JS Bach's six-voiced Ricercar from the Musical Offering

well done, I like your recording with mistakes. Makes it more human.

You could have used some of the louder stops on this instrument but overall your playing is good.

Thanks! I explored all the other stops in my 3-CD set recorded on this organ.

A Bach's work like that can never be be played too slowly and never too many times. You will find new details for every listening, until you are 100 years. Please, play it slowly. I think you playd beautiful, I really love it!

Perfect is the slow tempo.
Allows to follow the harmonies and voices.
Only after hearing it several times I would
like a faster version, once I know it well.

It's boring if is slow...

Too slow. It is ricercar!

The term "ricercar" implies nothing about tempo.

"Ricercar" vs "fugue".

Bach inscribed his Musical Offering to the king with "Regis Iussu Cantio Et Reliqua Canonica Arte Resoluta" (by the king's command, the song and the remainder resolved in the canonic style).

The 1st letters of the inscription spell out RICERCAR, an older term for fugue, meaning to "seek again".

The 2 ricercars "seak again" the king's theme and are INDISTINGUISHABLE from fugues.

Compare with the fugues from Art of the Fugue, all "seeking again" Bach's theme.

If the 3-part "ricercar" sounds "remarkably free", i.e, IMPROVISED, this is probably because it is Bach's recollection and reworking of the 3-part fugue he IMPROVISED for the king. The freedom is the result of improvisation, not modernity.

This is in contrast to the 6-parter, which was worked out, not improvised.

Compare the opening of the unfinished 4-part fugue (#14) from Art of the Fugue with the opening of this 6-part ricercar. They are very similar in character.