J.S. Bach: Prelude BWV 998

[dienamicone]

All three part are great , thanks for sharing your art. Music like this is greatly appreciated. Well Done!

[JustMeNoOther]

Downloading all your interpretations. Excellent.

I can continue my history studies and investigations with more exquisite music, all will sound perfect in my library. Thanks so much!

[highwaymaan]

Is it possible to play bach on a 7 course lute?

[Archetupon]

At what point does a lute become a theorbo?

[Shadowtech666]

Now something that struck me right away was the fact that you are using steel strings. Did you have to modify the instrument to do this? I've heard bad things from stringing up larger course lutes with higher tension strings.

[lachi1905]

@Shadowtech666 I don't exactly know what you mean: I'm not using steel strings on this recording...Anyway, at that time when they used metal strings - like the cittern - the instrument was made in a different way with the strings pressing on the bridge instead of pulling it, just like a violin.

[guitarfan1979]

can't belive this youtube is gonna actually play ads now whilst you're listening to great music like all those dodgy websites stupid idiots sorry to say that here but fcuk you google like you need more money bastards

[aang609]

i would hate to have to re-string a lute. great playing !

[jwbarna]

perfection

[silvanoooooooooooooo]

Fantastico!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

grazie di cuore.

[ninthave]

Wow, that is nice. I think you play it with the emotion that matches the piece for sure. I'm a moderately skilled classical guitarist, and always appreciate watching and hearing people with more skill than I. Thanks.

[goscott4]

Very relaxing...Thanks!

REV 18

[jascin70]

bravissimo!!



[slaytesics]

as in, which era

[slaytesics]

what type of lute is this?

[TheMusicalEvents]

Beautiful rendition and sound ... and the interpretation sounds uthentic regardless ofall theories whether it s h o u l d be more rhythmical or not. Thank you for sharing this.

[NUJAKKCITIE]

Grazie, maestro! Sehr inspirierende Interpretation! Vielen Dank!

[orvalezmoi]

j'aimerai savoir pourquoi ces deux personnes n'aiment pas.

[edgardusXII]

Mvsica citharae bellissima est. Gratias!

[MatthewLeighEmbleton]

This is an excellent and perfectly accomplished performance. A joy to watch over and over. Thank you very much for posting.

Best wishes,

Matthew

[ludustestudinis]

Well done! I wonder why you are so ashamed of your instrument? It does not sound bad, and I guess that it works well not only for Bach, but even for some native late baroque archlute music (e.g. by Zamboni or Dalitio). Is this a "Liuto forte"?

[lachi1905]

@ludustestudinis Did I give the impression that I'm ashamed of my lute?? Well, I'm sorry, the fact that I'm playing it means that it is the best instrument I can get. If not, I would get another one. Yes, it is a Liuto Forte (this name is the only thing I don't like of it)

P.S.: the pieces of Dalitio were written 1998 by the german lute player Christoph Dalitz ;-)

[dasgrooven]

others define the boat but you define the shore

[dasgrooven]

*****

[jjppl2]

Superb! This interpretation invites me to review my own rendering on the guitar. I am working on these pieces now. Thanks for inspiring me. I find this work sounds better on the luthe.

[denebcito]

Sounds very nice, congratulations! I have just one little comment: as far as i know, some people think this piece was actually meant to be played on an organ, don't you think it will sound better, or at least more musical with some legato all over the melodic line (of course not in every place)?

I have also a remark: in my opinion, it sounds better with less rubato. Baroque has a much more definite rythm.

Of course i understand this is your version. And, again, sounds great!

Thanks!

[lachi1905]

@denebcito Thank you, I'm glad you like it! To your kind remarks:

- Bach's autograph is written "pour la Luth ò Cembal", for lute or Harpsichord, not for organ. I don't exactly know what you mean with "some legato all over the melodic line": do you mean that the basses should last longer? Bach wrote many pauses showing he didn't want a legato there.

- "Baroque has a much more definite rhythm": well, not really, this is a quite obsolete point of view ;) Rubato belongs definitely to baroque music

[yamahonkawazuki]

@lachi1905 never apologise. it is meant for however you play it. on whatever you play it on. you make it sound perfect. could be played on beer cans , and id say youd make it sound amazing.

[XilMARI0liX]

beautiful my friend, thankyou

[cridacame]

beautiful!!



[untl01]

those are nylon strings aren't they?

[lachi1905]

@untl01 ?!? so what?

[untl01]

@lachi1905 nothing, just the way it looks and sounds like ;)

[lachi1905]

@untl01 wow, you can hear it ;) A question: why do you waste your listening skills on strings material? Don't you think that there are other matters which are far, far more important? Being authentic is only a matter of style, of learning a new and different "language". To be able to understand Bach's counterpoint and to render it on an 'instrument' (think about the meaning of this word) in the most deeply beautiful way: THIS is the challenge ;)

[untl01]

@lachi1905 I don't understand your reaction. I am not criticizing anything, not even authenticity. I like hearing this in many possible realizations, including performances on guitar, my native instrument (certainly everything but authentic). I was just wondering how the sound is being produced, and I thought it was not inconvenient to ask.

[lachi1905]

@untl01 it was not inconvenient, you just asked something irrelevant and my teacher side reacts always a bit irritated when someone concentrate himself on irrelevant points, sorry if it sounded a bit aggressive: it was not intended to be :) A performance doesn't "sound like" nylon or gut or whatever. Paraphrasing Keith Jarrett: I don't like the lute, I like the music I can make with the lute. So let's focus on style ;)

[MeandrousScribe]

@lachi1905 Hello. I have one question: How is asking as artist about a technical aspect of his instrument, especially one which influences every sound it will make, an irrelevant point? I mean no disrespect; I honestly want to know. I have heard musicians debate the merits of different materials for imparting various qualities to an instrument and have never heard someone become irritated or dismiss the topic as being irrelevant.

[lachi1905]

@MeandrousScribe Hello to you. The instrument is - as the name reveals - only something you use to reach a goal and the goal is in this case to speak 'baroque' and not to use a particular material for your strings. Looking for a certain sound is not irrelevant, which instrument you use for achieve this sound is irrelevant. You know, some musicians don't want to spend so much time learning a foreign language like 'baroque' is and they concentrate the topic on parts of it, like instruments.

[lachi1905]

@MeandrousScribe You can surely imagine how easier is to get a lute with gut strings and go on the stage instead of studying years of counterpoint, don't you? Each serious musician approaching Bach will at first concentrate himself to learn and understand his music; than you can develop an idea of sound; than - and only now - you will think about which instrument, strings, acoustic etc. you need. This is indeed something which becomes relevant only in a very specialized context.

[lachi1905]

@MeandrousScribe Anyway, posting like yours are always very welcome. Thanks

[Aristowi]

This is great. Which tuning did you use in this archlute? Standard or baroque lute tuning (d minor open strings)?

[lachi1905]

@Aristowi Thanks! It's a standard tuning in A

[RicardoSchonsCirio]

Awsome! I loved it!

[catena92]

bravo!

[FlurpsIxoye]

bluescreen?

[lachi1905]

@FlurpsIxoye No...greenscreen :-)

[googlekopfkind]

this instrument ...

[eunan74]

beautiful rendition of this utter masterpiece, great playing!

JSBach- the greatest musical genuis there ever was..

[rinichi666]

Must be a bitch to tune that thing... :)) Great performance!

[DBJ06]

Beautiful,, maybe you should enphasizes a little more on the lower notes,, thumbs up,,

[Davester93]

My fave part is at 2:11 =D

[GuitarraUltima]

Thank you so much for both your sensitive music and your comments on the basses. I play this piece on classical guitar and have the same feeling about them. I simply cannot find any justification for cutting the basses as the score prescribes. With them sounding, the piece have much more sonority and creates overall more majestic atmosphere. Thank you for posting. I wish today's people listened this type of music rather than rock... There would be less debility of mind & crime in the world.

[potatoepeter1]

Very very good Iaci905, the first Version on lute i hear from mister Hopkinson Smith . He playes a little bit different that Your Version. This is for me the fuge of the fugs.

Thanks for this good music

[hemc88]

Fantastico amigo, siempre es un placer escuchar las piezas en sus instrumentos originales..

[Instrumentatis]

Beautiful!! Like your phrasing and tone! Going to learn this suite again

[Jimmyocaca]

Wonderful!!!!

[Lansdownekid]

Beautiful rendition and magnificently played! Bravo!!!!! :-))

[kelborgui]

Wonderful!!!

[SFChristo]

Wonderful! It is hard to find recordings of this on the lute and I've always wondered why.

[stelaraslbc]

yes...i really do not understand why he wanted these pauses too,because it is quite opposite to what he has written...(it is obvious that he wanted the basses to be kept in most of his pieces...)Thank you very much...

[MrJonahWhaler]

@stelaraslbc the bass here is the voice in the polyphonic structure.

not actually pedal, that is why they are forth.

To play it in fourths may be also ok - it depends on the performer taste and craft. But pedal is also there, not organ pedal, but more toll or bell-like (dying out). polyphonic structure should be clearly shown.

But the pauses in bass come from polyphonic structure.

IMHO this prelude is connected with the ideas of Annunciation and the Descent of the Holy Spirit

[MrJonahWhaler]

The same structure is in WTK II Es-dur Prelude - much more clearly without any idea of pedal, and WTK II B-dur prelude also the same idea is developed but now we have pedal semantics here..

[lachi1905]

@stelaraslbc The basses are written like that in Bach's autograph and it's without discussion that he wanted them being short because he wrote every single pause; the problem is to understand why, which musical idea he had in mind. Unfortunately for me, I can't find a satisfying answer, it is a pedal and you have no harmonic reason to stop it. If you don't want a legato you could stop it in the middle of the bar, giving a quite and regular articulation...So, I play them as I understand them

[MHayes85]

@lachi1905 I also cannot find a satisfying reason why to stop the bass as it is written. To me when I play the bass with the pauses the piece seems to loose its "magic." Think of Bachs organ toccata in D minor and the long exaggerated pedal notes.

[rjlchristie]

@lachi1905 Not to distract from this excellent performance I too have always prefered the basses sounded as written. Jonathan Leathwood has written an excellent analysis providing argument for so doing in a series of 4 articles found here: egta.co.uk/content/readingbach­1

[MrJonahWhaler]

@lachi1905 your ideas are clearly seen in your performance.

I cannot agree with you about the pedal. Imagine it in orchestra or organ - those pauses then must be shown - either in actual pauses or in timbre change - no pedal.

In lute (guitar) it can be left sounding, but the performance should show that it's a voice in polyphony. You play wonderfully but more like melody with acconpaniment.

I admire your art and consider you to be the best lute player for the moment but I cannot agree with you

[stelaraslbc]

Very original sound.Thanks for sharing!Let me ask you something, i play the guitar...and the transcription says that you have to stop the first bass almost immediately,because there is a pause right after the next note...what about your transcription?

[Vladislaw81]

In fact, these pieces were written for a harpsichord that could give a sound of a lute. But not for lute.

[rjlchristie]

@Vladislaw81 Bach's autograph states "for lute or cembal", so they were written for the lute, however, whether Bach fully appreciated the technical contraints of the lute is arguable, and indeed, parts of this work do have texture more idiomatic to the keyboard.

[MarcoColombetti]

the instrument used in the video is a theorbo (also known as "chitarrone"), and it has 14 single strings.

[lachi1905]

@MarcoColombetti actualy is an arciliuto. The difference with the theorbo is the octave tuning of the first two strings which are an octave lower on the theorbo. In this case they are not.

[toni88vp]

@lachi1905 sounds like a modern guitar in the trebles.  ?¿?¿

[OrchestradiMandolini]

Beautiful music and an excellent performance. Bravo, this is warmth ánd music!

[MHayes85]

Why are the strings not double courses?

[lachi1905]

Arciliuti were normally with double strings but also single strung instruments were used (s. Baron)

[AGLMIL]

Normally the brain order the fingers to move. But here is a fantastic exception.

You move your fingers with your soul!!!!!!

[lachi1905]

@AGLMIL thanks a lot, I'm really glad you feel like that, but actually, in my emotional word it is like WIFIWIT (What I Feel Is What I Think). No differences or struggles between brain and soul, they are parts of one process: the one is by far not so powerful without the other.

[waeman]

Bach successfully covered the full spectrum of emotions .. from strict fugues to romantic solos !

[xavieralbertog3]

what a wonderful music... you play so nice... great performance... only it is played some romantic... but is nice...

[bouzoukleri]

it s amazing but this piece isnt romantic but BACH

[wmhough]

Head 'n' Shoulders above the rest. Your version brings alive a world full of implied polyphony. I'm saving this for recall as one of those meditative moments away from a stressful day. Thankyou.

[dasgroovey]

THE definitive version Sir - Bar none.

Intelligence, creativity and beauty

[beedeetripo]

Beautyfull version Sir!!! I'm studying this one and you give me new inspiration to a different approach, thank you!!!5***** greetings and respect from Bram D., Holland

[shreivox]

awesome

[giuseppeverdi9]

awesome

[retsmah24]

never-ending colors..

[liuterpramsan]

uno dei piu' bei preludi Bach... se non il piu' bello e struggente in assoluto,una perla dell'universo Bachiano,

grazie Maestro Contini!!!

[jasonhobert37]

Absolutely beautiful.

[mcmartu]

This is very nice! and so well performed!

5*s!

Regards!

Martín

[lucisuciu]

..magnificent ! ...