Julian Bream - Bach BWV 998: Prelude, Fugue & Allegro

[ColinBurnside]

Julian Bream was involved in a serious car accident. If you look at his right hand you can see the scars. Who ever helped Julian deserves a Knigthood.

[fer40466]

exelente guitarrista clasico

[pobinr]

Bach the most stupendous miracle in all music (Wagner quote). The distiller of the essence of musical craft. Wrote over a thousand perfect compositions some with 3 or more movements. So we are talking thousands of master pieces of the most complex & perfect music ever written.

Here you have to admire the way anyone can play without a note out of place in front of an audience. Incredible memory. Nice tone & playing. Well done Mr Bream.

[weskoki]

The tempo went up

[plexiseagull]

He sure makes master Bach's music come alive and Bream is all about music.

[googlekopfkind]

i can play the suite and the crazyest part is 10:15 - 10:23

[MrNitsugaGuitar]

Simplemente el mejor interprete de Bach! Bream mucho, mucho, mucho mejor que Segovia...

[fer40466]

@MrNitsugaGuitar no ma calllo

[henkhopmangitaar]

Schitterend

[thanaso0bas810]

whammy bar in the beginning :P

[thetubebrain1]

Bach= THE BEST

[SqueezeMyLemonBabe]

@thetubebrain1 indeed

[pobinr]

The allegro looks like 'all aggro' on the guitar to play. Incredible effort playing music composed by the most stupendous miracle in all music.

[vivo75]

This is what guitar playing is all about. Remarkable!.

[tangodancer1000]

This performance sets Julian Bream apart from all other classical guitarists He has an incredible facility for Bach. this piece is extremely difficult and is an endurance test for the left hand. He is with out equal I havnt seen or heard anyone else tackle the full piece before. Just to memorize this is a feat in itself.

[dihang94]

@tangodancer1000 But this suite is a set piece for entrance to Julliard...



[Crapweeds]

He makes my ears hard.

[duderock009]

man this is not in d major is in eb major . it is transposed to d major so you can put a capo on the first fret and play the piece in eb major , without using any scordaturas and to avoid technical difficulties

[bladandr]

so wonderful.

[photopicker]

Clean and gorgeous tone. 

[nikoud1960]

Bream is on the highest level!

[pmxfield]

Sounds like Boards of Canada. Hahaha...

[soyviejodenme]

when the tape changes speed it sounds like hes rocking the whammy bar

[Yuriy21]

Greatest musician!

[Respectthewilderness]

the prelude a little bit to fast. 

[classicalmannick101]

i have no idea why you are all arguing about it. They are both phenomenal musicians in their own right. To compare and judge who is better between the two is like trying to compare apples and oranges. Both are great, but because they are different, not because one is a better version of the other!

[googlekopfkind]

his right hand technique is excelent

[Aurelius27x]

Bloody brilliant.

[NeoBossman]

Bream is not simply a guitarist - he's a true musician. If the first half of the twentieth century belonged to Segovia, then the remainder was owned by Bream. Why has this man never been given the knighthood he so richly deserves? It's a scandal...

[petersuki]

sbornfeld - I don't know your name. For most of his career he played a variety of instruments, even including the remarkably regular Kohno at one time. I't's his atstonishing artistry I admire - that and the effect of a genuinley good English muscial education. I admire him as the 'finished product' - an artist. You say Weiss. I say listen to his interpretations of Torroba, an average composer. Marvelous. Best Wishes

Peter

[sbornfeld]

To petersuki--I believe Bream was known for playing Romanillos for most of his career. I wonder if you've heard the wonderful series of Weiss being recorded by Robert Barto on Naxos--terrific!

[petersuki]

UTTERLY CONVINCING MUSICIAN

[dlevita]

unbelievable!!! the dedication, discipline and divine inspiration to make this music sound like this is a gift to us from above...thank you mr.bream the modern world needed you more than you know....you bless us!!!!!!

[petersuki]

Any of you wonderful geeks know what guitar he is playing? I'd be interested to know your comments. Wiesse (spelling) was considered to be the greatest lutenist in Bach's day. How wonderful that a player today would give him a run for his money and play Matthew Arnold on his other days. This is one of the very rare really great videos.

[thebeatcreeper]

he smiled at the end of that one..

[thebeatcreeper]

lovely bass playing..

[thebeatcreeper]

Fuck!!!!!!

[Respectthewilderness]

i think all living guitarists are trying to play like him

[Respectthewilderness]

this is suberb

[2royplayer]

Simply amazing! What a Maestro!!

[Pluckmaster]

The best ever. What amazing expression from this genius.

[thebeatcreeper]

Julian Bream is on another level...

[GyveTurckee]

That's just amazing. Playing THAT much Bach continuously and then finishing out the allegro flawlessly. Live I might add!

[GyveTurckee]

That's just amazing. Playing THAT much Bach continuously and then finishing out the allegro flawlessly.

[dannybOMFG]

the musicality we want

the sideburns we need

[LowKeyFloa]

time to practice

[99999999999999994041]

Bach est vraiment le meilleur compositeur de tous les temps , sa musique vient de Dieu

[gbh001]

Sublime

[MBledzephed]

Agreed, however, Segovia only heard Bream play once when he was 13. The rest was history, and all Breams own hard work. I always felt that Bream was the "Hendrix" of the classical guitar.

[SaiyanCHW]

Simply the most expressive guitar player ever.

[fracturex123456]

omg such shitty videos yo

[sebenoky]

Best. Guitarist. Ever.

[Aurelius27x]

Talking about Segovia is like talking about Jimi Hendrix... and isnt really fair to compare the recent with their legend.

[fuerstyaqub]

the master himself!

[dasgroovey]

AND!!!! his guitar !! this is not a piece of wood! - we can be certain!

[oldstrings09]

oops! In my comment below I'm referring to the Allegro.

[oldstrings09]

I love how bream keeps the bass line in the lower octave in the B section. It does however make the work much more technically demandingBut it beefs it up Most guitarist play that bass line in the higher octave and it really sounds thin and weak in that section... Of course if one plays this transcription/arrangement by Bream it should be re-named Prelude, Fugue and Andante! LOL

Thanks for upload. Its GREAT!

[rjlchristie]

@oldstrings09 That's rather subjective, I find bars 80 through 85 of allegro are easier in lower register, far less shifting is involved with Bream's choice compared to say, Jerry Willard's edition. Anyway, it's nice to mix it up and play the repeat in different register to first time.

[NYlivinginTN]

I know Segovia was his mentor, but JB did so much better than Segovia! And really, he did more than Segovia.

[classicoALEX]

@NYlivinginTN Thats true, but without segovia, many of the wonders fr the guitar we have today would not be available (he transcribed many many pieces) He also helped gain the guitar a new found popularity... :)

[waynerd777]

Truly the best. So much music coming from him.

Nothing in the music is sacrificed. Nobody on this day is on his level except for Dyens

[tesla1981]

Agreed. Dyens also comes to my mind. Although I recently saw Odair Assad perform solo. Talk about sheer power of expression there.

[Vstrat0]

@tesla1981 Odair Assad has a beautiful expressive liquidity, Sergio too has elevated the guitar with his powerful compositional voice. Marvelous musicians I wish all the best!!

[FatherBach]

What are you talking about?

You can't compare him to Dyens!

With all respect to Dyens, Bream is on a higher level.

[DjangoMeetsColtrane]

@FatherBach allow me to make a remark in defence of mr. waynerd: although juliam bream's beauty of interpretation and musical legacy are unsurpassed, he has, indeed, officially retired. and even though it would be wrong to compare the two musicians, i think mr dyens is a worthy mention, due to his contributions to modern classical guitar, which, i speculate, would not have offended bream himself. also, by stating "truly the best", i believe that waynerd's love of bream is truly great.

[sublime8316]

@FatherBach Bream is on a higher level by what criteria? you're personal preference? with all due respect your method of judging is faulty. The level of sophistication and detail that Dyens has shown in his compositions consistently over a perod of decades puts him on a level equal to Bream. Bream is a primarily a performer and demonstrates a godly ability to interpret, understand, and then correctly communicate any piece of music. Dyens shows the same ability in performing, as well as creating.

[Vstrat0]

@sublime8316 Of course personal preference. That's all music is.

And it's why Maestro Bream filled concert halls round the world for nearly 60 years.

[sublime8316]

@Vstrat0 my argument wasn't against having a personal preference. It was against using personal preference as a criteria for judging. Decision on opinion of performer should be judged by->personal preference. Decision on which musician is on a higher level should be judged by -> effectiveness. They both show the highest degree of effectiveness in what they do. To say Bream is higher is wrong.

[Vstrat0]

@sublime8316 based on what? what is effectiveness, except that the listener is moved, or not? It's the same thing.

[sublime8316]

@Vstrat0 My point simply is theres a big difference between saying"To me, Bream is better than Dyens ", and saying "Bream is better than Dyens period."

[Vstrat0]

@sublime8316 "Bream is better than Dyens period."

[spruceorcedar]

@FatherBach But with all due respect to Dyens, i think he's a compositional genius. GENIUS i tell you

[photopicker]

@FatherBach There is no higher level there is only mastery and music. Comparing Bream and Dyens is redundant. Enjoy the music for what it is. Bream talked about walking the plank for 50 years. Classical guitar is a brutal but beautiful sport.

[pchanampe]

@photopicker I agree. This is a silly way to talk about different musicians both really goods in different ways.

[armaosptolemaios]

@FatherBach And all you peaople, that dare to compare two great musicians, are on the lowest level. At such levels there is no better, there is only different.

[DaGuittarMan]

@waynerd777 lol, yeah bro. you're tripping when you wanna compare him to Dyens.

[waynerd777]

@DaGuittarMan No I am not tripping, Dyens is one of the few artists this age on classical guitar, everyone else comes from some polished soulless, pyrotechnic area. Thats all that was meant, Bream is on a cloud by himself when it comes to mastery and expressiveness but as far as those who are playing after the late 80's, yeah Dyens is right up there. Not sure if you ever seen him play live or even spoke with the man but he is a very deep thoughtful true musician as well. Thats all.

[DaGuittarMan]

@waynerd777 dude, Bream is an interpreter, Dyens is a composer. By that and that alone you must not compare them. There will never be a composer that plays better than an interpreter, not even their own work. Dyens is an incredible artist none the less.

[Dodom123]

Simply the greatest British musician ever - and the most wonderful player of the guitar and lute. He does not get the recognition he deserves. Bream, you are the man and will always be. Your playing has come from the gods.

[petersuki]

dasgroover. You are right of course. The music is perfectly sublime. Miraculous. Thanks to Bream we hear it here.

Where's jugglenaut's comment gone. I enjoyed that...

[dasgroover]

yes, all practice is metered - afterward performance is free flight -

personally, in musical context, I prefer the experience of freedom vs a performance being overly rehearsed -

When it comes to joy there cannot be such strict demand to restrain individual expression

I had an awakening when I first heard the Allegro

it remains a central hub of influence which I must return to and bath often

and no matter who plays it - ( glorious or less so ) the music itself remains transcendent

[petersuki]

ROC

When all the metronomes are put aside, and the critics are silenced there's just an artist and his audience, This is entirely convincing: an artistic performance. For all the great technicians there are these days who else could actually pull this off? Must be all that lute plucking...

[ROCDR88]

Even the great Julian Bream speeds up! Allegro is at least five clicks faster in the B section than the A section! Great overall performance! Thanks for the awesome post!

[petersuki]

Is there any other player alive or dead who could take you on that journey so skillfully?

I'm doing that again...

[aaronlcguitar]

Love Bream and his playing. I wish I could have heard this live! In the Bream style, I noticed he takes out some bass notes during the arpeggio section of the fugue.

[RodrigoArgaez]

me gusta muxho la manera en que mueve la mano izquierda se ve muy relajada debe ser una guitarra super suave

[michel9017]

Buaf... y que lo digas, él la hace suave con su genialidad también... sin palabras, como siempre!

Un saludo!

[dasgroover]

998 is the most alluring, interesting and overall most facinating - of another order of creativity and design - JA Bream is the incarnate spirit of JS Bach ( to me )

[thejugglenaut91]

god in heaven!

[tamada73]

The legend!

[djseo1]

The incomparable Julian Bream. Very well done, sir.

[jjjjjjkl]

Amazing! Thank you very much.