November 23, 2005 -- informal practice session by Bradley Lehman with a play-through of Bach's six-voiced Ricercar of the Musical Offering. Taylor & Boody organ opus 41 at the Rieth Recital Hall, ...
November 23, 2005 -- informal practice session by Bradley Lehman with a play-through of Bach's six-voiced Ricercar of the Musical Offering. Taylor & Boody organ opus 41 at the Rieth Recital Hall, Goshen College, Goshen Indiana USA.
Since the hall had some open time and there were some compositions I wanted to hear later for my own reference, I took along the videocamera for an informal recording. This is the 16-minute "take" of the Ricercar a6, these first 10 minutes being my main attempt at the piece. There are a few clinks and a dodgy page turn I'd fix if this were a serious recording session. At the end I went over some of the sections again to have a cleaner try at them...those six minutes are uploaded separately as an "appendix" video.
More often I play this piece on harpsichord and clavichord, but I wanted to have a reference recording on organ (in this tuning, which I believe was Bach's own) for my own further study. Here it is, for any who might find it interesting. The registration here is simple 8+4, for clarity.
Disclaimer: condenser microphone on a cheap video camera, not the greatest sound! We used real mikes on the CD recording of this instrument, earlier in 2005. See http://www.larips.com for details.
A better photograph of the organ, and notes about the acoustic of its hall: http://tinyurl.com/36f7wn
This performance also answers a 1985 article by Mark Lindley asserting that this Ricercar almost has to be done in equal temperament. It doesn't, but merely requires temperaments like this that treat the A-flat and D-flat major areas more smoothly than Lindley's do. Equal temperament merely renders it less interesting, less beautiful, and less dynamic: like a long and relatively aimless piece.
Like to rate videos and let people know what you think?
Automatically share your ratings, favorites, and more on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader with YouTube Autoshare.
Autoshare makes certain YouTube activities public on the services you choose. Select only the services you are comfortable with - like Facebook, Twitter, or Google Reader - to let your friends know what you like on YouTube. You can turn Autoshare off at any time.
Like to share videos with friends?
Automatically share your ratings, favorites, and more on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader with YouTube Autoshare.
Autoshare makes certain YouTube activities public on the services you choose. Select only the services you are comfortable with - like Facebook, Twitter, or Google Reader - to let your friends know what you like on YouTube. You can turn Autoshare off at any time.
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.
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.
Autoshare makes certain YouTube activities public on the services you choose. Select only the services you are comfortable with - like Facebook, Twitter, or Google Reader - to let your friends know what you like on YouTube. You can turn Autoshare off at any time.
Allows to follow the harmonies and voices.
Only after hearing it several times I would
like a faster version, once I know it well.
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.
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.