Bach - WTC II (Angela Hewitt) - Prelude & Fugue No. 15 in G Major BWV 884

[012jsd]

@benjbloch Im pretty sure its supposed to be a c natural

[JHighland1]

good, but she has too much of the "mmmm yes I am quite snooty and classical" thing going on

[keishadelacerna]

Bach + Hewitt + Steinway = W + O + W

[irkwang]

wait, is it actually a C# instead of a C? i always play a C....

[mikegallegos7]

Excellent! Excellent!

[jofman1988]

"Speech with and without thought is to be compared with the playing of a piece of music with and without thought"

P.I. 341

[Pretendkid]

aww, the music is adorable.

[felipilloo1984]

Wonderful control in that immortal fugue :)

[MusicPredominates]

... o ridiculous ... twinkle in his eye ? for the likes of you ? ... J S Bach was much above such talk ... a professional in everyway !

[dragon84209]

This looks creepily like it was animated (I know it's not, or at least I hope, it's not)

Wonderful playing though.

[benjbloch]

I noticed that too about the different note at 0:40, I think it's a half-step higher than the other versions, it has a more major sound in the harmonic context of that run of notes. I wonder, though, does anyone know how two versions can come about like this with Bach? I mean isn't there a definitive version?

[benjbloch]

I noticed that too about the different note at 0:40, I think it's a half-step higher than the other versions, it has a more major sound in the harmonic context of that run of notes. I wonder, though, does anyone know how two versions can come about like this with Bach? I mean isn't there a definitive version?

[soami2u]

I love the way she makes the fugue dance--Bach in one of his merriest moods!

[Justme1635438]

A few seconds later than 0:38 I mean, about 0:40

[Justme1635438]

She plays a different note than Rosalyn Tureck about 0:38 sec into the video and does it again when the pattern repeats. But love her Bach more than anyone else.

[yurtzenika]

i love this interpretation, she really does bring out all the suttleties that in bach's music. it's divine from the very first note. but please less camera rotation !!

[jwchappy1]

you said its in g major and at the begining you playd a Csharp.duh

[kb27787]

@jwchappy1 Immediately after the opening Bach likes to go to the dominant chord :) almost always I think... in this case, D major, so that can justify the C-sharp there, and I think it sounds good... it gives a bit of color... with a C-natural (the way I had to play for my exam) it sounds a little flatter....

[Trompetteenchamade]

@jwchappy1 Duh? You can hear that the key clearly moves to the dominant in the fourth measure as a contrasting response to the first statement in the tonic. C# is the leading tone to the dominant in G. In a couple more measures there is a dominant of the dominant (there's a single G# before Bach turns it back quickly to D) before the sequence begins. In fact, there's more D major than G prior to the repeat, a structural move to the dominant which is expected in the first half of a binary form.

[jwchappy1]

@Trompetteenchamade sorry that Duh! comment was made by my 8 yr old son - i will be promptly changing my password settings!!

[D8018]

I think, the way she plays Prelude is like, The first round kinda of full tone note. Look at how she press the note, and after the repeat, she only press a little note down, (meaning she a very superb touch)

[katerinawsy]

Angela Hewitt is one of the best Bach performers. It won't do you any good to criticize her when you probably can't do any better. learn from her and if you don't like it then don't do it. I think she's great

[ktriebler]

@WMWWWWWWMWWW

It isn't just you, it struck me immediately, too.

[pangaea611]

it would be good but she plays it like a romantic piece.

[REGOLITTLE]

Does anyone know where I can get the "Bach: The English Suites No 2." played by her?

[janvkimm]

@REGOLITTLE

I think in every classical recordshop

Greetings

Jan.

[kb27787]

Amazing! her technique is superb!!!

The fugue is usually played slower than that and to me it sounds sluggish that way but she brings it to life and it's just amazing!

I hope I can play even half as well as she does by the time of my ALCM exams (this is one of my pieces! lol after seeing that I feel so... unskilled)

[terrygowork]

Her Bach has pleasing sound but incredibly boring. I didnt know Bach can be good background music. She might still have some fame while she is alive, not after

[bontempo01]

@terrygowork how can you write that after listening to the Fugue? I agree that the Prelude is a bit "flat" and unimaginative, but not the Fugue.

[practicecrazypianist]

WOW!!!! This is SO beautiful and so delicately and sensitively played - thank you for posting!

Ms Hewitts' ornaments are effortless and simply glide into the passage work without disrupting the flow! WOW!

[TURBOKNIGHTRIDER]

A PIANO is A MARVELLOUS VEHICLE?????lollll a PIANO IS NO CAR TO DRIVE!BITCH!

[mattnotmatt2]

@TURBOKNIGHTRIDER - behave yourself you vulgar little man

[TURBOKNIGHTRIDER]

@mattnotmatt2 lol BE CAREFUL what you SAY DUDE OK!

[techyesboy]

I went to a concert and saw her preform the goldberg variations, she has incredible talent.

[Ueberbacker]

Im studying this and BACH is my nightmare!

well done

[siku5it]

I am not the finest music expert, but man, this is soo nice !!

[princessatheart88]

@truxaltom, her error is in measure 7 on the second beat.

[Jbigula]

It might actually be an old manuscript variation after the repeat, or a trend in Bach's repertoire. Otherwise, she could have easily recorded it again.

[spiritwinds56]

what does WTC stand for?

[ophirisr]

The well tempered clavier

[bachaddict]

world trade center. or well-tempered clavier. ;)

[mdeonx16]

@spiritwinds56 Well tempered klavier

[Pladask]

I like her. She looks just like Elin! RESPECT

[yourforte]

I love this - apart from the C sharps that shouldn't be there.

[egvztpwa]

she plays bach like chopin!

[martinhablaespagnol]

@egvztpwa - thats what I think and feel too - either chopin or bach - so what is the sence of this ? Can anybody tell me ?

[pbazant]

@martinhablaespagnol There are elements in her playing I appreciate very much, but I like when Bach is played with certain amount of austerity, which she doesn't provide at all.

[princessatheart88]

Nope, the C# is a mistake. Just checked the score. And she made that mistake twice.

[373raindance]

but... it sounds horrible without the sharp! have you played/heard it before? i just played it on my piano and it sounds like a dying squirrel...

[princessatheart88]

Yes I've played it. It sounds way better without the sharp, and that's the way Bach wrote it. I'm actually not a huge fan of her interpretation of this piece- there are better versions out there.

[373raindance]

Say, could you please help me with this piece? I have no idea whether or not to play a C# in measures 16 or 27. I believe there should be a sharp in M16 since the D to C# is a half step, just like the G to F# in the last measure. Thanks.

[princessatheart88]

Sure, no problem. Yes, you should play a C# in m. 16, but not in m. 27. There aren't any C sharps in either hand there. The recording of this that I like best is by Edward Adwell.

[373raindance]

k, thx!

[dmcII]

@princessatheart88 Interesting that you like Aldwell's performances of WTC. I have his recordings of both books and they're excellent. He's not as well known as others but I personally prefer his recordings better than Gould.

[truxaltom]

@princessatheart88

I'm missing her error, which measure are you all hearing this c#?

[ivelosthewilltolive]

Hmm, a C# in the RH in bar 7? Sounds very strange. And it can't be a booboo, cause she also does it in the repeat...

[MgcMrMistoffelees]

Maybe she intended to play C# in the repeat in order to cover the mistake that she had made, that is, to make the music consistent in some sense....

[MrDouglasfairbanks]

angela hewitt

is

our next

great hope

when it comes to the piano!

once again think God!

[justinmutchler]

haha yes camera work is like some cheesy 360 wrap-around camera shot from the 1970s

prelude is great, fugue is too fast and a little foggy

[asdfasdfsdfsd]

what do you mean by "prelude is great" and "fugue is too fast" ? are they 2 separate things? thanks.

[373raindance]

haha so true! But i'm a 70s kind of guy, and it made the vid pretty great.

[Toccata123]

Loved this piece from the very first note but, the camera work is making me a bit dizzy so I'll just close my eyes and listen...

[Fredobel51]

Love the music. Loved the playing. Hated the camera work; spoilt the whole thing.

[jimjoyce25]

Are these actual live performances? The sound doesn't quite seem to match her fingers.

[AdamDavidFroman]

I love Angela Hewitt's interpretations of Bach. Her voicing is amazing, and her ornamentation is always to perfect.

[beethomozart]

extraordinary interpretation by this lady pianist and artist, playing the colosal work by genius Johann Sebastian

[MrMichalis]

Absolutely awesome!!! But fugue was too fast.

[somedudeplayingpiano]

much better then Eunice Norton !!!!!

[zxcvuiop45]

i can't get enough!! it's lovely

[firebreathone2]

wonderful

[6cuerdas6]

Mas bravos!!!!!!!!!!

Cesar Amaro

[fmk3141]

yes

[ComtedeMassat]

Merci et bravo Angela pour ce jeu raffiné