Bach - Violin Music on Guitar?

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
though I am struggling to see why Andrew Manze gets the plaudits he does

I couldn't agree more. He was up here about a year ago doing a performance of Mozart's Requiem with the SCO which (their wonderful chorus aside) was really rather dull.

regards, Tam

Well, the Galbraith CDs arrived yesterday, and first impressions are very positive. It's less showy than some of the reviews had led me to believe, and is clearly a serious attempt to bring this wonderful music to the guitar. Of course, the guitar in question is a little odd - eight strings, held cello style, with a long spike at the "base" that rests on a soundbox on the floor. Odd or not, it works. I've listened to the chaconne three times - he takes it slower than I'm used to, so it clocks in at a hefty 19m+, but the overall effect is one of concentration, and seriousness of purpose. If that sounds a little heavy, there are other movements on this set where Galbraith's guitar really swings! With the extra bass from that eighth string, it's a warmer sounding performance than I'm used to, but that could just be the Spendors!

I think I will listen to this one a lot, nd recommend it, if you're looking for something a little different.

What next? A saxophone quartet version of the Art of Fugue"?!

Dear droo,

There is quite a good reason for going with an Organ for the Art Of Fugue. The player can make clear the inner voices with careful registration. This is one thing that, in this case, seems harder to achieve with a Harpsichord, or even group of strings [like the Juliard Quartet for example].

Helmut Walcha makes a good case for the Organ as an instrument to realise the work, but some will [rightly] say he is somewhat austere in style for the new-comer to this music. It never was a problem for me, but sometimes I think austerity is incredibly expressive. Somewhat like a deeply affectionate look from afar to a lady is more valuable than a public kiss!

ATB from Fredrik

Fredrik - you may be right!

I struggled to get into the AoF until recently. I had a piano version (Joanna McGregor), and two small group versions (Savall, and the one on Philips Duo - ASMF?). None of them worked for me. The breakthrough came with an organ version played by Isoir that I picked up for about £3 in a HMV sale. As you say, it's much easier to hear what's going on because of the different registrations used. Isoir also changes registrations a lot between fugues, so there's plenty of variety to the sound.

I'm looking forward to exploring other versions in due course - including the sax quartet one day!

The Walcha Art of Fugue is a disc that everyone who cares for the music ought to hear. Walcha's ear for registration is superb as is his sense of structure. For reasons passing understanding the recording has only been available as part of DG's complete box of his stereo organ recordings for some time. Fortunately, DG have now released it in a two disc set (which contains a few other works) and goes for about £10 - well worth picking up.

Actually, the availability (or lack thereof) of Walcha's recordings remains something of a blemish on EMI and DG.

regards, Tam

Though there is this absurdly cheap boxed set on amazon.de:

Walcha 10 CDs

Any ide what it is, and whether it will be any good (performance + sound quality)?

About four years ago DG Archiv issued Helmut Walcha's mono cycle [made on two organs from Bach's time], which is not quite complete, recorded between 1947 abd 1952 [or 1953?] at Lubeck and Cappel. The performances are glorious and the recordings very fine mono, from tape and [1947 series] 78s, though you would never guess that it was not all from tape.

The 1947 Lubeck recordings are in a larger [more conventional] accoustic setting, whereas the Cappel ones are of a very fine large [by Baroque standards] Organ in a fairly modest Parish Church, and this leads to a relatively dry, and phenomenally clear definition of the inner voices. The Lubeck recording are also very clear however. In other hands the Cappel Organ might well have been too strong for the space, but Walcha never over plays his registration, which in any case is designed for clarity of part writing, rather than necessarily a conventional very strong "Organo Pleno" [full organ] sound world. Bach advocated a strong Organo Pleno, but for records it may be a good thing to have the clarity of Walcha, rather than a very big sound-world. I think so...

This set is [I believe], possibly very close to a pirate of that DG Archiv CD reissue [same recordings, but where the source material came from is any body's guess], for though the recordings are by now out of copyright, the new DG issue is very carefully remastered, and certainly is in copyright. This issue is slightly different in that the order on the CDs is disimilar, but Pe-zulu has this issue and the older vinyl releases of the recordings, and reported that this non DG issue may have some added reverberation which he found an advantage in the Cappel recordings. I personally would not want this, but then I am all for clarity first and foremost! The counterpoint is more important than the [illusion of] space! On the other hand I think he suggested that there is no loss in clarity, so I would think you are safe to go for this, and possibly add the two disc Art Of Fugue recording [from 1956] in pristine DG stereo, as good as done last week! You will then have about 90 percent of Bach's Organwerks in the most lucid and brilliant readings, though it should probably be a starting point and eventually add another cycle from MC Alain, or the later Walcha series! Or even another set altogether. Pe-zulu will have more to say, I hope...

I hope Pe-zulu sees this, though I know his hours of work may mean this is towards next weekend at the moment.

Kindest regards from Fredrik

I should have clarified, Walcha's organ recordings are pretty well available (except that until recently you could not get the Art of Fugue separately). My bigger gripe is when it comes to his harpsichord stuff.

I have the box you mention and the sound is okay, though not outstanding (but then, given the time, it isn't surprising), but he didn't record the art of fugue for it. You might like to have a glance at this thread.

Actually, Amazon have his stereo cycle (with the art of fugue) for a not too terrible price, but I don't know the rest of it.

regards, Tam