Ian Watt plays Bach Prelude, Fugue and Allegro

[trinados]

thank you Ian for this pleasure moment

[TheGuitarMan009]

You're an inspiration, How long have you played guitar?

[iwattguitar]

@TheGuitarMan009 Thankyou so much. I have classical guitar played since I was 11. I am now 21 so roughly 10 years . The video above was taken in December 2009 though. Best wishes, Ian

[adeirmg]

@TheGuitarMan009 

[adeirmg]

@adeirmg Sem dúvida, uma das melhores execuções desta obra... Parabéns!.

[jordanespino]

jejeje Tic· Tac· Tic·

[MUSARTEUM]

We use to say in México:

"DE POCA MADRE"

When we saw somethin extraordinary!

[iwattguitar]

@MUSARTEUM A very kind comment. Thankyou.

[geminian7846]

A very sensitive and expressive performance. Quite outstanding.

[iwattguitar]

@geminian7846 Glad you enjoyed it. Thankyou.

[TexasShareCropper]

One little guitar - One fine young man - One magical performance - Thanks for sharing.

[iwattguitar]

@TexasShareCropper Thankyou. Very kind of you to say so.

[weskoki]

I prefer this to Bream.

[iwattguitar]

@weskoki Thanks very much!

[smilinjack11]

Bravo! I was listening to the YT vid of Bream playing 998 Curiosity led me to your video and I was absolutely amazed at what I was hearing! The Bream vid must have been at his prime, yet I much prefer your interpretation! You play with the drive that Bach demands, your technique is flawless yet never overshadows your superb sense of musicality. At age 18? Wow! Btw, don't lose the facial expression! I can hear it! As Segovia said of JW, "A prince of the guitar has arrived!"

[iwattguitar]

@smilinjack11 Thankyou very much. Very kind words indeed!

[singeguitar]

So good, I just keep coming back :P

[iwattguitar]

@singeguitar Thanks very much!

[whalewatcher987]

and why the capo? sounds beautiful just wondering the reason

[iwattguitar]

@whalewatcher987 The key of the piece is E flat which is possible by using a capo on the 1st fret. Some other performers do this (Marchione, Barrueco off the top of my head) and I think it is a good idea for various reasons, including the fact the number 3 is such an important factor in this piece: three movements, phrasing in 3, key signature with 3 flats and so on.

[iwattguitar]

@whalewatcher987 cont. from last post. Ths fugue subject has a striking similarity to a Luther Christmas Chorale melody so it is clear that this is a work of theological symbolism and I thought it would be nice to keep the E flat key signature. Of course, baroque pitch would likely have been nearer D anyway, but that doesn't mean much in a guitar recital at standard pitch, which usually includes a lot of D! E flat suits the character of the work too. It sounds more joyous and lyrical I think

[whalewatcher987]

@iwattguitar thanks sounds great !

[whalewatcher987]

do you/did you go to a college to study? if so, which? thanks

[iwattguitar]

@whalewatcher987 Yes. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, which was the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) until September this year. Best wishes, Ian

[iSBigNose]

I have to play this for my final guitar exam xp. And it's not really what I call easy

[iwattguitar]

@iSBigNose It certainly isn't! In fact, I think Bach is by far the most difficult composer to play. I know many pianists who agree with me on this too.

[MrChrisb1982]

Dear Ian,

I also saw you in concert at the Sage Gateshead in October. Your musicianship and poetry was really outstanding! May I ask which transcription of the prelude, fugue & allegro that you play? Or can you recommend a good transcription?

Thanks again for the wonderful concert! Shame there was not more people there, but I look forward to looking out for your concerts in the future.

Regards,

Chris.

[iwattguitar]

@MrChrisb1982 Hi Chris, Thanks very much. Regarding the BWV 998 transcription, I began with the Koonce book of Bach Lute Works which I think is a fantastic collection and, using vaious sources, constructed my own from it. For concerts, keep an eye on the 'tour dates' section on my website. My CD can also be purchased from the Nimbus website.

[iwattguitar]

@iwattguitar By the way, it isn't letting me paste a link to the sites but you'll find them using google. Best wishes, Ian

[classicalguitarfav]

It is perfect!

[iwattguitar]

@classicalguitarfav Thanks very much! Best wishes, Ian

[googlekopfkind]

6:34 ha ..

[iwattguitar]

@googlekopfkind There are plenty more than that, I can assure you!

[googlekopfkind]

wow very good

[iwattguitar]

@googlekopfkind Thanks! Best wishes, Ian

[kcarr292]

Hi Ian

Just seen you perform this at the Sage Gateshead this afternoon. Most impressive performance! Well done on your great technique and interpretation! Enjoyed the whole concert. Shame more folk didn't turn out though, they missed a real treat!

Regards, Keith

[iwattguitar]

@kcarr292 Hi Keith, Thanks very much for your kind comments and for coming to the concert!  Glad you enjoyed it! Best wishes, Ian

[TheSlurgi]

Beautiful! Which transcription did you use when you learned this?

[iwattguitar]

@TheSlurgi Thank you. I started off with the Frank Koonce edition which I think is a fine publication. However, I referred very much to the manuscript and changed many things! Best wishes, Ian

[gedesecor]

what guitar is that??

[iwattguitar]

@gedesecor It is a Bert Kwakkel guitar from 2006. Best wishes, Ian

[gedesecor]

@iwattguitar Thanks!!!...

Awesome performance!!!

[ftryew]

Boringgggggggggggggggggggggggg­ggggggggggggggggggggg

[jarodmhenderson]

wahts wit the faces? btw amazing. its been a year and i still cant play this right

[iwattguitar]

@jarodmhenderson Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed it. I agree with you on the faces. It is something I have even when I was playing electric guitar when I was much younger and I am trying to stop them as much as possible! Best wishes, Ian

[jdfsgsdlsdlkgjsdljkg]

fantastic playing... and (apparently) at the same time as squeezing one out as well. impressive.

[iwattguitar]

@jdfsgsdlsdlkgjsdljkg Thanks very much. Glad you liked it!

[MrArdelco1970]

Increible

[iwattguitar]

@MrArdelco1970 Thank you. I appreciate you saying that. Best wishes, Ian

[mickpriestley]

That was great! Some people in the audience need to shut the hell up though! lol

[iwattguitar]

@mickpriestley Thanks for the comment. Glad you liked it. It is always interesting playing to audiences in different places. They all have their own characteristics! Best wishes, Ian

[orion777temp]

bravisimo



[iwattguitar]

@orion777temp Thanks!

[davidcotos]

Thank you so much for share this magical performance! You are more than a "guitarist" an awesome musician!!

Best wishes from the center of America!

[iwattguitar]

@davidcotos Very kind words indeed. They mean a lot to me so thank you. Best wishes, Ian

[nikosz66]

Fantastic interpretation and performance!

A thousand Bravo!!!!!

(I guess you must be missing this beautifully sounding guitar!)

Best Regards from Athens

[iwattguitar]

@nikosz66 Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed the performance! Best wishes, Ian

[MrMarios1995]

Hi Ian.Your great.your sound your emotion,endurance are very good.How old where you when you played such a difficult piece so comfortable and excellent?

[iwattguitar]

@MrMarios1995 Thankyou for your very nice comments. To answer your question, I was 18 in this video.

[wmhough]

Beautiful playing as always Ian! I was fortunate to witness your concert in Bolton and met you after the concert back at Paul-F's. I'm a big fan - looking forward to watching your career develop sir! I like the capo/ Eflat idea as well - perhaps a doff of the cap to Mr D.Russell there as well, which is a nice touch ...

[iwattguitar]

@wmhough Thank you very much. It would be nice to play in Bolton again. Playing the piece in E flat certainly gives it a different character, and it also is a nice tonality in a guitar concert, which is full of D's, A's and E's etc! I actually didn't realise that David Russell does this, although I know that Manuel Barrueco does. Very interesting!

Best wishes, Ian

[JacarandaMusic]

Magisterial Ian, great combination of old-world character and modern sensibility. And the Bream-like faces...!

Interesting to hear it in E flat with the capo on, though I doubt the Kwakkel really needed it.

And what a noisy audience - well done for concentrating through that lot!

[iwattguitar]

@JacarandaMusic Thank you. Very nice to hear from you. I like the transparency of E flat, and the fact that it is, as a key, as nice change from the usual guitar keys. However, I do agree with you that it can end up sounding bright on the Kwakkel. It works very well on the Rothel which I play now and might also on that wonderful Ambridge guitar that you play in you youtube video! Very nice!

[JacarandaMusic]

@iwattguitar yes Ambridges are nice and dark with a low body frequency so take to capos easily. Btw Julian B has an Ambridge Hauser model, but I've not seen those, only the standard and the Torres.

I'm sure Simon would love to hear from you next time you're guitar shopping :-)

[iwattguitar]

@JacarandaMusic Hi Stephen, I did enquire about Ambridges and would be very interested to get hold of a Hauser model. However, just now I won't be buying one as I have my Rothel which is quite similar (i.e. Hauser style, with a bit of pre-1950 Spanish guitar feel too). It also has quite a low air resonance, between F and F# like Segovia's Hauser.

[iwattguitar]

@RomanticCGP Thank you!

[robbiebax]

Mr Watt, that was a sublime performance.

May I ask, what guitar were you playing?

[iwattguitar]

@robbiebax Thank you for your comment. Glad you enjoyed it!

This guitar is by the Dutch luthier, Bert Kwakkel. Spruce top/Brazilian back and sides and built in 2006. I actually sold this instrument recently and I now play a guitar by Jochen Rothel which is more of a Hauser-type instrument.

[scrollandkey]

Hi Ian .. great performance. I'd love to see you play Mussorgsky's Baba yaga & The Great Gate of Kiev. /watch?v=Z8r5oS7nDLo. Have you ever considered it ?

[iwattguitar]

@scrollandkey Thanks very much. I enjoyed the link you gave me but I think I'll steer clear of these big orchestral pieces as, even if they are played well, I always prefer the original!

[selfTaughtGirl]

First seen you ou Classical Star and was impressed with your progression.  Best wishes for your developing career.

[iwattguitar]

@selfTaughtGirl Thank you.

[faithandarts0]

Greatest piece of music ever written for lute (or classical guitar, for that matter). Brilliantly performed. I enjoyed it a lot.

Christophe from Belgium

[iwattguitar]

@faithandarts0 Thank you very much for your kind words. I agree that it is one of the best pieces in the repertoire. Glad you enjoyed it!

[crazybapful]

sorry, i didn't mean the performance was gay

[iwattguitar]

@crazybapful I probably shouldn't have deleted your comment, I'm sorry. You're entitled to write what you like of course. I'm glad you enjoy the performances!

[crazybapful]

why did you delete my comment....?