Both, prelude and fugue in b-flat-minor of WTCI, BWV 867, for me are very religious and meditative pieces. Their theme is the suffering and the humility (from my view). I tried to bring out that character as well as it is possible for me.

(Now for the audio-(and video-)interested friends:
I have tried a new position of the mikes: I choosed a distance from nearly 1m to the grand and nearly 2m distance between the mikes (A-B-position). The mikes are in a heigth of nearly 1 m over the floor, nearly in the heigth of the rim of the grand-piano.
I have tried also a new editing-parameter, called "limiter,expander,gate", which gives the impression, that you are very near to the grand IMO. I personally like it like this.
I tried the 16:9-size on youtube, but I´m not yet satisfied. It´s a complicated story, because I have tried so much, to find out, how to get it. See link to my videos below, if you are interested, please.)

I´m very interested in your comments.


Bach - Prelude & Fugue in B-flat minor, BWV 867

A daring move from you, Andreas, to take on these harmonically extra dense pieces. I admit, I kind of lost the ball in the fugue. Phew!
You have said what you wanted to say, I think. Clearly and patiently played with a strong inner power which somehow you thought it was proper. I will follow along, as you were quite convincing in your argument. If you permit my saying, a very modern interpetation. You sure know how to play Bach.

Yes this I think is a very religious prelude and fugue. I happen to like it.
I also thought it was a bit daring and maybe to slow for my taste but I know
you guys have done this before. To me the prelude and fugue is more about steps or walking.
Perhaps I am wrong. Either way I still enjoyed listening to your performance.

Just out of curiosity do you use pedal here or is it all just simple overlapping legato?

I little fast for my preference, but otherwise, the phrasing is admirable, and the left hand and right hand are rather symmetric with one another. I would say it is a sentimental, and humble interpretation, which is perfect for your theme. Not quite as sentimental as i had hoped, but very noble indeed.

Thank you for sharing this with all of us.

This is up, Andreas.

Your touch is wonderful, as usual. But I think this is too slow. Although, I've never played it, let alone even looked at it, so I don't know what the tempo marking is. It just seemed to go on for quite some time, though. Sorry - honesty is the best policy, and you know I don't know what I'm talking about as far as Bach goes. If this is how you 'feel' the music, then it's fine.

btw - your id tags were better here. Now if you can make the title like this: Bach - Prelude & Fugue in B-flat minor, BWV 867, it would be perfect.

Hi Pantelis and Stan,
thank you for your comments. Yes, I still like my interpretation and I have decided for the relative slow tempo with full conscience. That does not mean, of course, that it can be played also a bit faster (and I suppose, you believe me, that I would be able to do this, if I would have wanted it).

wiser_guy wrote:


No, Pantelis, I don´t know, because neither I lived in baroque epoque nor I have spoken with him. But may be you know it.

Stan, I used some attentive pedal here, but made finger-legato, if it was possible. I wanted to have a perfect legato here and I worked very much on a voicing as subtle as I´m able to.

Thank you for your comment, Lukecash.
Lukecash wrote:


Compared with some other interpretations I play this quite slowly, but what an interesting idea, to play it still slower!



Thanks for this.



Thank you for this, too, but I think, if I would play this still more sentimentally, it probably would become too romantic.

Pianolady wrote:


Thank you very much, Monica.



In most of Bachs preludes and fugues of WTC there are no tempo markings, so it is in this case, too. It´s the decision of the interpreter, to choose a tempo, which he thinks to be adequate. So, the tempo-choose stays a matter of personal taste here.



I´m happy with my tempo at this moment, may be in some days, weeks or years I will think: "Oh, Mr. Andreas, what have you done there in the early past of your piano-history." (You know, I´m always polite with me, if I speak with myself.)




Of course, Monica, it will be a pleasure.

I could not listen to the prelude because of its extremely slow tempo. This just loses momentum and interest. The fugue is also very slow but somehow it can sustain it better. Very good voicing here. I am surprised you left in the botched trill at 7:19, a blemish on an otherwise quite perfect recording (apart from some slightly uneven attack here and there). Wrong notes I heard none, and this is an object lesson in polyphonic playing.

Thank you very much for your appreciated comment, Chris.

Techneut wrote:


It´s necessary to engage in my ideas of voicing and my general idea of interpretation. If this is nothing for you, it is like this and it´s no problem for me.



Sure, I worked on it.



Well, I thought about this trill before posting the recording and I thought, it wasn´t too bad.



Thanks, that´s true, there are some very few places, where my special voicing ideas cost a very little bit eveness of playing the notes exactly together. I could have worked a bit more on this.

Haha - I am not polite at all with myself. It's the only time when I don't have to watch my p's and q's.





The pleasure will be all mine.

Pianolady wrote:


So, we both will be happy and the world comes closer together, at least Germany and America.

(And BTW, my answer to your little petition above shows, that I´m not only polite, if I speak with myself. )

I beg to differ with the majority view about the tempo being slow. A radical choice it is, but adequately pursued. As Chris's already pointed out, an object lesson of polyphonic playing for all of us. Very persuasive the ornaments at antiphonal bars 13-14. Interpretative-wise I like best the prelude, but this pair is well rendered in all the respects. Also, your novel recording settings work beautifully and your piano sounds even more gorgeous than ever. I'm not sure that this kind of close sound image would suit music other than Bach's, but I understand this is highly personal.

Thank you for listening and commenting, Alfonso.

Alf wrote:


Wow, thanks. Yes, my choice is "radical" compared with most recordings of famous pianists, but not more radical than the choice of Glenn Gould.



Especially in the slow tempo, I found these bars too boring without some additional ornaments. I´m glad, you like them.



Coming from you, this means much too me. And I´m so happy, that someone appreciates all my effort, I put in testing out new recording settings. I would like to thank once more Pantelis, from who I have all these nice inspirations.



Yes, that´s a good point, Alfonso, and I will think about it. Thanks for the inspiration.

Isn't that neat how all of us here are from all over the place, and yet we understand each other? (most of the time )