Bach: Art of the Fugue

J.S. Bach (Artist), Canadian Brass (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000026NK
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,906 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #36 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Fugues
  • #64 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Improvisation

Track Listings

1. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 1, Andante Sostenuto

2. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: contrapunctus 3, Andante Espressivo E Dolce

3. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 2, Allegro Moderato E Ritmico

4. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 4, Allegro Moderato

5. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 5, Allegro Enegico

6. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 9, Vivace

7. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 10 (Alla Decima), Allegro Mod

8. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 6, Andante Ritmico, In Stile

9. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 7, Larghetto Maestoso

10. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 8, Allegro

11. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 11, Allegro Moderato

12. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: contrapunctus 12, (rectus), Lento

13. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 12, (Inversus), Lento

14. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 13, (Rectus) Allegro Spiritos

15. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 13 (Inversus), Allegro Spirit

16. Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of the Fugue), for keyboard (or other instruments), BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 14, Maestoso [Original Unfini

17. Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit (I), chorale prelude for organ (Achtzehn Choräle No. 18), BWV 668 (BC K91)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Midas'd: Or, a Touch of Gould, October 29, 2006

By 

Robert P. Inverarity (Silicon Valley, California, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bach: Art of the Fugue (Audio CD)

This is a unique and interesting performance of Die Kunst der Fuge. The Canadian Brass consulted with Glenn Gould before recording, and it shows: as his were in his organ recording of the work, the tempi they use are breathtakingly fast. While their performance is more... er... nuanced than his, the speed sometimes seems to steamroll over the musical development of some of the pieces.

To put this in context: in my favorite version of the work, Jordi Savall and Hesperion XX develop it over more than 120 minutes, on two discs. Neville Marriner and the ASMF take around 90 minutes in their interestingly orchestrated but rather mediocre interpretation. This disc, though, is *56* minutes long -- including the 4+ minute choral prelude! Granted, the Canadian Brass, like Gould, do not perform the "completed" 14th contrapunctus, but rather the original unfinished version. Nevertheless, the tempi are very, very fast.

I must say, though, that for a fair number of the exercises, it works. The mirror fugues are particularly stunning with the brass instrumentation and blazing speed, and the final fugue is memorable. The choral prelude, another of Bach's final works, is a worthy addition to the disc, but after the mathematical rigor of what came before it, the transition is a little jarring.

While I can't recommend this as an introduction to the work, it's an excellent second or third recording and complements a slower, more reflective version nicely.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful rendition of a classic work!, January 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bach: Art of the Fugue (Audio CD)

In the opinion of many people, The Art Of Fugue is on of Bach's most classic and legendary works. This was one of Bach's final projects before his death, an in fact, was never completed. The entire work is performed, right up to the final notes written in the last fugue. Also included is Bach's final work, a choral piece,that when loosely translated from German, means "I step to your throne with this." A timeless piece played by a timeless ensamble.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A brass blast with Bach, October 26, 2008

By 

S. J. Snyder "De gustibus non disputandum" (Various, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bach: Art of the Fugue (Audio CD)

This is a uptempo version of Art of Fugue, no doubt about that. Yet, contrary to one other reviewer, there are other versions that fit the length of one CD, albeit still taking more than 60 minutes. (Fretwork's version for a consort of viols comes in just under the 80-minute mark, for example.)

That said, at this speed, some movements just don't "breathe" enough, even if Bach may have had fast tempos in his own time. But, the sounds of brass quintet on a piece like this, in addition to the tempos, make this a welcome addition to a collections of multiple Arts.