BachScholar Videos

Please enjoy probably Busoni's most popular Bach transcription. It's a beautiful piece that makes great use of the lower register of the piano. I think my piano has the best lower register out of any I have played, including larger concert grands in recital halls. It is a 1929 Steinway model L (rebuilt) and I just had it tuned last week, so my recent videos have been especially "fine tuned". I am going through some difficult times now, and playing the piano seems to be my only outlet. I ...

Tags: BWV 639 Bach Busoni ich ruf zu dir Herr orgelbuchlein piano harpsichord organ romantic transcription Horowitz

Like the Courante and Sarabande I uploaded before this, I decided to perform the Rondeaux from the same Partita to demonstrate an important aspect of Bach's musical science. I didn't bother setting the camera up, went through it a few times, and recorded it using music. I plan on making a memorized video of the entire Partita in the future, but for now please enjoy this audio recording. If you have been following my other Bach performances and reading the discussions, you are probably by now ...

Tags: BWV 826 partita in C-minor harpsichord organ piano glenn gould andras schiff martha argerich

Sarabande at 1:28 This is just a sample of two movements from Partita #2 that I recorded on the whim to demonstrate some important aspects of Bach's "musical science". I didn't bother setting up my camera, took the music out, went through them a few times, and recorded them using music (yes, I do use music before things are completely memorized). I plan on making a video of the entire Partita sometime in the future, but for now please enjoy this audio recording. As many of you are aware, I ...

Tags: Bach BWV 826 partita in C-minor glenn gould andras schiff

Allemande at 0:08 Courante at 1:57 Sarabande at 3:55 Menuets at 5:50 Gigue at 7:53 This is the least played of all Bach's suites, most likely due to the somewhat darker character than most other suites. I find the more subdued moods and D-minor tonality add depth. This happens to be my favorite of the French Suites. Some thoughts that come to mind: 1. I am not an advocate of taking all repeats all the time in any of Bach's suites. In fact, I think it's best usually to not repeat. Usually the ...

Tags: BWV 812 french suite D-minor harpsichord organ piano glenn gould

Menuets at 2:48 Giga at 5:34 Even though I could go on for many pages analyzing this partita and explaining my tempo choices, as I usually do, I am going to say nothing. This way, the music will speak for itself. Just a few things worth mentioning: 1. In the Praeludium, I prefer a short ornament more like a grace note, which turns the whole note group into a triplet. I like it this way. Perhaps this is not "correct" or "scholarly", but nitpicking over ornaments is something I don't care to ...

Tags: BWV 825 partita in B-flat major glenn gould

Allemande at 2:15 Corrente at 4:13 Even though I could go on for many pages analyzing this partita and explaining my tempo choices, as I usually do, I am going to say nothing. This way, the music will speak for itself. Just a few things worth mentioning: 1. In the Praeludium, I prefer a short ornament more like a grace note, which turns the whole note group into a triplet. I like it this way. Perhaps this is not "correct" or "scholarly", but nitpicking over ornaments is something I don't ...

Tags: BWV 825 partita in B-flat major glenn gould

RAGTIME! Scott Joplin playlist: www.youtube.com There is a big difference between early Joplin and late Joplin rags, "late" referring to around 1908 or later. Like most composers, Joplin matured with age, and personally, I think his later rags are generally higher quality than the earlier rags. For example, my absolute favorite rag of all, Searchlight Rag, comes from 1908. But "A Breeze From Alabama" is an exception in my opinion. I rank it as probably the best of Joplin's earlier rags ...

Tags: scott joplin joshua rifkin ragtime piano honky tonk jazz stride スコットジョプリン

Duet playlist: www.youtube.com About the Four Duets: Towards the end of his monumental organ collection, Clavierübung III (1738), Bach included four pieces in strict two-part counterpoint that are the absolute best and and masterful of his two-part writing. Bach was at the height of his powers when he wrote these, even more so than in the earlier two-part Inventions from 1722. Analysis indicates Bach conceived all four duets with durations of either two or three minutes (like Contrapunctus 1 ...

Tags: BWV 805 Clavierübung III duetto duet organ piano harpsichord glenn gould

Duet playlist: www.youtube.com About the Four Duets: Towards the end of his monumental organ collection, Clavierübung III (1738), Bach included four pieces in strict two-part counterpoint that are the absolute best and and masterful of his two-part writing. Bach was at the height of his powers when he wrote these, even more so than in the earlier two-part Inventions from 1722. Analysis indicates Bach conceived all four duets with durations of either two or three minutes (like Contrapunctus 1 ...

Tags: BWV 804 Clavierübung III duetto duet organ piano harpsichord glenn gould

Duet playlist: www.youtube.com About the Four Duets: Towards the end of his monumental organ collection, Clavierübung III (1738), Bach included four pieces in strict two-part counterpoint that are the absolute best and and masterful of his two-part writing. Bach was at the height of his powers when he wrote these, even more so than in the earlier two-part Inventions from 1722. Analysis indicates Bach conceived all four duets with durations of either two or three minutes (like Contrapunctus 1 ...

Tags: BWV 803 Clavierübung III duetto duet organ piano harpsichord glenn gould