Bach, Fugue 20 in A minor, Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, BWV 865

[beeble2003]

Beautiful presentation but I'd much rather hear it played on a keyboard. Not particularly because that's what Bach wrote it for but more because the viola 'quartet' sounds rather too rich, to my ear. For me, this music is very much about structure and that comes out most clearly on a keyboard.

[thenamesfrancisco]

i like how you had the sheet music with this one you should make more with the sheet music

[smalin]

@thenamesfrancisco The problem is: with more than three or four instruments, the score gets too small.

[MithWoW]

Are you sure this is the right piece? The sheet music you posted is different from what I'm listening to and seeing in the video. And, I've heard other people playing "Fugue 20 in A minor Book #1" and it is a different piece.

[smalin]

@MithWoW Different in what way? You're seeing what's being played, and what's being played is what it says it is. Are you referring to the fact that it's not played on a keyboard instrument? If people say they're playing the A minor fugue from the first book of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier and they're playing something other than this, they're mistaken.

[LowRider9791]

ат жжот, красавчег

[Montyleeny14]

Why doesn't the score include a time signature or key signature? That's bad form!

[smalin]

@Montyleeny14 No key signature because it's a minor (no sharps or flats). No time signature because ... hmm ... I don't know why ...

[Montyleeny14]

@smalin Ok, fair enough on the key signature.

[JamesMeager27]

@smalin Because anyone trying to play it would "know" it was in common time? Just my guess.

[PowerUniversal]

You are a bad form Monty hahaha, what are you really saying?

[yumeybaconcutout]

it's amazing how complex and riddle like this fugue is. (im sure you've known this since decades before i was born) voice 1: subject, voice 2; suject INVERTED (like a mirror image sort of) voice 3: subject played in canon, voice 4: INVERTED subject played in canon, voice 5: subject played in stretta. correct me if i made a mistake, but regardless this is still astounding.

[smalin]

@yumeybaconcutout  Depends when you were born. :-)

[stevemaster247]

4 melodies...crazy ass bach :P

[Zaspor]

Being a musician that knows how to read music (just saying not all know how and just go by ear now.) I have to say that this is the best format for these videos of yours' Smalin. Keep up the great videos!

[smalin]

@Zaspor Thanks.

[TheLakshmiLotus]

@Zaspor ~Agreed, I love to be able to see the score and the bars...and realize that it's not possible with all pieces...

[pappires]

Do you have any clue of why many of your videos (including this one and the Fugue for Friday) only ply until 21 seconds, and then block?

[smalin]

@pappires No, I have no idea. I've never had that problem, and you're the first viewer (that I know of) to report it.

[RaindropCantabile]

I like fugues too btw.

[RaindropCantabile]

Did Bach write his original manuscript with a alto and tenor clef? Try and sight read this!

[smalin]

@RaindropCantabile I think the original manuscripts were written in closed score (two staves); I don't remember, but the top clef might have been the one which is a G clef but one step higher than the treble clef. I sometimes use the open score (one staff per line) when I'm working on a piece, because it forces me to become more aware of the individual lines.

[airandfingers]

Ever read "Godel, Escher, and Bach"? Bach's fugues are discussed (although I'm sure it's at a level that's simplistic for you) and connected with abstract ideas, including those from Godel's math and Escher's art, "in the spirit of Lewis Carroll." I believe a chapter is devoted to this particular fugue.

[parquar]

@airandfingers I started that book. I'm interested in it for the explanation of strange loops, consciousness, artificial intelligence, and stuff like that. I found out about it because of Bach though, lol.

[oigressestor]

fugue are the most poweroverwhelming music in the whole universe make u research go find all fugue music from Bach, Mozart his Kyrie from requiem

Beethoven fugues

for mi is fugue the great

[eeektavius]

If it's Baroque, don't fix it.

[slinkyinawagon]

You have a thing for fugues, dont you?

[smalin]

@slinkyinawagon Yep.

[WoundedEgo]

Wow, I love the score right under the midi! So awesome! This is a great way to learn what written music is intended to convey!

[LarsenPiano]

This is really cool to hear a keyboard fugue played this way. You hear voices so clearly when separated by the different intrumental timbres. I also like to hear Bach's Art of the Fugue played this way.

[smalin]

@LarsenPiano Actually, the timbres of the four voices are nearly identical; what gives each voice is coherence is how it is performed: articulation, dynamics, phrasing, etc. Doing this independently for each voice is the biggest challenge of playing contrapuntal music on a keyboard.

[NejiOisOawesome]

you played all four voices separately, recording them at different times? how did you get your tempo so steady throughout? I really enjoyed this, you're very talented, if you're telling the truth ;). check out my piano videos!

[VoIPpoetry]

codes at the top are fun to watch.

[Ferien7]

this fugue is almost sacred in a way to me, I hesitate to say it's my "favorite" fugue from both books, but it's along those lines. There is something intimidating, yet unquestionably impressive about the form, design, structure, and quality of the piece at least in the way that I experience this piece (not that these adjectives don't describe Bach's other works!). While I find Bach's works to be of the highest caliber in my opinion, this piece in A minor has always impressed me.

[astrophil79]

I like your videos.

[smalin]

@astrophil79  :-)

[hestimid]

What about the b minor fugue ? (that from the bad romance's intro)

[RICPOIRIER1]

I like this!

[deemilieu]

thre's nothing like a js bach fugue to get the toe tappin

[babyhomer]

Beautiful!

[OnigiriChan1010]

Yaay, two violas!  :D

[smalin]

Actually, possibly three violas --- depending on how you look at it. The soprano part was played on a vocoded violin. The alto and tenor were played on a vocoded viola. The bass line was played on a vocoded viola strung with extra-heavy strings tuned a 4th lower than a viola (an octave lower than a violin). Violacity!

[Wilson19940621]

how you make it video, I can make video with a program

[smalin]

see the FAQ

[hankhonker]

Excellent!!!!!!!!

[DarkJoker99]

I always look forward to seeing what you have on here next. Everything is so beautiful and it's great to see all the notes for the different instruments across the screen.

[hombremanq]

Bach himnotiza o.o

[mosomikh]

just amazing!!

loveee bach!

[lkmalm]

Bach defrags my brain.

Smalin, you play beautifully.

[smalin]

@lkmalm, thank you.

[armonici]

haha thanks smalin this fugue is the best xd

[Asrialth]

This is a very relaxing melody. I have never been a real fan of Bach's piano pieces, but I have to say that I rather liket these ones.

I like these better than the ones with the voices in it (though I am not the first one to say it :P) even though those were of a great craftmanship as well.

Keep up the uploads. In my opinion: you are really talented.

Perhaps you should do some more Liszt? And I recently found a piece of Cesar Franck that I loved.

anyways, thanks for sharing this!

[smalin]

I'm not that much of a Liszt player ... I've been working my way forward from 1500 ... I'm about at Brahms now ...

[orboksanci]

I like the one with the voices better, cause that sound separates voices (:D) better. This is very baroque, which is ok, but it is not as new, and interesting as the "eerily" voices.

I continuously suggest for you to do some Shostakovich. He wrote his 24 p&f after Bach's deaths 200th anniversary. My bet would be fugue A major versus Fugue D flat major.

Congrats for everything, I am your fan!

(...if you ever see this ... some grinch keeps eating up all my comments here...)

[smalin]

Shostakovich's A-flat major fugue is on my to-do list (q.v., follow the link in the FAQ).

[AlbinoReaper]

Sorry, I don't love you but I do greatly value and appreciate the uploads! keep 'em coming. :)

[smalin]

Love? Why, Mindy, you hardly know me.

[Phyle9]

You play this with how many hands...? :o

[smalin]

Hard to say. Almost the whole piece can be played with two hands, but the ending requires either three hands or (more likely) a foot on a pedalboard. I've played it with four hands (one per voice). This version was done with one hand (one hand bowing a viola).

[metallic219]

amazing!

[zeryx28]

This is one of my favourite fugues! I love it when the inversion comes in. It has a cute little modified ending. :)

[smalin]

Modified ending? I thought it was just truncated ...

[franielee38]

Great!

[vincentvaneekhout]

The combi of sheet and clear visualisation is the best I have seen on internet! Is it possible to push a "slower" button so i can practice with my PC on the piano?

[smalin]

Sorry, no, not at the moment. For now, you'll have to just download the score (see the FAQ) and use the video as a reference.

[bachaddict]

possibly, if you have a video player that does that. google YouTube Downloader.

[mikeyzxc2]

This is really great.

[bumbumfx]

gr8t! :)

[TheFrightenersDeath]

Very good like allways :D i am learning the second Perlude& fugue and the 8th beethoven sonata i love it ..

" Bachs Well-temepreted clavier is the Old testamten and Beethovens Sonatas are the New Testament"

- Hans von Bülow <-- I absolutely agree with that :)