JS Bach Italian Concerto BWV 971

Started by staxomega, October 09, 2021, 11:23:15 AM

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bioluminescentsquid

Quote from: MusicTurner on October 10, 2021, 06:09:14 AM
As one would perhaps expect, Gould's remark seems to have been related to the rather daring Chromatic Fantasy (which Gould apparently didn't like that much, comparing it to music from horror movies, and where he apparently didn't tend to play the Fugue): http://glenngould.org/f_minor/msg06001.html

This might be myself projecting then, but I do agree in the sense that the Italian concerto is much more galant and therefore digestible than most of Bach.

I have a harpsichordist friend who finds playing Bach to be rather boring, since the music is so prescriptive and most interpretation tend to be a little cookie-cutter. While I don't necessarily agree, I do feel like the Italian concerto is one of these very prescriptive pieces.

Mandryka

#22
The booklet to Suzuki's recording, which I'm listening to now with great pleasure, is informative as always

https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/96/000029769.pdf

He says the harpsichord is based on an "enlarged Ruckers" and it's very characterful and engaging.

I also listened to Mortensen, who gives an excellent and colourful performance.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Jo498

Quote from: bioluminescentsquid on October 10, 2021, 10:59:40 PM
This might be myself projecting then, but I do agree in the sense that the Italian concerto is much more galant and therefore digestible than most of Bach.
It's pretty much as galant and digestible as most of the orchestral and chamber music. More than the more "theoretical pieces" like WTC or AoF but not really or only slightly more "popular" than most of the keyboard suites.  The pairing with the today far less popular  b minor French ouverture seems to indicate to me that Bach would have seen both of these pieces as similar in appeal for the players/listeners of his time.

Gould's remark would still be a bit strange as the Chromatic fantasy seems more late 17th century stylus phantasticus than 1730s gallant style.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

bioluminescentsquid

#24
Quote from: Jo498 on October 11, 2021, 01:08:48 AM
It's pretty much as galant and digestible as most of the orchestral and chamber music. More than the more "theoretical pieces" like WTC or AoF but not really or only slightly more "popular" than most of the keyboard suites.  The pairing with the today far less popular  b minor French ouverture seems to indicate to me that Bach would have seen both of these pieces as similar in appeal for the players/listeners of his time.

Gould's remark would still be a bit strange as the Chromatic fantasy seems more late 17th century stylus phantasticus than 1730s gallant style.

That's fair. The dreaded BWV 565 is also another popular piece that's tends to the more 17th century North German side. I wonder if, without its pop culture associations, if it would be around as popular as most of Buxtehude and Bruhns. Bach's other more Phantastic organ works like BWV 566 or BWV 551 have not fared as well.

When I think of Bach I do tend to think of his theoretical pieces and forget that he wrote a bunch of patron-pleasers :)

Mandryka

Quote from: Selig on October 10, 2021, 06:58:17 PM
Nice relic: Kirkpatrick 1939 (or 1936, according to bach-cantatas)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWbCHsYSwHA

Some wacky sounding registrations in the first movement, he's a bit more restrained in the 1950s recording. 
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

71 dB

Just listened to BWV 971 again (Rübsam on Naxos) and I have to say I may have overlooked this work.
It has quite a lot of charm.
Strange how little attention I have payed on it.
I also think it works really well played on piano, but I may check out a harpsichord performance of it.
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Jo498

The very beginning of the piece was used as title/break in a German TV program in the 1980s. I didn't know what it was back then.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

staxomega

#28
Quote from: MusicTurner on October 10, 2021, 06:09:14 AM
As one would perhaps expect, Gould's remark seems to have been related to the rather daring Chromatic Fantasy (which Gould apparently didn't like that much, comparing it to music from horror movies, and where he apparently didn't tend to play the Fugue): http://glenngould.org/f_minor/msg06001.html

Interesting that Gould didn't like the Toccatas either, his performances here aren't terrible. He usually throws his toys out of the pram when he has to record something he doesn't like. It was Rubsam that really opened my eyes to the Toccatas.

Betthoi

Quote from: Jo498 on October 10, 2021, 01:30:00 AM
I am pretty sure there are also flute or oboe versions.
Bunin is an excellent Bach player, unfortunately he has not recorded a lot and even less is available outside of Japan. I have one more EMI disc besides the fillers for Gavrilov.
At least among pianist the Concerto seems much favored vs. the "French ouverture b minor". Koroliov has a nice disc on Hänssler (usually cheaper than TACET...) with all of Clavierübung II.

It would be interesting to listen to this work performed by flute and oboe. It seems to me that they are somewhat undervalued instruments, although they sound very nice.