Customer Reviews

Art of the Fugue

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Before reviewing the performance I must mention my feelings towards this superlative work.

This performance has introduced me to Die Kunst Der Fuge, and I have not yet heard other recordings. Words cannot describe what I felt while first listening to this Heavenly music. It is at once sublime and monumental, personal and universal, melancholic and ecstatic. This work shows the master at his finest. Indeed music as a pure art form has its apotheosis in this work. I believe nothing can surpass its beauty and mastery. Again words cannot describe it, so all I can say is listen,ponder, listen...

As I have not heard other recordings, I cannot compare. I love how the Collegium uses period instruments and combines instruments, the voices come through clear and it is fairly easy to follow the contrapuntal lines. I have never heard Bach on an organ....after hearing the canons I immediately bought the Walcha Organ Works recording. The playing on this album is full of pathos but not overt sentimentality, each contrapunctus is played with such tenderness. The tempos are never too fast or too slow. As I am a poor critic I can only say that I love this recording. Do yourself a favor and buy...the liner notes are great as well.

THANK YOU BACH AND THANK YOU GOD FOR INSPIRING HIM.

This is a superb orchestration and interpretation of Bach's Art of Fugue. The New Bach Collegium Musicum under Max Pommer do not actually play with period instruments (as a previous reviewere thought) but they do respect period style. Like Marriner on Pentatone's reissue in SACD, this is a carefully thought-out orchestration with a variety of instruments playing sometimes alone and sometimes in combination -- an endlessly fascinating interpretation that makes a nice complement to solo keyboard versions.