of learning and practicing it!
"I begin every day with Bach - usually for about an hour. I used to torture myself with Czerny, which of course wasn't exactly stimulating for the mind. On the other hand, it teaches you the fingering for a B flat major scale, chromatic thirds, and so on. The daily grind of learning. Later, I discovered that I could get my 'training' under way better with Bach - a refreshment for the body, soul and spirit". (András Schiff, Music Comes Out of Silence, p. 21)
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Hello everyone!
A playful hands dialogue. That kind of daily "training" with Bach music about what András Schiff was talking in his book. Really refreshing.
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Juan Carlos Olite Truly a dialogue between 2 friends teasing each other! You bring great imagination to this friendly day out.
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Juan Carlos Olite this is the kind of joy-filled performance that brings a smile to our lips.
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Gail Starr Monika Tusnady Thank you very much
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Juan Carlos Olite Great energy in this Juan Carlos!
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Count me in on this thread! In my sometimes lonely and exhausting trek to try to get through the entire WTC, it is most welcome to hear what others are playing and how this music speaks through all of us, of all levels. Right now I'm learning the F Major from Book II --almost up to performance. I've only been able to post in intermittent fits (this being one of them!) over the past few years, but this thread would inspire me to post progress reports and observations about the music along the way.
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A little contribution to the Bach stage: the Allemande from French Suite No 5. Thanks you for starting this, Juan Carlos!
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Andrea Buckland Beautiful! Love this French Suite.
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Andrea Buckland So beautiful, Andrea! Thank you so much. A wonderful tribute to our beloved Bach
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Andrea Buckland you play with beautiful tones, and with an ever so gentle lilt. This is lovely, Andrea!
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Natalie Peh Thank you so much, Natalie!
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Andrea Buckland I agree, this is very loveley, Andrea. You really bring out the reflective, wistful qualities of this piece . It seems like Bach allowed himself a little more of this kind of expressiveness in these Suites, somewhat more so than in the WTC. Would you say there's even a hint of sadness here? even though it does resolve into repose at the end... I hope that someday I can bring out these qualities in these pieces with a similar sensitivity. Presently I find that really difficult to do.
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Peter Golemme Many thanks, Peter! Looking forward to hearing your Bach!
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Andrea Buckland thanks Andrea. I’m almost ready to post. I was away from home & piano for about 2.5 weeks earlier this month and it threw off my memorization regimen with my current piece (Bk 2 F Major). But The Fugue is now just about memorized and I won’t wait to memorize the Prelude before posting.
I’d like to dispense with memorization sometimes because it is SO time-consuming, but I also learn so much more about a piece when I try to memorize it. I’m seeing things in this Fugue that I had no idea were there when I previously just played through it.
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Andrea Buckland I love your thoughtful, conversational tempo. Kind of sounds like Bach is giving loving advice to his dozens (?!) of children...
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Andrea Buckland I love the lyricism of this performance!
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Andrea Buckland so enjoyed that - thank you Andrea!
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A quick version of P&F in A minor from WTC II. It still needs direction and shaping.
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Harriet Kaplan Really enjoyed it Harriet!
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Harriet Kaplan Bravo, Harriet!! I love the energy you are giving the Fugue! Beautiful playing!
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Harriet Kaplan I enjoyed listening to this Harriet, and the contrast you created with the slightly dreamy prelude and then the very catchy rhythm on the fugue is very appealing!
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Harriet Kaplan Excellent playing, Harriet! Perfectly shaped and with pure inner expressiveness. Thank you so much for sharing it here, in our Tonebase Bach Stage.
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Harriet Kaplan That's really nice Harriet. sounds pretty far along to me! I especially liked the subtle ebb & swell of dynamics in the Prelude. I've played this pair, and I'm rather stumped interpretively with what to do with the Prelude, but your ideas are really instructive and sound very natural. On the Fugue too I notice that you're holding the quarter notes for all or most of their duration. I've tended to play them non-legato (easier for one thing!) but I like the way it sounds when done your way. The two parts of the subject stand in more contrast with each other, and you sustain the distinction through out the piece - not easy to do. Looks like you have it memorized or near=memorized too, or am I wrong? anyway, I think this one's just about ready to bring on tour! maybe we'll hear it at the next community concert?
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Peter Golemme thanks - I’ve been working on this all year because I’m prepping for an audition. So yes, it’s memorized. There are about a million ways one could play the prelude, and I’m still adjusting it.
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Harriet Kaplan best of luck with the audition Harriet. The Tonebase postings are a great way to tune up for that.
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Harriet Kaplan I love your thoughtful chromatacism. Melodic but not too romantic!
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