Die Kunst der Fuge BWV 1080
19 tracks - Mp3 160 - 104 Mb RAR - Covers more info
Oliver Boekhoorn, oboe , oboe d'amore , english horn
Raaf Hekkema, soprano & alto saxophone
Ivar Berix, B flat & E flat clarinet
Jelte Althuis, basset horn & bass clarinet
Alban Wesly, bassoon
Calefax Reed Quintet
2000 MDG Sc ene
19 tracks - Mp3 160 - 104 Mb RAR - Covers more info
Oliver Boekhoorn, oboe , oboe d'amore , english horn
Raaf Hekkema, soprano & alto saxophone
Ivar Berix, B flat & E flat clarinet
Jelte Althuis, basset horn & bass clarinet
Alban Wesly, bassoon
Calefax Reed Quintet
2000 MDG Sc ene
Bach Rid of His Wig
by Ivar Berix
Notes on The Art of Fugue
Since its founding in 1985 Calefax has occupied itself more intensively with Johann Sebastian Bach's The Art of Fugue than with any other composition. Raaf Hekkema began with a first arrangement in 1990, we began playing smaller selections in 1994, en in 1999 we were able to perform a complete version. During all these years The Art of Fugue has become increasingly dear to our hearts. We have become acquainted with this work step by step and learned how to play it better in close contact with it. In addition, we have varied the instrumentation repeatedly so that at present the five musicians employ a total of ten ins truments.
Recently in particular, however, it has also become clear to us that The Art of Fugue is indeed a very sensitive composition. It is not without reason that it has continued to be the subject of new discussion am ong musicians and musicologists. A great many still unsolved riddles surround the work. Here we would only like to mention a few of these questions. Why did Bach not prescribe an instrumentation and what significance does this have? What is the proper order of the parts? Should one adapt the part writing in an ensemble performance? Should one follow the first edition or the manuscript? Why did the Contrapunctus XIV remain unfinished? Can one even perform an unfinished work? If yes, how should one deal with such an abrupt ending? Was The Art of Fugue intended for practical performance? Or was it perhaps instead a theoretical (learning) piece concerning counterpoint? Our occupation with these and many other (still unresolved) questions was very productive for us. We sometimes also felt the danger that the performance of this music was becoming a less spontaneous, almost theoretical matter.
Our encounter with Contrapunctus XIV by the Dutch artist Pascal Möhlmann was therefore a relieving experience. In this painting one sees Bach before a background of fourteen golden stripes. The expression on his face suggests very attentive listening or observing. The piece of paper that he is holding in his right hand contains the fragment of a musical score and represents one possible ending of the unfinished Contrapunctus XIV. When we consider Bach himself, we notice at second glance that he has finally taken off his wig 250 years after the Hausmann portrait. We see a human being! A somewhat corpulent man with a stubble beard who outdid most of his genial colleagues as a musician. The human quality revealed to us for a moment in this portrait increased our desire not to continue to spin Bach into his own mystical web. We simply want to play his music and, if necessary, to adapt his music to the instruments available to us, just as he adapte d his music to the instruments available to him. Respect need not mean keeping one's distance. What one wants to view respectfully from close up is something that one can take one's time to absorb into oneself. What one regards with tender esteem brings with it an invitation to pleasure. After all, the best baker in town has a goal in mind Practical, historical Namely That people eat bread. ***
www.goldberg-magazine.com
Igor Kipnis
Although the supposed "final piece" of Bach is still controversial in several aspects, such as the ideal order of the pieces, most specialized musicologists B ac h agree that, as regards the implementation, the recommended means is a keyboard instrument. However, from the point of view l color, tonal range and clarity of the parties, it is understandable who have been so many performers who have chosen different templates that can run the gamut from two instruments (such as a piano duet) to a treatment for strings or full orchestra, through joint recorders, string quartets or saxophone and band. Although there has already been mixed instrumental ensembles, notably the eighteenth century, this interpretation is perhaps the first to include a combination of ancient and modern instruments, in this case oboe, oboe d'amore, English horn, soprano and alto saxophones, whether flat and E flat and bass clarinets, horn and bassoon di basetto, all reed instruments.
is very interesting to hear how the five musicians come together to make their instruments sound very convincing to get more effective differences, for example, a modern string group. One reason for this result is perhaps more clear articulation of the tones of the wood and the resulting clarity on vocals. The order of contents is reasonable: each of the charges on both sides appears sandwiched between the various groups of leaks. The work was completed with the final flight (unfinished, but ended with the usual coral). From a stylistic point of view, my preferred version of the Art of Fugue with various instruments is still fairly recent CD Concerto Italiano and Rinaldo Alesandrini in Opus 111. But it's worth listening to this new interpretation for its strong expressiveness and textural clarity.
by Ivar Berix
Notes on The Art of Fugue
Since its founding in 1985 Calefax has occupied itself more intensively with Johann Sebastian Bach's The Art of Fugue than with any other composition. Raaf Hekkema began with a first arrangement in 1990, we began playing smaller selections in 1994, en in 1999 we were able to perform a complete version. During all these years The Art of Fugue has become increasingly dear to our hearts. We have become acquainted with this work step by step and learned how to play it better in close contact with it. In addition, we have varied the instrumentation repeatedly so that at present the five musicians employ a total of ten ins truments.
Recently in particular, however, it has also become clear to us that The Art of Fugue is indeed a very sensitive composition. It is not without reason that it has continued to be the subject of new discussion am ong musicians and musicologists. A great many still unsolved riddles surround the work. Here we would only like to mention a few of these questions. Why did Bach not prescribe an instrumentation and what significance does this have? What is the proper order of the parts? Should one adapt the part writing in an ensemble performance? Should one follow the first edition or the manuscript? Why did the Contrapunctus XIV remain unfinished? Can one even perform an unfinished work? If yes, how should one deal with such an abrupt ending? Was The Art of Fugue intended for practical performance? Or was it perhaps instead a theoretical (learning) piece concerning counterpoint? Our occupation with these and many other (still unresolved) questions was very productive for us. We sometimes also felt the danger that the performance of this music was becoming a less spontaneous, almost theoretical matter.
Our encounter with Contrapunctus XIV by the Dutch artist Pascal Möhlmann was therefore a relieving experience. In this painting one sees Bach before a background of fourteen golden stripes. The expression on his face suggests very attentive listening or observing. The piece of paper that he is holding in his right hand contains the fragment of a musical score and represents one possible ending of the unfinished Contrapunctus XIV. When we consider Bach himself, we notice at second glance that he has finally taken off his wig 250 years after the Hausmann portrait. We see a human being! A somewhat corpulent man with a stubble beard who outdid most of his genial colleagues as a musician. The human quality revealed to us for a moment in this portrait increased our desire not to continue to spin Bach into his own mystical web. We simply want to play his music and, if necessary, to adapt his music to the instruments available to us, just as he adapte d his music to the instruments available to him. Respect need not mean keeping one's distance. What one wants to view respectfully from close up is something that one can take one's time to absorb into oneself. What one regards with tender esteem brings with it an invitation to pleasure. After all, the best baker in town has a goal in mind Practical, historical Namely That people eat bread. ***
www.goldberg-magazine.com
Igor Kipnis
Although the supposed "final piece" of Bach is still controversial in several aspects, such as the ideal order of the pieces, most specialized musicologists B ac h agree that, as regards the implementation, the recommended means is a keyboard instrument. However, from the point of view l color, tonal range and clarity of the parties, it is understandable who have been so many performers who have chosen different templates that can run the gamut from two instruments (such as a piano duet) to a treatment for strings or full orchestra, through joint recorders, string quartets or saxophone and band. Although there has already been mixed instrumental ensembles, notably the eighteenth century, this interpretation is perhaps the first to include a combination of ancient and modern instruments, in this case oboe, oboe d'amore, English horn, soprano and alto saxophones, whether flat and E flat and bass clarinets, horn and bassoon di basetto, all reed instruments.
is very interesting to hear how the five musicians come together to make their instruments sound very convincing to get more effective differences, for example, a modern string group. One reason for this result is perhaps more clear articulation of the tones of the wood and the resulting clarity on vocals. The order of contents is reasonable: each of the charges on both sides appears sandwiched between the various groups of leaks. The work was completed with the final flight (unfinished, but ended with the usual coral). From a stylistic point of view, my preferred version of the Art of Fugue with various instruments is still fairly recent CD Concerto Italiano and Rinaldo Alesandrini in Opus 111. But it's worth listening to this new interpretation for its strong expressiveness and textural clarity.
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