Sokolov plays Bach's Prelude & Fugue BWV 846

[AdagioVenezia]

What amazingly clear articulation. Sokolov is truly outstanding!

[smudgepots]

Staccato, but with pedal!

[pdorprimo]

Interpretazione a dir poco stupenda e meravigliosa padronanza dello strumento,

siamo MOLTO fortunati a poter sentire simili musicisti, grazie.

[jazzman1945]

You probably did not understand the problem: on my screen this recording of Bach sounded a semitone above! Why - I do not know now sound normal. Internet jokes?

[thetunr]

@jazzman1945

Yes, the piano seems tuned just slightly sharp (not a semitone above). One more homage to Gould, definitely... ;)

[berlinzerberus]

too ostentatious in my opinion.

to project the prelude´s 'gould-articulation' onto the following fugue doesnt simply succeed because the character of this piece might be a bit more intimate,namely the intimacy of a string quartet playing 'molto legato'.

[aperisimo]

@berlinzerberus

You are totally right, he forgot about the legato shit.

[PieroBolzano]

@aperisimo where did you read that these Prelude and Fugue have to be played legato???

Bach didn't write "legato" or "staccato" on his scores!

[PieroBolzano]

@aperisimo where did you read that these Prelude and Fugue have to be played "legato"???

Bach didn't wrote "legato" on his score!

[aperisimo]

@PieroBolzano

Yes I know that my fellow listener. And that is exactly wht makes me wonder why he choosed to play it staccato and not little bit more legato, wich would have been the naturla way of play. That was what I meant. To play it legato as the more natural way of the piece to sound.

[PieroBolzano]

@aperisimo probably you are right, and Bach probably meant it legato...who knows?

Sokolov's is just an original interpretation! But he didn't forgot about anything in my opinion!

[thetunr]

@berlinzerberus

Actually, Gould's interpretations are anything about the 'character' of the piece, they are almost always about structures. Sokolov's idea of this fugue, as I understand it, follows Gould's premises.

[hotbebimauz]

for my taste its a bit too rushing..but no doubt solokov is one of the best pianists in the world.

[jazzman1945]

This is C major???

[aperisimo]

@jazzman1945

depends on the measure you are analyzing!!

[chad410]

Goulds mother was I think a prouct of the Russian school but don t quote me.

[Pogouldiwitz]

An interesting hybrid of styles. Kind of like how Gould would play it if he had been educated at the Moscow Conservatory.

[berlinzerberus]

...hehe,pretty sarcastical,but in a way true...

i would add ..and having drunk 2 wodka [at least!] ;))

[thetunr]

Interesting point, PGW.

Gould is known to be one of Sokolov's professed favourite pianists. I like to think that Sokolov's take on this P&F is a loving homage to the Torontian. The arpeggios in the prelude are articulated the same way as Gould's (just a little brisker), while in the fugue the articulation of the subject is worked out as Gould could have done, by making more audible some remarkable structural device (in this case, the stretti all through the fugue).