J.S.Bach - The Art of Fugue - Contrapunctus 14

[HerlockSholmes123]

Too fucking fast.

[ulih79]

Absolutely fantastic performance! You people created something uniquely beautiful. I keep listening to this performance at least once a week and I strongly believe that it will remain in my playlist for at least the next three hundred years. Is there by any chance a version with a higher bitrate available online / on CD?

[AlessandroGradi]

Contrappuntisticamente parlando sicuramente superiore a Dio

[vinciano]

@AlessandroGradi e c'e' chi ritiene che Sorabij col suo opus clavicembalisticum abbia fatto di meglio....poracci

[zinpgh]

PRIMUS INTERPARES!!! BACH LOVES JESUS AND I WILL SEE HIM IN HEAVEN ONE DAY! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jeffwyss]

Bach, Monteverdi, then everybody else.

[ChilSeongGeom]

This music is so sad to listen to, because it's Johann's last piece...

but you find solace in that you know he died doing what he loved most.

[wcbroccoli]

@ChilSeongGeom Unlikely. If you examine the page where he stopped writing, you can see that the irregular & faulty ruling of the remaining staves did not permit him to continue on that page, and he ended deliberately at a cadence back the tonic. This suggests he continued writing on a new page, lost by his heirs.

His last creative effort "in his blindness" may have been dictation of a few changes to a score someone played for him: the so-called "deathbed chorale" he'd composed years before.

[enecee13]

How can you ever listen to anything and call it music after youve heard this

[benniebees]

@enecee13 This is music of high complexity.. most of the popular music is just rubbish thats why i prefer to listen to metal or classical as these genres still contain creativity..

[DylanAKAoXi]

the end gives me goosebumps every single time..

[sohanstag]

Happy birthday, big guy. /singletear

[matwil74]

Almost 20 years ago when I was 17 I was at the CD store and came across a 2-CD set called Die Kunst Der Fuge performed by Zoltan Kocsis. I had no idea what it was but it was on sale so I bought it. It took a few months listening in my car CD player before it struck me like lightening. This was genius! I became infatuated with the music and listened to it almost every day for years. Like a drug or something. Picking apart the structure. What else is this music hiding? Can make a person crazy.

[mtv565]

@matwil74 : I would say Bach's music (aside from the complex structure and counterpoint) is primarily emotionally-driven. His music just pulls at your heart strings and sometimes can make you shed tears, seek solace & comfort or give you joy & contentment. Listening to Bach is a very emotional experience for anyone with a heart.

[benniebees]

@matwil74 yeah theres just so much to hear and each time you listen to it you discover something new...

[sosome57]

Amazing. Just amazing. Close your eyes when you listen to it. Depth.

[gariadara]

It's mind-boggling how much dissonance there is in this piece, and to have it come from the Baroque period.

[wcbroccoli]

@gariadara One of the characteristics of the Baroque is "Baroque dissonance." What you're hearing as dissonance in this fugue is the result of passing tones and suspensions, both normal features of counterpoint.

[hatstalker]

B= Bb

A=A

C=C

H=B

That is the first theme in the fugue

[wcbroccoli]

@hatstalker No. That is the beginning of the 3rd subject. The 1st is D A G F G A D.

[hatstalker]

The music is an endless amount of perfect modulation, it has a sense of permanency to it, to have it cut short as it is pains me, saddens me to the core.

[OldFashionedMama23]

So while some of you are listening to the greatest music ever written, being performed by the only ensemble worthy of even touching it/directed for the past three decades by the only man of our time who comes close to understanding Bach's music, you are ARGUING and namecalling....If it wasn't worth more than your pathetic lives, I'd tell Goebel to whip you all with the stick of his bow.....

Thank you for posting these videos, fabian1333. Are they available on DVD?

[Bach45ex]

Un'emozione pura......musica allo stato puro.....tutto il resto puo' chiamarsi musica.... ma niente potra' uguagliare questa purezza!!!!!! Bach divino

[klyde4parliament]

This ending is so ghostly, as though Bach managed to preserve the moment of his death within his music. Beautiful interpretation.

[worthmoremusic]

my favorite classical composer... thank you for posting this.

[JHLGuitar]

There's no music that can touch me emotionally so strong like Contrapunctus 14.

I dont know why, its the best music ever composed. I think its impossible to do something better than this.

[tommyIglesias]

The saddest fugue, excellent interpretation, I always thought that the art of fugue will sound better as chamber music, but i also love it on any instrument, cause that what the art of fugue is all about.

[PrecicyJax]

The Art of Fugue, along with the B Minor Mass, is Bach pulling the strands of his musical life together. We'll never know if Bach died in the midst of composing Contrapunctus XIV or if his blindness prevented him from finishing the work. My guess is the latter. He was so dedicated to composing that after his blindness fully set in he could no longer see to work, much less perform. Thus, the last notes of music he may have seen with his own eyes were the ones in Contrapunctus XIV.

[SeverusSnape70]

E' di una modernità e complessità sconvolgenti.

[PrickStanda]

When I first listened to this astonishing work (c. Rudolf Barshai, Moscow Chamber Orchestra) It was also the first and only time in my life when I had to invent feelings to represent this music with my soul own means. Not anger, not pain, not joy - nothing I had ever experienced before. It's probably the kind of delight the angels have or that 'harmony of the spheres' Pythagoras was talking about. Danke, Herr Bach!

[b0ttomzone]

maybe he died after introducing the B-A-C-H theme. but maybe he left it unfinished on purpose, as a challenge to his successors. he was, after all, a teacher, so i wouldn't put it past him to do something like that.

or maybe he did intend to finish it, with a final reappearance of the subject from contrapunctus 1 at the end, only to pass away first.... we will never know

[Minor8Flat4]

trying to talk about music is like dancing to architecture, why bother to try ? Be happy that you walked the planet with these cats :)

[WladimirKowtun]

Will there ever someone to compose something like this again?

a little question from Venezuela.....

[thegoddescomposer]

how can i download this master piece i need it

[HerrWarja]

@thegoddescomposer Go to your local record store and say: May I have Musica Antiqua Kölns recording of Die Kunst der Fuge and they will satisfy your needs.

[thegoddescomposer]

@HerrWarja i am 20 years old people will think this kid is strange <,< i do like hear classical music first not but when i hear Bach

First was k thats was nice but then i want to listening more and i did study his works his fugues and his art of the fugue well i think i order some cd , thanks

[HerrWarja]

@thegoddescomposer Im no kid! Glad you liked Bach!

[thegoddescomposer]

@HerrWarja no i was talking about my self xD u miss understood it :(

[HerrWarja]

@thegoddescomposer I see. Indeed I did. But still glad you liked Bach!

[FuggyWug]

such a beautifully somber rendition. the sound of mournful reflection.

[pieguyfry22]

Right when Bach "signed" his name in musical notes, God decided to take him away. R.I.P.

[recrea33]

give it the bach!

[StevenShields29]

Magnificent performance. Took my breath away.

[paradoxicus]

Exquisita la transcripción e interpretación.

Inacabada.

Bach,se convierte en el eterno retorno.

[pierrot79]

What if Bach had one day or one week more to write the end ?

Would this fugue be more of less impressive ? Is this dramatic end more intense as it is ?

[Dynomiss]

@pierrot79

Actually, It is thought that Bach wanted to introduce the theme from Contrapunctus 1 as the fourth theme, at which point all themes from "Art of Fugue" would come together in one whole.

That would have been (even) more impressive.

[drlawitts]

7:35............holy lord

[heinrichschwettmann]

very beautiful. Tender and sad, full of spirit. Thank you.

[Echnaton1993]

Very, VERY nice. I love arte and I love bach and most his fugues! Great!

[Josicauc]

Oh... my goodness! This is such a beautiful interpretation... and it does bring tears to my eyes too!

[MusicPortray]

Simply beautiful :)

Thanks for posting.

[RainMan34]

This brings tears to my eyes.

[sataviah93]

Healing music for the soul.

[patoa94]

bach is the greatest composer ever!

So a final...

[debartzen]

Transcripción e interpretación muy buena.

[sanqiutang]

最爱巴赫最后两部伟大的音乐巨作《赋格的艺术》和《音乐的奉献》­！不过这个演录视频是否业余四重奏组所为的？

[LDixon007]

Very nice - 5 stars.

Although it does have a bit more of what I call "wow" than I care for.

I like that they maintain the volume and intensity until (almost) the final note. When each instrument plays as if it weren't going to end, and then simply stops when the notes run out, then the effect is like taking off in a jet plane!

[nakaza3421]

Superb, simply wondeful

[wcbroccoli]

I know the alto part well since I've played it on treble viol (with 3 other viol players). During the 1st entrance of the 2nd subject in the soprano, the counterpoint in the alto dips down to f, which is in the range of the treble viol but a whole step below the range of the violin. In this performance by 2 violins, viola and cello the the alto part was slightly altered to keep it in the range of the violin: (c'bag fg'f'e') was changed to (c'bag' f'g'f'e').

Just thought I'd mention that. LOL

[StefanoF87]

B=2 A=1 C=3 H=8 B+A+C+H=14

The Fugues in "Die Kunst der Fuga" are 14.

The last contrapunctus, that had the fugue on "B-A-C-H" theme, is the number 14.

The first subject of the Contrapunctus XIV consists in 7 notes (=14/2).

In my opinion, Bach is the greatest genious of all time.

Sorry for my english.

[Scrithe]

Don't look for patterns where they don't exist.

[Terrdemarzielle]

Intentional or not, it exists.

[HelveteKeiser]

nothings in His music was done by luck...

[wcbroccoli]

@Terrdemarzielle Patterns can arise unintentionally, by mere coincidence. One can look at the stars in the sky and see patterns. that does not prove the patterns were designed.

[Terrdemarzielle]

@wcbroccoli Certainly. But why are you telling me this?

[wcbroccoli]

His earlier version of AOF, written 8 years before he died, had 14 movements consisting of 12 fugues and 2 canons.

[lordulric42]

@wcbroccoli you're an idiot. And by the way... it actually sounds in C#. Not D.

[wcbroccoli]

@lordulric42 No. It actually sounds in D minor. Musica Antiqua Koeln is a period instrumental ensemble that tunes to A415, which is a 1/2 step lower than A440.

It sounds in C# minor only if you assume they tune to A440.

Contrary to what you seem to believe, A440 tuning is not a law of nature and people are not born with their ears tuned to A440.

And by the way... you're an idiot.

[lordulric42]

@wcbroccoli We are in 2010, not 1750... this piece sounds in C# (although a little higher due to the fact they are all playing slightly sharp. Not a criticism considering they are all amazing players and in tune with each other - just an observation). I don't think i'm the only person that thinks you're an idiot. Just have a look at some of the ridiculous comments you've posted.

Maybe you should comment on the music rather than wanking yourself off in the comments section.

[wcbroccoli]

@lordulric42 Clearly, you are the idiot, for in 2010 the numerous period instrument ensembles tune to A415 or A465, not A440. Apparently you didn't get the memo. Get with the program.

A440 did not even become an international "standard" until the 1950s, before the advent of period ensembles, yet even today some major philharmonics tune even higher than A440.

I AM commenting about the music. As I said, it's in D minor at A415, not C#. Nothing you say will change that FACT.

[lordulric42]

@wcbroccoli Haha, I am aware about period ensembles. They may in fact be playing in D... but it's sounding in C# as A440 is, as you said, the international standard. FACT.

You're an idiot. FACT.

[wcbroccoli]

@lordulric42 Haha. If you were aware of it, then why did you insist "it actually sounds in C#" in the first place? Answer: Because you're an idiot.

FACT: The so-called A440 "standard" wasn't adopted until the to 1950s, BEFORE the advent of period instrument ensembles. By definition, a historically inforrmed performance would not follow a modern tuning standard.

FACT: The so-called A440 "standard" isn't even folowed by all major modern instrument groups. Some tune higher.

[lordulric42]

@wcbroccoli hey idiot... because it does sound in C#, not D. It is played in D, it doesn't sound in D. You need to get yourself some pitch, brother.

[HelveteKeiser]

-sorry for my english-

thank you for your ideas

[mjvsbj]

@StefanoF87 cause, you know, Bach knew English considering the fact that he was German. Comeon man. And where did the 2 come from? 14/2? You just randomly pulled a two and divided 14 by it to get 7. lol

[Bataja706]

@StefanoF87 well, quite interesting, but i doubt Bach planed this fugue to be the last

[veliusmemnoch]

@Bataja706 Maybe not the last but he knew it was coming soon...

[thegoddescomposer]

@StefanoF87 gues what the last 2th motif on his last repeating it has 41 notes

[wcbroccoli]

@StefanoF87 The 1st subject of C14 has 7 notes, the 2nd has 41, the 3rd (the B-A-C-H subject) has 10, and the main subject of AoF, which combines with the three subjects of C14, has 12 notes. I don't see intentional numeric symbolism in these note counts.

If the composer intended numeric symbolism by the note counts of his subjects, then why does the B-A-C-H subject have only 10 notes, instead of 14?

[MUSCEDEHP]

@wcbroccoli because BACH already has the number fourteen on it... B=2, A=1, C=3, H=8 (counting the alphabet)

[wcbroccoli]

@MUSCEDEHP What does that prove?

The entire AofF is a treatise on the 12-note theme (T1) introduced in C1. T1 appears in some form in every fugue and every canon of AofF. It has even been shown that C14 was to be a 4-subject fugue with T1 as the 4th subject. The 4 subjects of C14 consist of 7, 41, 10 and 12 notes, respectively.

The last fugue is #14 and B+A+C+H add up to 14. But B, A, C, & H are merely the 1st four notes of the 10 notes that make up the third of FOUR subjects of C14.

[MUSCEDEHP]

@wcbroccoli No one is saying that everything has to be fourteen. We can see how this number is clearly important and relevant since it was Bach's number...He choose the C14 to introduce his name (which adds 14). And if we add 12(t1), 7(t2), 10(t3), and 12(t4, the original AoF theme) it adds 41, which is 14 backwards....

[wcbroccoli]

@MUSCEDEHP Your note counts and total are off.

The 1st subject of C14 has 7 notes, not 12; the 2nd has at least 41 notes, not 7; the 3rd has 10 notes; the 4th has 12 notes.

Add them up and you get 7 + 41 + 10 + 12 = 70, not 41.

The letters in "J.S. Bach" add up to 41 only if you use the old Roman alphabet, which Bach did not use when he abbreviated "Jesu, juva" as "JJ".

Furthermore, the 2nd subject may have more than 41 notes, depending on what you take to be the last note.

[MUSCEDEHP]

@wcbroccoli You're right... it's way off... Still, i don't think everything has to spell 14 on it. I think it was Bach number and he did find the ways to include it on his work,

[wcbroccoli]

@MUSCEDEHP But what qualifies as inclusion? Various orderings of the notes B A C H, all of which add up to 14, are common to many compositions by composers who died before Bach was ever born. E.g., the chromatic scales C H B A and A B H C and are found in Renaissance music. But show me where Bach spelled out his name in consecutive notes B A C H in, say, prelude #1 from WTC?

Or in this YouTube aria from BWV 132: /watch?v=bss-rU_zgWo

[ShinAkiraX]

It just stuns me to hear it end like that.

Makes me think just how short our time in this world is.

[HelveteKeiser]

memento mori

[anisometropie]

the world could stop to exist when this music ends, everything has already be said

[tnix80]

I never imagined this done by string quartet but it is astonishingly beautiful.

[anisometropie]

Jesus i reached the end ! it can't finish like that !!!!

[mtv565]

@anisometropie Art of Fugue, Unfinished Fugue's ending:

i1105 . photobucket . com / albums / h352 / artoffugueend / artoffugue_ending . jpg



[anisometropie]

@mtv565 "The image was deleted"

[mtv565]

@anisometropie It's still there. You need to delete away the spaces to form one complete URL.

[anisometropie]

%EF%BB%BF

ok there was this strange invisible character. it works now

whose this ending ?

[mtv565]

@anisometropie the comments field doesn't allow URLs to be posted so that I had to add spaces. It's the most convincing ending I've ever heard. It's definitely not by me. I shall not say who.

[anisometropie]

how can this possibly exist? it is beyond any music ever composed, and any music that will ever be composed.

[roman1akid]

@anisometropie It is beyond existence. It merely is. It's not just beyond any music ever composed. It's beyond any thing ever created.

It is.

[radurak]

speechless. What a treasure of a recording. Thanks a lot!

[BlindfoldBach]

gorgeous... this is one of the few recordings I've heard of this in the Baroque temperament (sounding in c# minor rather than d minor), and it's dazzling... my favorite moment is the cello subject entry between 3:00-3:15

[wcbroccoli]

It's really sounding in D minor. The pitch to which they've tuned (A415) has nothing to with temperament in which they play.

[anisometropie]

you're talking about tonality, not temperament which is a way of tuning your instrument ( equal temperament, Pythagorean tuning. But temperament has nothing to do with the art of fugue, but more likely with the well tempered clavier

[wcbroccoli]

I mentioned tonality (d-minor), pitch (A415) and the fact that the pitch to which an ensemble tunes had nothing to do with the temperament in which they PLAY.

A string ensemble tunes the open strings to perfect 5ths and 8ves, but this does not relieve them of the responsibility of TEMPERING notes to obtain pure triads. The result is that they tend to PLAY in a temperament that resembles mean tone.

E.g, G# in a E-major triad is not the same pitch as A-flat in an A-flat major triad.

[adaswet]

If they still play barouqish they could lose those shoulderrests

[Norbeone]

The first subject is played very beautifully. Being surrounded by those giant, soft waves of mezmorizing harmonies is a good way to spend time. The way they play the 2nd and 3rd fugue subkects isn't much to my taste though. Thanks for posting!

[wcbroccoli]

"...surrounded by those giant, soft waves of mezmorizing harmonies..."? You sound like a commentator from the 19th century.

I'm curious. How could they have played the 2nd and 3rd subjects to suit your taste?

[brinmat]

Absolutely gorgeous.

[davidator321]

Wow