Bach wrote these with the intent of them being for beginning piano students, or so I've read. Are the fugues progressively difficult? E.G. is 4 more difficult than 1
Hi! I want to buy the book of the collection "the well tempered clavier" but I didn't realize how many different editions there are. Do you have any suggestions? I'm studying them mostly by myself and I'm not a baroque expert.
@realitaliankitchen I'd suggest getting the Dover edition to play from and write in (since it has the fewest page turns and is inexpensive) and, if you can afford it, the Henle Urtext edition to refer to. But there aren't that many important differences between editions; if you want just the notes Bach wrote (and not fingerings, dynamics, phrasing, articulation added by modern editors) you don't need anything beyond the two I've suggested.
My Music Core teacher made counting the number of repeated theme in this fugue. When I tried counting by just listening I only heard 16 =.=". I know there were more but it was hard to make sure that they really were a full repeating theme. It certainly helped me a lot watching this. Thank you.
Thanks for putting these up. I can listen to them all day but for the life of me, I can't understand why someone would click on the dislike button. This is the purest of music. It makes no sense to me.
your notations and everything is awsome, and I love how you made the guidlines and put sheet music in, but I think this was going a bit fast. I didn't think bach would go this fast wither :)
I think it shoul be played at 120 for eighth notes, or just sa bit faster than that
Smalin, I want to get your opinion on something. Chopin didn't like C Major because he said it was a difficult scale on the piano to play because of the position of the keys. When he taught students the piano, he had them start their lessons on B Major and end on C Major. Do you agree? Is C Major a difficult scale for a pianist's hands?
@smalin No, no, no - you misunderstand. I was wondering why you think it's harder on the hands. I was just saying that as a non-pianist it's kind of confusing to hear someone say that, since my little time on the piano was me learning the C Major scale.
@ZeiShou Did you not try playing a B major scale? It's much more comfortable; you don't have to curl your fingers so much, it's easier to pass your thumb under when you switch positions, etc.
I'm playing for it on my gr. 10 exam on piano, and I've played it for about over half-an-hour each day for about half a year and I still can't get that tempo up
@charlesbai123 would this really be considered grade 10? i'm working my way through it now (it's coming together, but nowhere near performance standard)? i ask because i'm an american, and i know little to nothing of grades, but i've become interested in that system recently.
@BlackwindSamurai I'm a slow learner & don't practice much so my experience isn't the ideal reference, but may give you some idea. I started lessons at 8 and quit at 16 or 17 (but kept playing); at that point, I'd played some easier Bach fugues, but not this one. I worked on the WTC during my twenties, and by the end of that period, I could play this, but not well, and with lots of things I knew I wanted to do better. By forty, I could do it justice; it's gotten better since (I'm 58 tomorrow).
@smalin i see. it's reassuring to know that i still have some hope. just hit 21, and i have a very strong background in guitar, theory, structure, history, etc. and i've been playing piano very seriously for almost two years now.
by the way, thanks for all of your music animation videos. they've taught me a lot about counterpoint by helping me visualize it.
@BlackwindSamurai Yes, if you're 21 and you keep at it, you'll be able to play most of the fugues in the WTC eventually. Hint: the sooner you start working on giving each line its own expression (dynamics, accents, articulation, phrasing, etc.), the better.
@charlesbai123 i went on your profile, and youre from canada, im from australia.. so the system i assume would be different. so i reckon grade 10 = grade 8
How much training would one need to have to play this? I started playing 2 Months ago, about 1-3 hours a day. (I'm in love with the instrument.)
I'm absolutely in love with classical music, and especially Bach, his fugues, and Debussy & Chopin are what I strive for. Anyhow, this piece is really hard to play. Is that normal? Any estimate on how much training one should have to try these pieces?
@vulpae2 I starting playing when I was eight, and I was nowhere close to being able to play this until I was in my twenties. I was slow, but this is not for beginners.
@smalin Oh, wow. I see.. Guess I'll just have to learn some other "level"-appropriate pieces.. It's just hard because most classical pieces are hard to master. But I won't give up, I'll learn this piece and once I do, I'll upload a video on YouTube!
Thanks Smalin, you really made me love classical piano pieces.
the technique of fugue is a very difficult part of composition to master, let alone play!
Bach was a master of improvisation, composing, and playing like no one else of his time. It truly takes a dedicated person to play his works well, but I'm sure if you love the instrument like you say you do, you can get there! Keep it up and good luck!
@vulpae2 I've been playing piano for 14 years by now and this piece is still a challenge. However, if you keep playing 1-3 hours a day, you'll definitely get there faster than I will have. To be able to play pieces like this fugue, it is a marvelous feeling. All that time and effort you put into your skills, you only have yourself to blame for becoming that good. It's a gift nobody can gift you but yourself.
@Maiku5 It's true I'm twelve right now and I am practicing for my practical exam this june, and every time I play it, it just sounds so terriffic, though I still have some errors
@vulpae2 You can do after playign 1-3 hours a day after 2 months. This song is the second one I've learned. The first song was the prelude before it. If you find a tab that shows the fingering, it will be much faster to learn. I learned with Carl Czerny tablature of this song. Good luck, and don't give up.
@vulpae2 bach originally wrote this for his students i believe. it was meant to train them in music theory as well as in technique. fugues are pieces of music in which there are several interweaving independent voices, or melodies, playing together. bach's instrumental music is extremely complex, to say the very least. to play them well takes a great deal of technical skill. it will be years before you are able to play pieces from the well tempered clavier well. keep practicing!
@lksong2041 I am practicing a lot! I'm currently learning the fifth fugue, one of my favorites. I skipped the prelude, as it seems like pure dexterity practice, but I'm progressing well with the fugue! I can almost play the entire piece, I only need to learn the last part. :) Thanks for the advice, though!
@vulpae2 This is concidered one of the hard fugues of the WTC, although it is a beautyful one. If you want an entry to bach on the piano I suggest getting the "Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach", and keep on practicing. You might have a look at the prelude of this fugue (which is also in the "notebook"), you propably won't get it perfectly right, but it will give you a sense of progress, to play an actual piece you (I supose you do) like.
@SpyVi Thank you! I've already learned the Prelude to this Fugue - it's beautiful. I've actually decided to learn the fifth Fugue (BWV 850, I believe) and I'm in love with it. I will definitely learn this Fugue, but I know I'm not there yet... Until then, I'll learn other pieces and progress.
@vulpae2 Yeah, this is definitely not for beginners, but it really depends on how fast you learn. You'll get there if you keep practising. I'm definitely not at the level of playing this yet either, but I'm getting there. The prelude to this is actually a pretty easy piece if you have a good rhythm and fingerings and know how to arpeggiate nicely. I'm currently studying that and some minuets.
They are insane - a fair way to go yet, but with 3 horus training a day, I dunno, that's more than anyone I know, if you sustain it then pretty fast I should think.
@mathsquadforlife Quite well. I skipped the Fugue after learning the Prelude. Instead, I've learned the 5th Fugue, and Preludium 1,2,3,5,6 lol. Next Fugue's gonna be 2 and 3. I'll then try getting Fugue 1 done. But I'm really anxious to learn the Goldberg Variations No 10 Fugue. Can't get it out of my head.
PS: This is vulpae2, my old account somehow got removed. Lol.
I never really understood why Bach's organ Preludes, Fantasias, Toccatas, and Fugues never got the respect they deserve in contrast to his other keyboard works, or even the Liszt transcriptions for that matter.
My thought is that they aren't as readily "accessible."
For my counterpoint class, we have to write a fugue in this style. Not as easy as it looks. It's like a puzzle, all the parts have to fit together perfectly.
@MooseyFate100 I'd heard that people with autism were better at understanding "systems" and predicting how they work (Simon Baron-Cohen's empathizing-systemizing theory), but I hadn't heard that high-functioning autistics all perceived music visually. Is there somewhere that I could learn more about that?
@smalin Sometimes. It's different depending on the person, but like I said, I can "see" music, and in addition I can somewhat "hear" objects or smells or places or events. It's pretty interesting.
theres nothing like trolling baroque forums with a comment about temperment
good job...the notes seemed different when i played it...i should revisit to make sure i'm not playing it wrong...like the b natural at the second to last chord
I aggree with Steinbach1984, a little bit more slowly may be better, and, what seems even more important to me, less 'mechanic', more in a lyric way; less staccato, more portato and legato.
Your technique is great and the voices are clear, which makes the four bar score and the graphic representation only more useful. However, I would prefer a slighter slower and less mechanic performance. This fugue is full of stretti, and the average ear needs some time to unwind the complex fabric of overlapping themes.
@SuperSaltpeanuts Sorry, no; in equal-tempered, all the intervals are the same size; in well-tempered, they're not. See the Wikipedia article on "well temperament."
@traktus5 What I meant by "all the intervals are the same size" is that all the intervals of the same type are the same size: all minor seconds are equal, all major seconds are equal, etc.
@smalin Yes, i just did. After browsing your videos i got the answers. It's all vey informative and structured.TY. Btw, You think Richters version is too mushy? Well, he "did" always say he disliked his performances:D.
Anyhow, great work of you. 03.21 here, you must either be very hard working or you've got a lot of sparetimeXD.
My Intro to Music teacher had us watch this Youtube video and write an essay about the piece. The graphic representation is really useful. I'm not sure I would be able to recognize which contrapuntal devices Bach used without it.
I also noticed that your take on the piece is a lot more cheerful than what I've heard before. Great Job!
Personally, I felt that some of the notes were a little short. Yes I know that in Baroque music, shorter notes=legato and longer notes=nonlegato. But some of the 16th note passages seem very... abrupt. And perhaps your long notes are maybe too nonlegato. They sound staccato. You did a good job with the video and everything, but I would not put this recording on my iPod.
Btw, have you seen Ricther's playing of the WTC? Absolutely great.
Richter's playing of this fugue strikes me as too legato; it all sort of mushes together; the voices with the theme are audible, but the rest of counterpoint is obscured. Too "romantic" ...
What I was trying for was to have the first notes of the theme be legato, the disjoint notes of the theme be staccato (or, at least, detached), and everything else somewhere in between (non-legato).
In other words, what you don't like was what I was trying for ... so it's a matter of taste, not execution.
Hahahaha, actually, I need much more Bach experience before I try this fugue. This fugue has 4-5 lines at once. I'm still working on 3 lines. Baroque and Classical aren't my forte. I feel more at ease with Romantic and Impressionist works.
@smalin Yes... i agree with you .... and still, some little parts are to abrupt. But yes, it saves the counterpoint... probably if you play it staccato ten times.. and then let go, it would fall perfect
@werq34ac How many videos of you playin did you post? I mean... Bach is Bach, and interpretations are infinite. Look at Baremboim, he does some sort of "romantic" Bach, I don't like it, but it's Ok, Bach is always ok. Smalin, keep on posting things, I like very much your approach on Bach.
@werq34ac I agree, there is almost interpretation to this piece. the emotion is gone, only notes are being played. they played this piece, not preformed it. however, the clarity is very well done and from the looks of it technically, this piece is perfect
Not really. I wrote a few jazz-like pieces, which I can play badly. But I don't improvise much (and when I do, it's not something that hangs together enough that I'd want to show it to the world). I've offered to do videos of other people's jazz, but so far nobody's taken me up on the offer.
your interpretation is awesome. maybe i have what you call "short term memory" but i find that i always enjoy the livelier, quicker interpretations of fugues more pleasing than the slower ones. for example, i also very much enjoy your recording of contrapunctus 9, which you also played quite briskly.
The idea for this interpretation came from its being a stretto fugue. When the subject overlays itself, you want each statement to retain its identity. On the piano, you can demarcate entries by playing the subject's heads a little louder, but in a stretto you need something to redirect the listener's attention after the head, such as by switching from legato to staccato. A quicker tempo also helps the subject retain its identity in a given voice (less taxing on short-term memory).
I find it interesting that he (Bach) started the first two voices on c, the third voice in g, and the fourth on c. Sorry, studying fugues, so this is a prize to see the bar graph score and the music and the hands playing.
Wauuu! This is fun and I've long since wanted to listen to this piece as a merry piece - yes you can :-)
Thank you for video-recording the hand movements, I have also wanted to see how other people do the fingering because I have troubles with thumb under etc. I think I better use staccato and lift.
But once more thank you for this nice recording of a nice fugue in a happy mood :-)
@simipiano: This is Bach! It sounds well played in whatever mood & instrument! I have heard the wohltemperierte played on marimba, and the cello suites on saxophone! Smalin, your interpretation is really OK, damn the solemnity, welcome the hapiness!!! Also JSB don't wrote indication of andante solemne.
This piece can be played legato too ... if you want to discuss particulars of fingerings, email me at my musanim address (follow the links in the FAQ to my website, and then go to the contact page).
smalin ... i'm a pianist i studied a lot this difficult fugue .... the indication of time is andante solenne .... and it means the glory of the well tempered klavier represented into the base tonality of Do maggiore. If you know that Bach started his studies on the organ you will know also that this is an organistic execution ---- in His life bach was inspired a lot by organ. and i thin this interpretation is wrong .
it is not a " ballet" is a serious fugue..... i don't think so that Bach severe man could have played it with an idiot smile on his face. And besides you need to exalt the voices .... 4 voices, and with this " staccato...." " saltellato" you cannot valorize it.
You say "the indication of time is andante solenne" ... whose indication is that? That indication was not put in the score by Bach, but by some more recent editor.
Way more difficult. Those pieces have no counterpoint whatsoever, and this has four-voice contrapuntal writing. It is more difficult than any of the two- or three-part inventions.
How difficult is it compared to the other fugues from the Well Tempered Klavier? It's the first one I've tried and it isn't easy for me. Great video by the way.
If you ordered the fugues in the WTC from easiest to hardest, this one would be toward the hard end. The next one (the C minor one in the first book) is toward the easy end (closer in difficulty to the three-part inventions, which are a good preparation for the WTC).
This would me my first composition, but I don't where to start. I'll try to go at my library to see if there is one Art of Fugue. I began playing piano 6 months ago, and try a lot to write. But I can't find anything on the internet that gives me rules, like some kind of Poem.
Look for J. J. Fux's Gradus ad Parmassum. I think that's one of the books Bach learned from (maybe somebody can confirm/correct that) --- in any case, it has the rules for voice-leading. It's for a slightly earlier period, but once you understand those rules, you can understand how Bach deviated from them (especially in instrumental music).
If you can't write a fugue, it's because you don't know the things you need to know. Bach was a genius, it's true, but lots of people who weren't geniuses wrote decent-enough fugues, too. If you learn to play fugues, learn to improvise, learn to compose, learn the rules of voice-leading, etc., etc., etc. ... you'll find writing a fugue no more difficult than writing any other kind of piece.
As a teacher of middle-school music, I am thrilled, ddelighted, and hugely grateful for these posts. A better teaching tool for illustrating counterpoint, I don't know of. Thank you, and keep posting, please!
I think the best way to illustrate counterpoint is singing in class myself. Any one can single well enough to sing at least first species counterpoint, even young children.
Bach wrote these with the intent of them being for beginning piano students, or so I've read. Are the fugues progressively difficult? E.G. is 4 more difficult than 1
JimmyJoeBobMA 5 days ago
@JimmyJoeBobMA No; the difficulty varies pretty much randomly.
smalin 5 days ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hi,i am looking for a fugue speciallist to tell me what is that chromatic fugue:
youtube.com/watch?v=yotypIIavlQ&list=HL1326399726&feature=mh_lolz
I found it as notes and then i made it with a music notation program
Enlightenment82 1 week ago
the future of learning music right in front of me.
ElliotGanzen 1 week ago
i'm learning this ** difficult**
wolflover8765 1 week ago
trolol
FavouriteTed 2 weeks ago
Hi! I want to buy the book of the collection "the well tempered clavier" but I didn't realize how many different editions there are. Do you have any suggestions? I'm studying them mostly by myself and I'm not a baroque expert.
realitaliankitchen 4 weeks ago
@realitaliankitchen I'd suggest getting the Dover edition to play from and write in (since it has the fewest page turns and is inexpensive) and, if you can afford it, the Henle Urtext edition to refer to. But there aren't that many important differences between editions; if you want just the notes Bach wrote (and not fingerings, dynamics, phrasing, articulation added by modern editors) you don't need anything beyond the two I've suggested.
smalin 4 weeks ago
Isn't it in 4/4 time?!?!
Wreeacks123 1 month ago
@Wreeacks123 Yes; I left out the time signature.
smalin 1 month ago
Sometimes I like to get high on fugues.
GoreCrowVII 4 months ago
@GoreCrowVII
me too
80whiterice 3 months ago in playlist Bach Well-Tempered Clavier
My Music Core teacher made counting the number of repeated theme in this fugue. When I tried counting by just listening I only heard 16 =.=". I know there were more but it was hard to make sure that they really were a full repeating theme. It certainly helped me a lot watching this. Thank you.
AnStHa 4 months ago
excellent lesson.Great to see chords and modulation mentioned.Thank you create4711@gmail.com
composer41 4 months ago
Ahhah... I remember when I tried to learn this on my own once. Didn't get too far, but Bach's genius became crystal clear.
Then my old man came and played it straight through. My jaw dropped.
But this video is just... perfect. Shows all that's needed.
WilfredIvanhoe 8 months ago
Thanks for putting these up. I can listen to them all day but for the life of me, I can't understand why someone would click on the dislike button. This is the purest of music. It makes no sense to me.
spinmonkey4401 9 months ago
your notations and everything is awsome, and I love how you made the guidlines and put sheet music in, but I think this was going a bit fast. I didn't think bach would go this fast wither :)
I think it shoul be played at 120 for eighth notes, or just sa bit faster than that
but anyways, this was excellent
charlesbai123 9 months ago
Smalin, I want to get your opinion on something. Chopin didn't like C Major because he said it was a difficult scale on the piano to play because of the position of the keys. When he taught students the piano, he had them start their lessons on B Major and end on C Major. Do you agree? Is C Major a difficult scale for a pianist's hands?
amadeus5889 10 months ago
@amadeus5889 Yes, I agree.
smalin 10 months ago
@smalin I agree with Chopin. Unfortunately, I didn't start that way...
I really like your redition, btw. It's very playful.
fissionesque 7 months ago
@smalin Why do you agree with this? As a non-pianist, it's kind of confusing.
ZeiShou 4 months ago
@ZeiShou The question wasn't whether it's confusing, but which was easier for the hands.
smalin 4 months ago
@smalin No, no, no - you misunderstand. I was wondering why you think it's harder on the hands. I was just saying that as a non-pianist it's kind of confusing to hear someone say that, since my little time on the piano was me learning the C Major scale.
ZeiShou 4 months ago
@ZeiShou Did you not try playing a B major scale? It's much more comfortable; you don't have to curl your fingers so much, it's easier to pass your thumb under when you switch positions, etc.
smalin 4 months ago
@amadeus5889
Finding it difficult is not the same as disliking it.
Vanafiz 9 months ago
@amadeus5889 That's the first scale I ever learnt for its clarity. I find G# and B flat far more difficult.
Dolphidood 8 months ago
@amadeus5889 That's what my piano teacher said! He said Chopin said B Major is the easiest because you don't have to do a lot of moving.
rsoeyadi 6 months ago
@rsoeyadi :) I do my research, and I think it shows.
amadeus5889 6 months ago
i been playing for 9 years and i still have trouble on this
quisha607 10 months ago
@quisha607 It takes time.
I'm playing for it on my gr. 10 exam on piano, and I've played it for about over half-an-hour each day for about half a year and I still can't get that tempo up
charlesbai123 9 months ago
@charlesbai123 would this really be considered grade 10? i'm working my way through it now (it's coming together, but nowhere near performance standard)? i ask because i'm an american, and i know little to nothing of grades, but i've become interested in that system recently.
BlackwindSamurai 5 months ago
@BlackwindSamurai I'm a slow learner & don't practice much so my experience isn't the ideal reference, but may give you some idea. I started lessons at 8 and quit at 16 or 17 (but kept playing); at that point, I'd played some easier Bach fugues, but not this one. I worked on the WTC during my twenties, and by the end of that period, I could play this, but not well, and with lots of things I knew I wanted to do better. By forty, I could do it justice; it's gotten better since (I'm 58 tomorrow).
smalin 5 months ago
@smalin i see. it's reassuring to know that i still have some hope. just hit 21, and i have a very strong background in guitar, theory, structure, history, etc. and i've been playing piano very seriously for almost two years now.
by the way, thanks for all of your music animation videos. they've taught me a lot about counterpoint by helping me visualize it.
BlackwindSamurai 5 months ago
@BlackwindSamurai Yes, if you're 21 and you keep at it, you'll be able to play most of the fugues in the WTC eventually. Hint: the sooner you start working on giving each line its own expression (dynamics, accents, articulation, phrasing, etc.), the better.
smalin 5 months ago
ever tried prelude and fugue in c minor? its bach
no. 2
you should. i think itd be great :)
hhaleybluee 10 months ago
i have to play this for my grade 8 ameb
AznS0ulja 10 months ago
@AznS0ulja ... I'm practicing for gr. 10 practical and I'm playing this piece ???
charlesbai123 9 months ago
@charlesbai123 i went on your profile, and youre from canada, im from australia.. so the system i assume would be different. so i reckon grade 10 = grade 8
AznS0ulja 9 months ago
How much training would one need to have to play this? I started playing 2 Months ago, about 1-3 hours a day. (I'm in love with the instrument.)
I'm absolutely in love with classical music, and especially Bach, his fugues, and Debussy & Chopin are what I strive for. Anyhow, this piece is really hard to play. Is that normal? Any estimate on how much training one should have to try these pieces?
vulpae2 11 months ago
@vulpae2 I starting playing when I was eight, and I was nowhere close to being able to play this until I was in my twenties. I was slow, but this is not for beginners.
smalin 11 months ago
@smalin Oh, wow. I see.. Guess I'll just have to learn some other "level"-appropriate pieces.. It's just hard because most classical pieces are hard to master. But I won't give up, I'll learn this piece and once I do, I'll upload a video on YouTube!
Thanks Smalin, you really made me love classical piano pieces.
vulpae2 11 months ago
@smalin I agree.
the technique of fugue is a very difficult part of composition to master, let alone play!
Bach was a master of improvisation, composing, and playing like no one else of his time. It truly takes a dedicated person to play his works well, but I'm sure if you love the instrument like you say you do, you can get there! Keep it up and good luck!
aflatironwade27 10 months ago
@vulpae2 I've been playing piano for 14 years by now and this piece is still a challenge. However, if you keep playing 1-3 hours a day, you'll definitely get there faster than I will have. To be able to play pieces like this fugue, it is a marvelous feeling. All that time and effort you put into your skills, you only have yourself to blame for becoming that good. It's a gift nobody can gift you but yourself.
Maiku5 10 months ago
@Maiku5 It's true I'm twelve right now and I am practicing for my practical exam this june, and every time I play it, it just sounds so terriffic, though I still have some errors
my piano teacher goes crazy if I make a mistake
charlesbai123 9 months ago
@vulpae2 You can do after playign 1-3 hours a day after 2 months. This song is the second one I've learned. The first song was the prelude before it. If you find a tab that shows the fingering, it will be much faster to learn. I learned with Carl Czerny tablature of this song. Good luck, and don't give up.
RofLmaonnaise 8 months ago
@vulpae2 bach originally wrote this for his students i believe. it was meant to train them in music theory as well as in technique. fugues are pieces of music in which there are several interweaving independent voices, or melodies, playing together. bach's instrumental music is extremely complex, to say the very least. to play them well takes a great deal of technical skill. it will be years before you are able to play pieces from the well tempered clavier well. keep practicing!
lksong2041 8 months ago
@lksong2041 I am practicing a lot! I'm currently learning the fifth fugue, one of my favorites. I skipped the prelude, as it seems like pure dexterity practice, but I'm progressing well with the fugue! I can almost play the entire piece, I only need to learn the last part. :) Thanks for the advice, though!
vulpae2 8 months ago
@vulpae2 This is concidered one of the hard fugues of the WTC, although it is a beautyful one. If you want an entry to bach on the piano I suggest getting the "Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach", and keep on practicing. You might have a look at the prelude of this fugue (which is also in the "notebook"), you propably won't get it perfectly right, but it will give you a sense of progress, to play an actual piece you (I supose you do) like.
SpyVi 7 months ago
@SpyVi Thank you! I've already learned the Prelude to this Fugue - it's beautiful. I've actually decided to learn the fifth Fugue (BWV 850, I believe) and I'm in love with it. I will definitely learn this Fugue, but I know I'm not there yet... Until then, I'll learn other pieces and progress.
vulpae2 7 months ago
@vulpae2 Yeah, this is definitely not for beginners, but it really depends on how fast you learn. You'll get there if you keep practising. I'm definitely not at the level of playing this yet either, but I'm getting there. The prelude to this is actually a pretty easy piece if you have a good rhythm and fingerings and know how to arpeggiate nicely. I'm currently studying that and some minuets.
fissionesque 7 months ago
@vulpae2 youre kidding right? ive been playing for 11 years and im just starting this one now. Im 15
run4urmony 6 months ago
@vulpae2
They are insane - a fair way to go yet, but with 3 horus training a day, I dunno, that's more than anyone I know, if you sustain it then pretty fast I should think.
HenryTheGuitarist 3 months ago
@vulpae2 how are you doing with your piano training?
mathsquadforlife 2 months ago
@mathsquadforlife Quite well. I skipped the Fugue after learning the Prelude. Instead, I've learned the 5th Fugue, and Preludium 1,2,3,5,6 lol. Next Fugue's gonna be 2 and 3. I'll then try getting Fugue 1 done. But I'm really anxious to learn the Goldberg Variations No 10 Fugue. Can't get it out of my head.
PS: This is vulpae2, my old account somehow got removed. Lol.
MrVulpone 2 months ago
Good work! Work of player and good work of computer video redactor!
ra1ajw 11 months ago
wonderful and "clean" played!
Martijn1229 1 year ago
very cool...
BankFace 1 year ago
The musanim graphics are so addictive and the pieces are well chosen and interpreted <3
The FAQ is very usefull ,in particular the sheets !
I (we) really enjoy your works so thanks for sharing :D
FabzXII 1 year ago
I never really understood why Bach's organ Preludes, Fantasias, Toccatas, and Fugues never got the respect they deserve in contrast to his other keyboard works, or even the Liszt transcriptions for that matter.
My thought is that they aren't as readily "accessible."
Any thoughts?
Biff947 1 year ago
a little staccato but otherwise very cool :)
aidanafei 1 year ago
For my counterpoint class, we have to write a fugue in this style. Not as easy as it looks. It's like a puzzle, all the parts have to fit together perfectly.
JackGordsmith 1 year ago
My fingers replicate gordian knots when playing this song. I will have to work on that...
Maiku5 1 year ago
Watching this video is like having Autism. Nevermind the fact I already had it.
MooseyFate100 1 year ago
@MooseyFate100 What do you mean by that?
smalin 1 year ago
@smalin This is more or less what I see in my head when I'm writing songs, except my instrument is guitar.
MooseyFate100 1 year ago
@MooseyFate100 What does that have to do with being autistic?
smalin 1 year ago
@smalin I'm a high functioning Autistic, so I sort of "see" music in my head. Most of the time, it's pretty much like this.
MooseyFate100 1 year ago
@MooseyFate100 I'd heard that people with autism were better at understanding "systems" and predicting how they work (Simon Baron-Cohen's empathizing-systemizing theory), but I hadn't heard that high-functioning autistics all perceived music visually. Is there somewhere that I could learn more about that?
smalin 1 year ago
@smalin It's somewhat related to this:
ht tp:/ /en .wikipedia. org/ wiki /Synesthesia
MooseyFate100 1 year ago
@MooseyFate100 I know about synesthesia; are you saying that autistics are more synesthetic than non-autistics?
smalin 1 year ago
@smalin Sometimes. It's different depending on the person, but like I said, I can "see" music, and in addition I can somewhat "hear" objects or smells or places or events. It's pretty interesting.
MooseyFate100 1 year ago
@MooseyFate100 Sounds like you're both autistic and synesthetic.
smalin 1 year ago
theres nothing like trolling baroque forums with a comment about temperment
good job...the notes seemed different when i played it...i should revisit to make sure i'm not playing it wrong...like the b natural at the second to last chord
EyMeng 1 year ago
This is insane!
NoNameLikeThisOne 1 year ago
Solely my favorite period is Baroque. And Bach is tops. Genius.
probrojeffro 1 year ago
Holy crap that was pretty damn good.
thumbs up.
CarDBOrdKiLLEr 1 year ago
I aggree with Steinbach1984, a little bit more slowly may be better, and, what seems even more important to me, less 'mechanic', more in a lyric way; less staccato, more portato and legato.
berniewa2008 1 year ago
Quite amazing, great job.
dannes22 1 year ago
is there anywhere i can see the same tune played in one temperament, then in another?
MrRasputin100 1 year ago
@MrRasputin100 Good question. I don't know.
smalin 1 year ago
wow!
krizzpKAMEkrunch02 1 year ago
Your technique is great and the voices are clear, which makes the four bar score and the graphic representation only more useful. However, I would prefer a slighter slower and less mechanic performance. This fugue is full of stretti, and the average ear needs some time to unwind the complex fabric of overlapping themes.
Steinbach1984 1 year ago
@Steinbach1984 I agree, a little slower would be better.
smalin 1 year ago
Is the piano used in this video tuned as to be well tempered? It sounds so to me but I am unsure.
Jimb0678 1 year ago
@Jimb0678 No, it's equal-tempered.
smalin 1 year ago
@smalin its same you idiots :D
SuperSaltpeanuts 1 year ago
@SuperSaltpeanuts Sorry, no; in equal-tempered, all the intervals are the same size; in well-tempered, they're not. See the Wikipedia article on "well temperament."
smalin 1 year ago 3
@smalin ...you meant to say, in equal temperment, all 12 semitones are of equal size!
traktus5 1 year ago
@traktus5 What I meant by "all the intervals are the same size" is that all the intervals of the same type are the same size: all minor seconds are equal, all major seconds are equal, etc.
smalin 1 year ago
Beautiful demonstration video. what program are you using fro that schematic?
Of course if you wanted to give the piece another feeling you should change the notes, but then you should have changed them all.
Ianthe22 1 year ago
@Ianthe22 see the FAQ
smalin 1 year ago
@smalin Yes, i just did. After browsing your videos i got the answers. It's all vey informative and structured.TY. Btw, You think Richters version is too mushy? Well, he "did" always say he disliked his performances:D.
Anyhow, great work of you. 03.21 here, you must either be very hard working or you've got a lot of sparetimeXD.
Ianthe22 1 year ago
I can hear the death date of Bach :(
God bless his soul and his spirit of music for ever
thegoddescomposer 1 year ago
It was great to see the fugue form how the main melody went through all of the phrases in the expozition
ktulur 1 year ago
A good instructional material!
dgaranin 1 year ago
Yes i agree with malin ! werq34c why not post a video so we can see your interpretation???
Keep up the great work smalin!
drjaz696 1 year ago
My Intro to Music teacher had us watch this Youtube video and write an essay about the piece. The graphic representation is really useful. I'm not sure I would be able to recognize which contrapuntal devices Bach used without it.
I also noticed that your take on the piece is a lot more cheerful than what I've heard before. Great Job!
sms3eb 1 year ago 17
Oh and if you take requests I would love to see a video like this of Mozart's Turkish March. That has always been one of my favorites.
sms3eb 1 year ago 4
AWESOME!
meleacapavlote 1 year ago 2
NICE!!!!!!
yoavoz 1 year ago
Personally, I felt that some of the notes were a little short. Yes I know that in Baroque music, shorter notes=legato and longer notes=nonlegato. But some of the 16th note passages seem very... abrupt. And perhaps your long notes are maybe too nonlegato. They sound staccato. You did a good job with the video and everything, but I would not put this recording on my iPod.
Btw, have you seen Ricther's playing of the WTC? Absolutely great.
werq34ac 2 years ago
Richter's playing of this fugue strikes me as too legato; it all sort of mushes together; the voices with the theme are audible, but the rest of counterpoint is obscured. Too "romantic" ...
What I was trying for was to have the first notes of the theme be legato, the disjoint notes of the theme be staccato (or, at least, detached), and everything else somewhere in between (non-legato).
In other words, what you don't like was what I was trying for ... so it's a matter of taste, not execution.
smalin 2 years ago 2
Personally, I interpret the longer notes as detached. Longer than half of the note value, but not much longer. I suppose it is a matter of taste.
werq34ac 2 years ago
You should post a video of your performance!
smalin 2 years ago 11
Hahahaha, actually, I need much more Bach experience before I try this fugue. This fugue has 4-5 lines at once. I'm still working on 3 lines. Baroque and Classical aren't my forte. I feel more at ease with Romantic and Impressionist works.
werq34ac 2 years ago
I very much liked what you did with the short notes, gave the piece a lot of life.
Lutz85 1 year ago
@smalin Yes... i agree with you .... and still, some little parts are to abrupt. But yes, it saves the counterpoint... probably if you play it staccato ten times.. and then let go, it would fall perfect
nicodasm 1 year ago
@werq34ac How many videos of you playin did you post? I mean... Bach is Bach, and interpretations are infinite. Look at Baremboim, he does some sort of "romantic" Bach, I don't like it, but it's Ok, Bach is always ok. Smalin, keep on posting things, I like very much your approach on Bach.
TheBarbaciano 1 year ago 2
@werq34ac I agree, there is almost interpretation to this piece. the emotion is gone, only notes are being played. they played this piece, not preformed it. however, the clarity is very well done and from the looks of it technically, this piece is perfect
cameroony002 1 year ago
@cameroony002 Only notes are being played?? Here you demonstrate your huge lack of knowledge of music. Never say only the notes are important.
werq34ac 1 year ago
speaking of jazz, how about a Gershwin prelude?
chopinop9no2 2 years ago
Sorry, can't, due to copyright.
smalin 2 years ago
i would really enjoy listening to you play jazz. is there any jazz in your repertoire?
ComicSaxProductions 2 years ago
Not really. I wrote a few jazz-like pieces, which I can play badly. But I don't improvise much (and when I do, it's not something that hangs together enough that I'd want to show it to the world). I've offered to do videos of other people's jazz, but so far nobody's taken me up on the offer.
smalin 2 years ago
could you play reflections in D by duke ellington?
ComicSaxProductions 2 years ago
hello, I'm just curious.. what would you say was the hardest peice of music you have ever played? and do you by chance have it on your uploads?
btriano 2 years ago
The harder the piece, the worse I play it, so I would never upload the hardest one --- nobody would want to listen.
smalin 2 years ago
I would!
bennyK95 2 years ago
Trust me, you wouldn't enjoy it.
smalin 2 years ago
@smalin
we dont trust you. upload it.
gr0mithtimon 2 years ago
@gr0mithtimon sorry, I wouldn't enjoy it either, so there's little motivation to do it
smalin 2 years ago
Bach, the voice of God is in him..
benjosephcuyacot 2 years ago 3
does anybody know how to find out what grade this is?
BeckiiRulez 2 years ago
but this is a pianoforte :(
adrianofsaraujo 2 years ago
A pianoforte is a clavier.
smalin 2 years ago
Great job!!! I have never played this fugue like that! Congratulations!
AZAZADECH 2 years ago
your interpretation is awesome. maybe i have what you call "short term memory" but i find that i always enjoy the livelier, quicker interpretations of fugues more pleasing than the slower ones. for example, i also very much enjoy your recording of contrapunctus 9, which you also played quite briskly.
b0ttomzone 2 years ago
que buen video!
Edelce 2 years ago 2
Whoa. I've never thought to interpret this fugue so cheerfully and, well, prancingly! I like what you did though.
Kneenibble 2 years ago
The idea for this interpretation came from its being a stretto fugue. When the subject overlays itself, you want each statement to retain its identity. On the piano, you can demarcate entries by playing the subject's heads a little louder, but in a stretto you need something to redirect the listener's attention after the head, such as by switching from legato to staccato. A quicker tempo also helps the subject retain its identity in a given voice (less taxing on short-term memory).
smalin 2 years ago
I find it interesting that he (Bach) started the first two voices on c, the third voice in g, and the fourth on c. Sorry, studying fugues, so this is a prize to see the bar graph score and the music and the hands playing.
Programmer780 2 years ago
The order of pitches is indeed interesting, but it's not the order you give.
smalin 2 years ago
@smalin sorry that should be c g g c
Programmer780 2 years ago
@Programmer780 In the chronological order that they come in at, not from top to bottom
Programmer780 2 years ago
Right; it's more usual for them to alternate.
smalin 2 years ago
Wauuu! This is fun and I've long since wanted to listen to this piece as a merry piece - yes you can :-)
Thank you for video-recording the hand movements, I have also wanted to see how other people do the fingering because I have troubles with thumb under etc. I think I better use staccato and lift.
But once more thank you for this nice recording of a nice fugue in a happy mood :-)
AlfaAxel 2 years ago
Sounds like you ought to have a little talk with simipiano (see comments below) who thinks that this fugue should be solemn, not happy.
smalin 2 years ago
@simipiano: This is Bach! It sounds well played in whatever mood & instrument! I have heard the wohltemperierte played on marimba, and the cello suites on saxophone! Smalin, your interpretation is really OK, damn the solemnity, welcome the hapiness!!! Also JSB don't wrote indication of andante solemne.
TheBarbaciano 2 years ago
This piece can be played legato too ... if you want to discuss particulars of fingerings, email me at my musanim address (follow the links in the FAQ to my website, and then go to the contact page).
smalin 2 years ago
are you a man or a woman ?
rodrigomg25 2 years ago
you haven't determined whether I'm human yet ...
smalin 2 years ago
so you are Stephen Malinowski ?
rodrigomg25 2 years ago
Yes.
smalin 2 years ago
i'm sorry, i saw your hands and for me it looked like man's hand
rodrigomg25 2 years ago
That would make sense, since I am a man.
smalin 2 years ago
Bravo! Is that a digital piano?
bennyK95 2 years ago
No, it's the real piano in my living room.
smalin 2 years ago
it's simply wonderful. beautiful.
Mangina9000 2 years ago
Oh my God :( ANDANTE SOLENNE dissacrated .... what is this abomination? i can't hear any solemnity..... Poor Johann Sebastian.
simipiano 2 years ago
Where does it say "andante"?
smalin 2 years ago
smalin ... i'm a pianist i studied a lot this difficult fugue .... the indication of time is andante solenne .... and it means the glory of the well tempered klavier represented into the base tonality of Do maggiore. If you know that Bach started his studies on the organ you will know also that this is an organistic execution ---- in His life bach was inspired a lot by organ. and i thin this interpretation is wrong .
simipiano 2 years ago
it is not a " ballet" is a serious fugue..... i don't think so that Bach severe man could have played it with an idiot smile on his face. And besides you need to exalt the voices .... 4 voices, and with this " staccato...." " saltellato" you cannot valorize it.
simipiano 2 years ago
How does one decide whether a fugue is serious or playful?
smalin 2 years ago
You say "the indication of time is andante solenne" ... whose indication is that? That indication was not put in the score by Bach, but by some more recent editor.
smalin 2 years ago
I too have studied this fugue a lot ... like, for about 35 years ... I have played it on piano, on organ, on harpsichord ...
smalin 2 years ago
play with more passion!!!
sunking45 2 years ago
I do! Check out my other videos!
smalin 2 years ago
Thanks for posting your series. I just put it on and listen to it while I work. I love Bach.
LauraArendt 2 years ago
Very impressive! I am currently playing this song at the moment, and I am not even close to getting it this beautiful. Very nice job!
emmy14931 2 years ago
How difficult is this piece?
How does it compare to Bach's Prelude in C Major or Solfeggietto?
jbz7890 2 years ago
Way more difficult. Those pieces have no counterpoint whatsoever, and this has four-voice contrapuntal writing. It is more difficult than any of the two- or three-part inventions.
smalin 2 years ago
How difficult is it compared to the other fugues from the Well Tempered Klavier? It's the first one I've tried and it isn't easy for me. Great video by the way.
Carlitosbuey 2 years ago
If you ordered the fugues in the WTC from easiest to hardest, this one would be toward the hard end. The next one (the C minor one in the first book) is toward the easy end (closer in difficulty to the three-part inventions, which are a good preparation for the WTC).
smalin 2 years ago
Si Dios existe se llama Yave, hahahaha, bach es bueno!!!!! pero no un dios XD XD XD
Spailot 2 years ago
cool videos ...i love bach!! : ) good luck and keep it up ^^
musiclower337 2 years ago
impressive!
dyl479 2 years ago
I hate Bach, and your videos.
They make me pass loads of hour on FL studio trying to write Fugues without sucess.
I sould have took some Music class earlier. *sight*
You're awesome :D
masterastros 2 years ago
I'm not clear here ... what do you hate?
You're young ... still plenty of time ...
S.
smalin 2 years ago
I was sarcastic here, it's tough to write sarcasm =_=.
I don't hate anything, I love it too much. I try to write fugues, and I can't, Bach was a genius, and you are an amazing player of his pieces.
masterastros 2 years ago 3
Have you tried studying the art of fugue? Any chance I could hear the fugues you've tried to write?
KindFurryBoy 2 years ago
Never wrote one, trying to.
This would me my first composition, but I don't where to start. I'll try to go at my library to see if there is one Art of Fugue. I began playing piano 6 months ago, and try a lot to write. But I can't find anything on the internet that gives me rules, like some kind of Poem.
masterastros 2 years ago
Look for J. J. Fux's Gradus ad Parmassum. I think that's one of the books Bach learned from (maybe somebody can confirm/correct that) --- in any case, it has the rules for voice-leading. It's for a slightly earlier period, but once you understand those rules, you can understand how Bach deviated from them (especially in instrumental music).
smalin 2 years ago
If you can't write a fugue, it's because you don't know the things you need to know. Bach was a genius, it's true, but lots of people who weren't geniuses wrote decent-enough fugues, too. If you learn to play fugues, learn to improvise, learn to compose, learn the rules of voice-leading, etc., etc., etc. ... you'll find writing a fugue no more difficult than writing any other kind of piece.
smalin 2 years ago
Yup, I understand. I'm reading a lot on Fugues these days. Thanks for your help, I'll try to read on composing piece.
masterastros 2 years ago
As a teacher of middle-school music, I am thrilled, ddelighted, and hugely grateful for these posts. A better teaching tool for illustrating counterpoint, I don't know of. Thank you, and keep posting, please!
alonzogarbanzo 2 years ago
Perfect; children (the younger the better) are my primary intended audience. Thanks for the help in reaching them.
smalin 2 years ago
I think the best way to illustrate counterpoint is singing in class myself. Any one can single well enough to sing at least first species counterpoint, even young children.
KindFurryBoy 2 years ago
beautiful playing!!! :D
efakebook 2 years ago