Bach - Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080

It is done at last, my complete recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's magnum opus Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of Fugue), BWV 1080. It's a massive task, which I have been working on for 3.5 months. I've been playing little else, except for preparing a Chopin recital I gave last month. Also I've been doing some construction work in the cellar and some days my hands did not feel like playing at all. It will be great to gorge on some romantic music after the intellectual rigors of Bach.
The fugues and canons are played here in the order of my Henle Urtext edition, including the two-clavier fugues from the "Anhang". I decided not to play a completion of unfinished fugue.
0:15 Contrapunctus 1
3:40 Contrapunctus 2
6:21 Contrapunctus 3
9:16 Contrapunctus 4
12:28 Contrapunctus 5
16:19 Contrapunctus 6 ~ [per Diminutionem] in Stylo Francese
20:41 Contrapunctus 7 ~ per Augmentationem et Diminutionem
24:06 Contrapunctus 8
32:04 Contrapunctus 9 ~ alla Duodecima
34:39 Contrapunctus 10 ~ alla Decima
39:41 Contrapunctus 11
47:06 Contrapunctus 12 [rectus]
49:43 Contrapunctus 12 [inversus]
52:13 Contrapunctus 13 [rectus]
54:36 Contrapunctus 13 [inversus]
56:58 Contrapunctus 14 (unfinished...)
1:05:39 Canon in Hypodiapason (Canon alla Ottava)
1:10:14 Canon alla Decima (Contrapunto alla Terza)
1:14:27 Canon alla Duodecima (in Contrapunto alla Quinta)
1:18:30 Canon [in Hypodiatessaron] per Augmentationem in Contrario Motu
1:23:45 Contrapunctus 13, rectus [Alio modo] - Fuga a 2 Clav.
1:26:06 Contrapunctus 13, inversus [Alio modo] - Fuga a 2 Clav.
Chris Breemer, piano
buymeacoffee.c...
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Recording dates: April 5 to July 15, 2024
Piano: Kawai Novus NV10S
Setting: SK-EX Rendering, Bright 2
Postprocessing: Concert Hall Light reverb

[@TheOrdener]

Amazing. Great work! Thank you.

[@trevorguy63]

Wow i wasn't expecting this in my inbox, how amazing! Cant wait to listen

[@GuillermoPSKrebs]

OMG what a surprise!
#NotaDelTraductor
Ya le doy play!

[@RileyTuckerMusic]

Bravo Chris!!! I hope your Gaveau wouldn't take offense, but I think this work of Bach's sounds best here on your Kawai.

[@ChrisBreemer]

Thanks Riley ! These sound indeed a whole lot better than my old PS recordings on the Gaveau. The Kawai is a much better instrument, and the pianist is much better too :) For these recordings I chose the "Bright2" setting, which I don't normally like but works well in Bach, adding extra clarity. And of course all pieces are played entirely without pedal.