Love the classic sound of the robust Neupert revival harpsichord. Thanks for the upload! I've never seen an Italian Odyssey release before. Janos Sebestyen is one of my favorite harpsichordists. He recorded the complete Purcell set for Vox.
That is exactly the same as I wrote to Robert Tifft, who provided the recording and documentation. Apart from the excellent timing and tempi, there is taken so much care for the sound quality of the instrument. It might be a combination of the touch of János Sebestyén and the recording technique by Thomas Gallia. Whatever, I enjoy the result.
*_Note di Silvio Cerutti Rossati (in Italian for the CBS-release 1968)_* La Toccata era nel '500 una composizione destinata in particolare agli strumenti a tastiera; breve e brillante, costruita per lo più ad accordi, arricchita da note di passaggio, da fantasiosi episodi del genere del ricercare o da fugati, quasi sempre in tempo veloce, era un' occasione per esibizioni virtuose. Nata probabilmente dall'Intonazione per organo, cioè dal preambolo destinato ad intonare i cantori, ebbe i suoi primi autori in Andrea e Giovanni Gabrieli, Claudio Merulo, Frescobaldi, Sweelinck e Froberger. La forma libera fu poi perfezionata da Domenico Scarlatti e soprattutto da J. S. Bach. Severità e grandiosità sono le caratteristiche essenziali della toccata bachiana, sia nelle composizioni per organo che in quelle destinate al cembalo. Dice giustamente Albert Schweitzer che « in Bach la differenza fra toccate e fantasie è puramente nominale. Eventualmente la differenza i dovrebbe piuttosto cercare tra queste composizioni e il significato tradizionale dei termini, dato che le fantasie sono effettivamente molto meno "fantasia" delle toccate, e per la loro struttura regolare tengono piuttosto il posto di mezzo tra il preludio e la toccata ». Le quattro composizioni comprese in questo disco sono tutte da collocare negli anni di Weimar. La Toc- cata in sol maggiore è probabilmente del 1709, le altre sono del 1710. Al 1720, cioè al periodo di Cothen, attribuiremmo invece le famosissime Toccate in do minore e in fa diesis minore. La Toccata in re minore, opera giovanile, si presenta animatissima nelle prime quindici battute (Allegro moderato), piena di passione, severa e meditati va nel- l'Adagio. Segue una doppia Fuga « la cui unica pecu- liarità» dice lo Spitta «consiste nel fatto che i due temi sono quasi esattamente identici nella melodia e nel ritmo, con la sola differenza che il primo è com- preso nell'intervallo da un re al re superiore e il se- condo nell'intervallo da un re a un si bemolle ». Sopraggiunge ora il secondo Adagio, il cuore della Toccata, una pagina « tenera e supplichevole », come dice lo Spitta, che ci fa già presentire il Bach degli anni più fecondi. L'ultima fuga è costruita su due te- mi semplici e scorrevoli e presenta qualche episodio felice prima di giungere alla brillante chiusa. La Toccata in sol maggiore, che lo Spitta ha ge- paragonato a un "concerto" del settecento italiano, - in particolare pensava proprio a VivaI di - consta infatti di due Allegri che incorniciano un tempo lento, il suadente elegiaco Adagio. Un momento di gioia non scevra d'ironia sembra abbia ispirato la ridente Fuga che contra ta felicemente con la melodia dolcissima del tempo precedente. La Toccata in re maggiore è una di quelle pagine in cui Bach ama esprimere la propria foga tumultuosa e serena dei momenti migliori. Irruente fantasia e humour spensierato sono le caratteristiche cui è improntato lo splendido lavoro. Forse per questo nell'edizione di Peters l'opera appare come "Fantasia con fuga". I contrasti sono salienti nel frequente succedersi dei tempi: un'Allegro iniziale seguito da un'Adagio commovente e quindi da un Fugato che ci lascia impreparati di fronte a un altro Adagio interrotto da sprazzi d'umore fantasioso e brillante in cui c'è già il presentimento dell'audace ilarità della fuga finale; questa lascia libero il campo alla fantasia e al virtuosismo dell'ecutore ed è l'esatta conferma del giudizio che Schweitzer ha dato delle Toccate bachiane, «più fantasia che nelle Fantasie propriamente dette». Il primo tempo della Toccata in mi minore, dice lo Spitta, « spicca per la mancanza di lunghe progres- sioni armoniche, per la sua brevità e per il carattere di vero e proprio preludio. Il resto non differisce dai normali schemi: la doppia fuga del secondo tempo, l'adagio con i suoi recitativi tipici di una fantasia, e la fuga conclusiva. Tuttavia questa toccata si stacca sostanzialmente dalle altre ed è uno di quei brani improntati a malinconia e profondo struggimento che solo Bach poteva scrivere. Cosi la squisita breve doppia fuga è piena di desiderio agonico dall'inizio, quando il primo sospiro si ode in un accordo di settima sospe- so, fino alla fine, quando i temi si ripetono due volte nella stessa posizione, quasi non potessero aver pace. E infine l'ultimo tempo, cosi leggero e snello, simile a una dolce visione sparente, ancora con quell'espres- sione pallida e piangente che solo può esser capita e apprezzata da coloro che, esperti del dolore, son pas- sati attraverso l'intero ciclo della sventura.»
Another superb recording released on the Odyssey label. When I was a teenager buying classical LPs with my modest allowance, I truly appreciated the major record companies' subsidiary labels like Odyssey that sold wonderful performances at about half the price of their premier labels. Thanks for uploading this delightful, out-of-print harpsichord recital for us to enjoy on TH-cam
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery Unfortunately, classical music comprises only a tiny segment of sales for the recording industry, and the decision to release a vintage recording like this in digital format always comes down to a matter of profitability. It's regrettable but true that many record companies (when they believe there are few buyers) are reluctant to invest the time, expertise, and money needed to digitize their vast trove of music that was originally produced as analog recordings. I just keep hoping it's eventually recognized that these performances should be archived in a more permanent format so they are not lost forever. I commend Robert Tifft for his labor of love...!
@@marksalamon619 I agree that expected profitability is in the lead and record companies have to survive themselves. In that context, the value of artistry or the influence of recordings is meaningless. To illustrate that it is often much more than pushing a record-button to digitalize recordings, Robert Tifft mentioned to me in an e-mail: *_This recording was more of a challenge than I expected. I had never transferred the full LP. The other challenge is that each pressing is very different: the Odissea is noisy, and one channel is much louder than the other, the first BAM release is better balanced, and the pressing is slightly quieter, so that's the one I used for the most part, and the second BAM release was mastered at a much lower volume level and the left and right channels are reversed! Just goes to show that not all pressings are the same!_* And of course all clicks and plops have to be removed manually. In this particular case, the original CBS-cover was extremely dark. Too dark in my perception, but I had never seen the real cover. Robert made several scans, so we could pick the best acceptable as derived from the original, but still sufficient visibility for a digital medium. So all credits to Robert Tifft for bringing this music back alive, as part of a nostalgic feeling for older generations, who once possessed the recordings, and as an introduction for new generations before they slip into oblivion.
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery I have enormous admiration for all those who restore artistic treasures. Considering the extraordinary skill and diligence it takes to rescue the music on an LP like this, I start to wonder if master tapes of such recordings still exist in the vaults of the companies that produced them originally and whether those companies are taking steps to preserve those masters by making digital copies (even if they never intend to release them to the public).
@@marksalamon619 I'm afraid you are right. There should be some sort of institute (like the UNESCO with cultural monuments in 167 countries) or infrastructure to preserve the musical heritage, not bound by individual countries or interests. For instance, for this particular recording, there was no copyright claim (none) indicated by TH-cam. I already wait for years now that finally the efforts will succeed to digitalize the former Philips-recordings made by Isolde Ahlgrimm of the J.S. Bachcyclus in a nice Box-set. A central institute would save a lot of work, too. I sometimes digitalized with lots of patience a vinyl and found out later that it was already on the market in some sort of compilation with other works to fill up the 70 minutes. On top of it, the number of copies as a release of a recording nowadays in a niche as harpsichord music, is much smaller than in the past. That can easily run out of print, which makes the landscape even more diffuse. We can sit back and relax or make use of a commercial platform as TH-cam to preserve the recordings, but that should not be the final destination. In the past there were no commercials at all and now and then they already sneak in commercials, which I can understand because the facilities of TH-cam cost money too.
Harpsichord Vinyl Gallery you must of read my mind! 😊 I'm starting my days off, with a glass of wine, and you published another brilliant upload of revival harpsichord playing with the marvelous Janos Sebestyen. 🥰 Thank you for making my day more musically inclined. 😁
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery I do always love it when I have my days off, want wine, and you upload. It does start it off well for me. Especially the harpsichord, I love the distinctive Neupert sound. 🥰
*_Notes by Carl de Nys for the BAM-release LD 6003 in the English language 1/1_* A Toccata was originally a piece of music for an instrument (to be played - « toccare ») as opposed to works for the human voice. It may be considered that it was the XVIth century Italians, above all the great Girolamo Frescobaldi, who gave this form its specific shape, transforming it into a major piece giving prime importance to improvisational and imaginative elements and the display of the tonal wealth of the instrument concerned, In this regard, J.S. Bach's Toccata in D Minor followed by the famous fugue - for the organ - is a brilliant model, perhaps even the model for this genre. However, in Bach's work there is a series of toccatas, seven, to be exact, where the term is applied to an infinitely more complex construction of much larger dimensions ; it would seem that all of these date from the first years at Weimar - 1708 - 1710 to be precise. In spite of the variations from on Toccata to the other it is possible to ma k e out a distinct common plan, A grandiose introduction in the style of the original Italian toccata but with greater emphasis on the aspect of free improvisation is succeeded by a profoundly meditative slow movement which is (like that of the Toccata in D Major BWV 912 recorded here) at certain moments comparable to the great slow orchestra movements Bach wrote, both in dimension and depth of inspiration, The third and last section of these Weimar toccatas still includes an important fugued movement, but the rhythm is rather faster. It is known that Bach also used this type of composition for the organ, but more rarely and in a less characteristic style. These toccatas for harpsichord sound perfect when transcribed for the present-day concert grand ; this fact is something of a revela ti on of the direction they lead in the progress of the history of music. What is striking, when comparing these with all Bach's other compositions except a few isolated sheets from the same period, is the brilliant imagination, the sovereign liberty, the extraordinary wealth and variety of inspiration of these Weimar toccatas. It should be recalled that it was a t Weimar that Bach occupied the first important position to allow him to give rein to every side of his genius, And also, it i undoubtedly the beginning of his first marriage with Maria Barbara and the birth of his first daughter, Katharina-Dorothea and especially, in November 1710, that of his oldest boy, Wilhelm Friedemann who quickly demonstrated to his father that he was to be a musician of genius. All this gave him reason to express his own genius and his own personality, overflowing with vitality. However, nothing would be more mistaken than to think that Bach was using these pieces to demonstrate the virtu- osity, the brilliant technique, that numerous sources inform us were his to a very rare degree, J. N. Forkel, whose information was reliable, coming from the two eldest sons of the Kapellmeister, informs us on this point that, « Very early on he felt that nourishes and leaps on the keyboard would lead to nothing ; he understood that order, liaison logical sequence should subordinate one musical idea to another «. This is wha t still strikes us today when we play or listen to one of these admirable toccatas: in spite of an absolute, sovereign liberty of improvisation that brings them fresh to our eyes and ears, the musical organization, the architectonic structure are still in evidence, with their unusual force and clarity. It is surprising to see that the spirit and structure of the northern toccata are often evoked a propos these pieces; on the contrary, nothing seems further removed from these Weimar toccatas than the great works of the same name, or plan and written, for example, by Buxtehude. Bach's major qualities here are the perfect balance of proportion despite the spirit of improvisation that pervades these pieces, the incredibly elaborate detail of certain passages even though the music seems to spurt out like one single name, the transcendental science of the contrapuntal polyphony behind the rhythmic impulse and the irresistible power of the fugues that first hold spellbound. These are all things Bach could not have learned or found in the masters of the north, whom he did however admire. We know that this supreme mastery of order is a quality acquired in the study of the Italian composers, as is the stylized pathos of certain slow lines, It was by studying Vivaldi, Albinoni, Legrenzi that the young genius acquired this art which, today, seems the most personal characteristic in all his major works. These four toccatas, in D Major (BWV 912), D Minor (BWV 913), E Minor (BWV 914) and G Ma jor (BWV 916), should be analyzed in detail - but this is impossible in the space available. In spite of the points they have in common, each of them has its individual character. I should also like to add that the sequence of the pieces on this record, due, without doubt, to the performer, seems perfect to me, leading as it does to the heights of the Toccata in E Minor, one of the most beautiful, the most moving and the most masterly pieces in all Bach's works, one of those pieces that gives us the feeling of being in the immediate proximity of the most illustrious masterpiece in all its timeless perfection, When will these toccatas ever become really popular ?
It is now as much a shock to hear Bach played on a revival harpsichord as it must have been to hear it played on an original instrument when revival harpsichords were the norm. Given their "industrial" sound with no overtones and subtlety, it's no wonder they are rarely made, though the transition to historical instruments was not without its challenges. The logic must have followed that of the fortepiano and a modern Steinway; that is, technology is better. However, Mozart played on a Steinway appeals more to the modern ear than a Stein or a Walter. A matter of taste... My introduction to Sebestyn was his recording of Handel's Aylesford Pieces, which have not been recorded to my knowledge by any other musician.
I hope both sorts of instruments (revival and historical informed instrument) can live next to each other. The more diversity, the better. There is nothing 'good' or 'wrong' in my personal perception.
János Sebestyén pays due respect to Johannes Sebastian Bach works : he plays it with the heart ♥
Love the classic sound of the robust Neupert revival harpsichord. Thanks for the upload! I've never seen an Italian Odyssey release before. Janos Sebestyen is one of my favorite harpsichordists. He recorded the complete Purcell set for Vox.
That is exactly the same as I wrote to Robert Tifft, who provided the recording and documentation. Apart from the excellent timing and tempi, there is taken so much care for the sound quality of the instrument. It might be a combination of the touch of János Sebestyén and the recording technique by Thomas Gallia. Whatever, I enjoy the result.
*_Note di Silvio Cerutti Rossati (in Italian for the CBS-release 1968)_*
La Toccata era nel '500 una composizione destinata
in particolare agli strumenti a tastiera; breve e
brillante, costruita per lo più ad accordi, arricchita
da note di passaggio, da fantasiosi episodi del genere
del ricercare o da fugati, quasi sempre in tempo veloce,
era un' occasione per esibizioni virtuose. Nata
probabilmente dall'Intonazione per organo, cioè dal
preambolo destinato ad intonare i cantori, ebbe i suoi
primi autori in Andrea e Giovanni Gabrieli, Claudio
Merulo, Frescobaldi, Sweelinck e Froberger. La forma
libera fu poi perfezionata da Domenico Scarlatti
e soprattutto da J. S. Bach. Severità e grandiosità
sono le caratteristiche essenziali della toccata bachiana,
sia nelle composizioni per organo che in quelle
destinate al cembalo. Dice giustamente Albert Schweitzer
che « in Bach la differenza fra toccate e fantasie
è puramente nominale. Eventualmente la differenza
i dovrebbe piuttosto cercare tra queste composizioni
e il significato tradizionale dei termini, dato che le
fantasie sono effettivamente molto meno "fantasia"
delle toccate, e per la loro struttura regolare tengono
piuttosto il posto di mezzo tra il preludio e la toccata ».
Le quattro composizioni comprese in questo disco
sono tutte da collocare negli anni di Weimar. La Toc-
cata in sol maggiore è probabilmente del 1709, le
altre sono del 1710. Al 1720, cioè al periodo di
Cothen, attribuiremmo invece le famosissime Toccate
in do minore e in fa diesis minore.
La Toccata in re minore, opera giovanile, si presenta
animatissima nelle prime quindici battute (Allegro
moderato), piena di passione, severa e meditati va nel-
l'Adagio. Segue una doppia Fuga « la cui unica pecu-
liarità» dice lo Spitta «consiste nel fatto che i due
temi sono quasi esattamente identici nella melodia e
nel ritmo, con la sola differenza che il primo è com-
preso nell'intervallo da un re al re superiore e il se-
condo nell'intervallo da un re a un si bemolle ».
Sopraggiunge ora il secondo Adagio, il cuore della
Toccata, una pagina « tenera e supplichevole », come
dice lo Spitta, che ci fa già presentire il Bach degli
anni più fecondi. L'ultima fuga è costruita su due te-
mi semplici e scorrevoli e presenta qualche episodio
felice prima di giungere alla brillante chiusa.
La Toccata in sol maggiore, che lo Spitta ha ge-
paragonato a un "concerto" del settecento
italiano, - in particolare pensava proprio a VivaI di
- consta infatti di due Allegri che incorniciano un
tempo lento, il suadente elegiaco Adagio. Un momento
di gioia non scevra d'ironia sembra abbia ispirato la
ridente Fuga che contra ta felicemente con la melodia
dolcissima del tempo precedente.
La Toccata in re maggiore è una di quelle pagine
in cui Bach ama esprimere la propria foga tumultuosa
e serena dei momenti migliori. Irruente fantasia e
humour spensierato sono le caratteristiche cui è improntato
lo splendido lavoro. Forse per questo nell'edizione
di Peters l'opera appare come "Fantasia con
fuga". I contrasti sono salienti nel frequente succedersi
dei tempi: un'Allegro iniziale seguito da un'Adagio
commovente e quindi da un Fugato che ci lascia
impreparati di fronte a un altro Adagio interrotto da
sprazzi d'umore fantasioso e brillante in cui c'è già
il presentimento dell'audace ilarità della fuga finale;
questa lascia libero il campo alla fantasia e al virtuosismo
dell'ecutore ed è l'esatta conferma del
giudizio che Schweitzer ha dato delle Toccate bachiane,
«più fantasia che nelle Fantasie propriamente dette».
Il primo tempo della Toccata in mi minore, dice
lo Spitta, « spicca per la mancanza di lunghe progres-
sioni armoniche, per la sua brevità e per il carattere
di vero e proprio preludio. Il resto non differisce dai
normali schemi: la doppia fuga del secondo tempo,
l'adagio con i suoi recitativi tipici di una fantasia, e
la fuga conclusiva. Tuttavia questa toccata si stacca
sostanzialmente dalle altre ed è uno di quei brani
improntati a malinconia e profondo struggimento che
solo Bach poteva scrivere. Cosi la squisita breve doppia
fuga è piena di desiderio agonico dall'inizio, quando
il primo sospiro si ode in un accordo di settima sospe-
so, fino alla fine, quando i temi si ripetono due volte
nella stessa posizione, quasi non potessero aver pace.
E infine l'ultimo tempo, cosi leggero e snello, simile
a una dolce visione sparente, ancora con quell'espres-
sione pallida e piangente che solo può esser capita e
apprezzata da coloro che, esperti del dolore, son pas-
sati attraverso l'intero ciclo della sventura.»
Another superb recording released on the Odyssey label. When I was a teenager buying classical LPs with my modest allowance, I truly appreciated the major record companies' subsidiary labels like Odyssey that sold wonderful performances at about half the price of their premier labels. Thanks for uploading this delightful, out-of-print harpsichord recital for us to enjoy on TH-cam
We have to thank Robert Tifft for this recording. I don't understand why these kind of great recordings never were released on digital media.
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery Unfortunately, classical music comprises only a tiny segment of sales for the recording industry, and the decision to release a vintage recording like this in digital format always comes down to a matter of profitability. It's regrettable but true that many record companies (when they believe there are few buyers) are reluctant to invest the time, expertise, and money needed to digitize their vast trove of music that was originally produced as analog recordings. I just keep hoping it's eventually recognized that these performances should be archived in a more permanent format so they are not lost forever. I commend Robert Tifft for his labor of love...!
@@marksalamon619 I agree that expected profitability is in the lead and record companies have to survive themselves. In that context, the value of artistry or the influence of recordings is meaningless.
To illustrate that it is often much more than pushing a record-button to digitalize recordings, Robert Tifft mentioned to me in an e-mail: *_This recording was more of a challenge than I expected. I had never transferred the full LP. The other challenge is that each pressing is very different: the Odissea is noisy, and one channel is much louder than the other, the first BAM release is better balanced, and the pressing is slightly quieter, so that's the one I used for the most part, and the second BAM release was mastered at a much lower volume level and the left and right channels are reversed! Just goes to show that not all pressings are the same!_*
And of course all clicks and plops have to be removed manually. In this particular case, the original CBS-cover was extremely dark. Too dark in my perception, but I had never seen the real cover. Robert made several scans, so we could pick the best acceptable as derived from the original, but still sufficient visibility for a digital medium.
So all credits to Robert Tifft for bringing this music back alive, as part of a nostalgic feeling for older generations, who once possessed the recordings, and as an introduction for new generations before they slip into oblivion.
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery I have enormous admiration for all those who restore artistic treasures. Considering the extraordinary skill and diligence it takes to rescue the music on an LP like this, I start to wonder if master tapes of such recordings still exist in the vaults of the companies that produced them originally and whether those companies are taking steps to preserve those masters by making digital copies (even if they never intend to release them to the public).
@@marksalamon619 I'm afraid you are right. There should be some sort of institute (like the UNESCO with cultural monuments in 167 countries) or infrastructure to preserve the musical heritage, not bound by individual countries or interests. For instance, for this particular recording, there was no copyright claim (none) indicated by TH-cam. I already wait for years now that finally the efforts will succeed to digitalize the former Philips-recordings made by Isolde Ahlgrimm of the J.S. Bachcyclus in a nice Box-set.
A central institute would save a lot of work, too. I sometimes digitalized with lots of patience a vinyl and found out later that it was already on the market in some sort of compilation with other works to fill up the 70 minutes. On top of it, the number of copies as a release of a recording nowadays in a niche as harpsichord music, is much smaller than in the past. That can easily run out of print, which makes the landscape even more diffuse.
We can sit back and relax or make use of a commercial platform as TH-cam to preserve the recordings, but that should not be the final destination. In the past there were no commercials at all and now and then they already sneak in commercials, which I can understand because the facilities of TH-cam cost money too.
Harpsichord Vinyl Gallery you must of read my mind! 😊 I'm starting my days off, with a glass of wine, and you published another brilliant upload of revival harpsichord playing with the marvelous Janos Sebestyen. 🥰 Thank you for making my day more musically inclined. 😁
Thanks, we waited till you were settled and ready with that glass of wine in your hand before we published it ;-)
@@HarpsichordVinylGallery I do always love it when I have my days off, want wine, and you upload. It does start it off well for me. Especially the harpsichord, I love the distinctive Neupert sound. 🥰
💝💝💝 What a wonderful recording with the great Janos Sebestyén ... Thank you so very much as always ... 🌹 TY
Yes, Robert Tifft spoils us once more with this recording.
Que obras tan geniales
I agree, especially the one in e minor (BWV 914)
41:09 fiesta!
💝
*_Notes by Carl de Nys for the BAM-release LD 6003 in the English language 1/1_*
A Toccata was originally a piece of music for an instrument (to be played - « toccare ») as opposed to works
for the human voice. It may be considered that it was the XVIth century Italians, above all the great Girolamo
Frescobaldi, who gave this form its specific shape, transforming it into a major piece giving prime importance
to improvisational and imaginative elements and the display of the tonal wealth of the instrument concerned, In
this regard, J.S. Bach's Toccata in D Minor followed by the famous fugue - for the organ - is a brilliant model,
perhaps even the model for this genre. However, in Bach's work there is a series of toccatas, seven, to be exact,
where the term is applied to an infinitely more complex construction of much larger dimensions ; it would seem that
all of these date from the first years at Weimar - 1708 - 1710 to be precise.
In spite of the variations from on Toccata to the other it is possible to ma k e out a distinct common plan, A grandiose
introduction in the style of the original Italian toccata but with greater emphasis on the aspect of free improvisation
is succeeded by a profoundly meditative slow movement which is (like that of the Toccata in D Major
BWV 912 recorded here) at certain moments comparable to the great slow orchestra movements Bach wrote, both
in dimension and depth of inspiration, The third and last section of these Weimar toccatas still includes an important
fugued movement, but the rhythm is rather faster. It is known that Bach also used this type of composition for
the organ, but more rarely and in a less characteristic style. These toccatas for harpsichord sound perfect when
transcribed for the present-day concert grand ; this fact is something of a revela ti on of the direction they lead in
the progress of the history of music.
What is striking, when comparing these with all Bach's other compositions except a few isolated sheets from the
same period, is the brilliant imagination, the sovereign liberty, the extraordinary wealth and variety of inspiration
of these Weimar toccatas. It should be recalled that it was a t Weimar that Bach occupied the first important position
to allow him to give rein to every side of his genius, And also, it i undoubtedly the beginning of his first marriage
with Maria Barbara and the birth of his first daughter, Katharina-Dorothea and especially, in November 1710,
that of his oldest boy, Wilhelm Friedemann who quickly demonstrated to his father that he was to be a musician
of genius. All this gave him reason to express his own genius and his own personality, overflowing with vitality.
However, nothing would be more mistaken than to think that Bach was using these pieces to demonstrate the virtu-
osity, the brilliant technique, that numerous sources inform us were his to a very rare degree, J. N. Forkel, whose
information was reliable, coming from the two eldest sons of the Kapellmeister, informs us on this point that, « Very
early on he felt that nourishes and leaps on the keyboard would lead to nothing ; he understood that order, liaison
logical sequence should subordinate one musical idea to another «. This is wha t still strikes us today when we play
or listen to one of these admirable toccatas: in spite of an absolute, sovereign liberty of improvisation that brings
them fresh to our eyes and ears, the musical organization, the architectonic structure are still in evidence, with their
unusual force and clarity.
It is surprising to see that the spirit and structure of the northern toccata are often evoked a propos these pieces;
on the contrary, nothing seems further removed from these Weimar toccatas than the great works of the same name,
or plan and written, for example, by Buxtehude. Bach's major qualities here are the perfect balance of proportion
despite the spirit of improvisation that pervades these pieces, the incredibly elaborate detail of certain passages even
though the music seems to spurt out like one single name, the transcendental science of the contrapuntal polyphony
behind the rhythmic impulse and the irresistible power of the fugues that first hold spellbound. These are all things
Bach could not have learned or found in the masters of the north, whom he did however admire. We know that this
supreme mastery of order is a quality acquired in the study of the Italian composers, as is the stylized pathos of
certain slow lines, It was by studying Vivaldi, Albinoni, Legrenzi that the young genius acquired this art which,
today, seems the most personal characteristic in all his major works.
These four toccatas, in D Major (BWV 912), D Minor (BWV 913), E Minor (BWV 914) and G Ma jor (BWV 916),
should be analyzed in detail - but this is impossible in the space available. In spite of the points they have in
common, each of them has its individual character. I should also like to add that the sequence of the pieces on this
record, due, without doubt, to the performer, seems perfect to me, leading as it does to the heights of the Toccata
in E Minor, one of the most beautiful, the most moving and the most masterly pieces in all Bach's works, one of
those pieces that gives us the feeling of being in the immediate proximity of the most illustrious masterpiece in all
its timeless perfection, When will these toccatas ever become really popular ?
19:52
It is now as much a shock to hear Bach played on a revival harpsichord as it must have been to hear it played on an original instrument when revival harpsichords were the norm. Given their "industrial" sound with no overtones and subtlety, it's no wonder they are rarely made, though the transition to historical instruments was not without its challenges. The logic must have followed that of the fortepiano and a modern Steinway; that is, technology is better. However, Mozart played on a Steinway appeals more to the modern ear than a Stein or a Walter. A matter of taste...
My introduction to Sebestyn was his recording of Handel's Aylesford Pieces, which have not been recorded to my knowledge by any other musician.
I hope both sorts of instruments (revival and historical informed instrument) can live next to each other. The more diversity, the better. There is nothing 'good' or 'wrong' in my personal perception.
Gracias en la noche 😂
Gracias. ¿Nunca te cansas de la música de clavecín?