Jason Vieaux: Bach BWV 998, Prelude

[Aft3rlifeJoe]

learning a bach piece on the piano, i can only imagine his works are just as enjoyable and fascinating to play on the guitar

[zinik82]

respira!

[beniaminobasso]

attention, TEMPO!!!

[RickS714]

I'm sure I've heard at least 25 different guitarists, including myself, play this piece. And this is the most beautiful rendition I've ever heard - with one question - that little flourish from 2:19 to 2:22. David Russell on his album does something similar. I don't read facsimilie well, I've tried to figure out if Bach wrote that - and it just doesn't sound to me as if he did but I could be dead wrong. Anyone know? And by the way, buy this album (cd for those under 40). It's great.

[rlrjb]

@RickS714 Bach was a master of improvisation. He could improvise in four parts on the organ. I'm sure he would approve of Jason's flourish.

[tomasemilio]

It's funny how every single guitarist seems to have a "FATHER". Barrios for Williams, Bach for Vieaux and so on, I love Jason, he is a very good player and if you ever get the chance to talk to him, you will realize he is a very nice person and a good teacher, he explains everything so well and smoothly, thank Jason!

[SmilinShadow]

@tomasemilio bach was no guitarist...

[tomasemilio]

@SmilinShadow you don't have to be so mean!

[photopicker]

folks if you are listening with your eyes you are missing out on a fantastic performance of a fantastic composer

[MisterRogersful]

i spent a whole hour trying not to repeat fingers and then he showed me that i wasted my time. awww poo

[iflamenko]

He plays really well! But he needs a bigger guitar; custom size. Him playing that guitar looks like me picking up a kids size guitar.

[saleens7austin]

@iflamenko haha yes I know what you mean! he's a tall guy in person too.

[Accou25]

Is this his own arrangement ?

[no1r]

Bach. The biggest.

[tomasemilio]

Is this guitar a little smaller than normal?

[GyveTurckee]

@tomasemilio He's just a big guy.

[ivan93me]

No me gusta su técnica, ni la mano derecha ni la izquierda.

[GyveTurckee]

@ivan93me Dos palabras: GFA Winner

[photopicker]

Can you say tone? Tone!

[GyveTurckee]

@photopicker Sure can :D

[eunan74]

great version of 998 prelude, love his Bach album.For me though David Russell is the master...

[saleens7austin]

I loved his cadenza!

[lumbajack707]

he needs to work on his quality of sound in bass notes. other then that good

[panalher88]

Original, very well performed. However, he didn't muted the eighth note rests from 1:43 to 1:51. Overall, very nice

[panalher88]

Original, very well performed.

[panalher88]

Original, very well performed.

[gabrielango]

bravo! excelent interpretation! divine!

[poupee58]

Try using more slurs ,would sound smoother

[whothinksimawesome]

great playing of the guitar but on a lesser planet than julian breim or john williams

[BluStrat22]

Wow! What a treat to see Jason playing Bach!! And I thought David Russell was the man to beat when it came to Bach! I just started working on this piece the other day...it is so beautiful, and such a joy to play. Thank you for posting this!!

[jpsnyder]

Kappel is the man to "beat" at bach!

[Naxxer90]

@jpsnyder But certainly do not forget about Manuel Barrueco!

[tomward8]

G. Leonhardt plays amazing Bach and Anner Bylsma and Sigiswald Kuijken. I'm a guitarist and have heard some guitarists play bach fairly well but never great, there may be some out there but Kappel certainly isn't one of them. He doesn't know a dominant from a tonic. You can listen to G. Leonhardt play the PFA it's on you tube and beautiful.

[viandante]

On the lute readings are also unfaithful to the letter. I believe only Lutz Kirchhof plays the rests.

[Lesno88]

About the end, when the melody goes in double speed for a moment, he plays it so wild. But that short frase isn't on my sheet. Can you explain what he is playing?

[carystrings]

That is a short improvisation or cadenza, which would have been quite acceptable in baroque times.

[eunan74]

wonderful ..his Bach solo lute works for guitar cd is out of this world.The sound of his Matthias Damann guitar is so beautiful.The cd is a must for any guitar player!

[carystrings]

The guitar is by Gernot Wagner. Check out Jason in Bach Behind the Scenes segment 3.

[alaricoffir]

If I am not mistaken, he recorded that album with a Gernot Wagner guitar, not a Damann.

[eunan74]

yes , you're right , my mistake , for some reason i thought he played a Damann, anyway the sound is fabulous!

[eunan74]

im not sure if i did that , didnt do it intentionally anyway!

[AkiraBergman]

His 998 is one of the best around but even he ignores the bass stops.

[RomanCoronado]

Are you referring to the fact that he's ignoring that the majority of the bass lines are quarter notes? I do the same thing on this piece. The music calls for the bass to be a quarter note with the remainder as rests. I let them ring on for the full measure because I like how the sustain carries over the rest of the melody.

[AkiraBergman]

Yes it seems to sound fuller with the bass sustained, but it is not possible to keep the bass consistently all over the piece. But you can be consistent if you played all bass in quarter notes by silencing them using the thumb. This creates better contrast between bass and treble. But this makes the right hand more difficult than it is usually treated. No one on YouTube silences the bass notes. I hope one day it will be me when I get my act together to get into good playing shape.

[JapJackson]

I just started learning this piece and I am taking the trouble of figuring out where to place my thumb at just about every turn. It is a real ass kicker when the rests are executed. You are right though, it really separates the bass notes and high notes.

[viandante]

So I am not alone in thinking the bass rests are essential to make the piece be what it is, not what people prefer it to sound like.

Fine playing in spite of that, just a personal opinion.

[AkiraBergman]

The unusual timing of the bass rests has a different rhythm to the treble. While the treble divides 12 to 4, the bass divides 12 to 6. This creates contrast and depth. Thus omitting the rests shuts off an important part of the piece. The trouble is that using the thumb to do the rests is very difficult as JapJackson pointed out. Another difficulty is having to silence the second open D string in the opening measures with the side of the thumb. This is more difficult since it displaces the hand.

[viandante]

I don't think it is particularly difficult for a guitarist of this supreme standard, it sounds more like a personal choice of enhanced resonance over a layered texture.

[AkiraBergman]

The enhanced resonance would work better if it were possible to be consistently resonant all over the piece. It is resonant only when open strings allow bass continuation. Also, his bass is weak due to the excessively long thumb nail. It is very hard to correct bad habits and choices in classical guitar. Still, he is one of the best.

[aarona493]

@AkiraBergman not all of them. i prefer the fuller sound it gives though. even when the bass tones are against the upper voice it gives the piece a more complete coloring.

[jameszbn]

@AkiraBergman Because the guitar has a faster decay and a smaller sound than the piano or harpsichord, there are many times when it is desirable to allow a bass note on the guitar to ring through a rest. Because the tonality remains constant throughout the measure on this piece, its better to let the bass note decay naturally rather than stopping it abruptly. (Sharon Isbin - Acoustic Guitar Answerbook)

[aarona493]

@jameszbn agreed

[guitarclasic4693]

marvelious

[tnkps]

I have listened many different recordings of this prelude. Mr Vieaux is for me absolutely the most beautiful recording. His tone, poliphonicly and smoothly playing are so well balanced.

[zemaneldaquinta]

this is not a suite. its simply called prelude, allegro and fugue

it doesnt have any dances in it

[Fretliner]

Beautifully played; second only to Segovia's version, yet much softer and smoother. Undoubtly the best classical guitar player on board today.

[CrabtreeGuitar]

2:18

[carystrings]

sublime..the force is strong with this one

[Deerse]

Magnificent playing : beautifull tone , phrasing ,counterpoint , good tempo ;personal and authentic playing .

[LaurenceChandler]

I'm not going to pretend I know what counterpoint is, but everything you said is correct. I've modeled my playing on him completely. His lute hand technique is possibly what gives him the facility to excercise such a great tone and control over the music.

[capnpayne]

Well I sure hope you're not playing Bach if you don't know what counterpoint is, haha. Anyway, this is really beautiful, and I'll definitely be buying the album.