Customer Reviews

Bach: The Art of Fugue

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I join the previous reviewers in their glowing descriptions of this performance. The Art of Fugue is a complex work -- not the first piece by Bach one falls in love with. We don't really know what instrument this was written for, as Bach wrote out each part on a separate line. There have been arrangements for nearly every conceivable combination. Some excellent versions are Vladimir Feltsman on piano, Grigory Sokolov on piano, Berliner Saxophon Quartett, Pittsburgh Symphony Brass, Bernard Lagace on organ, Jordi Savall on small ensemble period instruments. Purists will sneer, but I even like the excerpts recorded over a span of years by Glenn Gould on Sony. Unfortunately, though I like the Goldberg Variations on harpsichord, I have yet to find a version of AOF on harpsichord that I like.

Back to the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet. Their version is distinguished by the fact that the sound of their recorders somewhat resembles that of an organ (naturally, both being wind through a column instruments) but much gentler. The different recorders have different timbre as well, making it easier to follow the line of each voice. Besides the sonic qualities, the interpretation is at the same time profound and yet dance like. These men are outstanding musicians.

Generally I don't recommend an exotic instrumentation of a work as the first version to buy. But in this case anyone would do well to make this recording their first, or second, or tenth version of The Art of Fugue.

The Loeki Stardust Quartet may have a new age name but their music has an ancient appeal. Most people think of fugues played on the pipe organ -- big, bombastic melodies that overpower you. These 18 selections are all played on recorders. The music is ethereal and inspiring, stuff to listen to whether you're buttering a bagel on Sunday morning or cranking out HTML documents late at night. The music is so lovely that when my landlord was making a racket in my bathroom putting in a new towel rack, he paused in his labors to enter my room and ask me in wide-eyed wonder what that" beautiful music" was I was listening to. I told him it was the Art of the Fugue, whereby he smiled, returned to the bathroom, and continued pounding away at the drywall (albeit with an enlightened sense of counterpoint I'd like to think).

The Loeki Stardust Quartet play a variety of recorders from sopranino to sub-contrabass producing heavenly harmony. They offer a wonderful take on truly great but often difficult or unapproachable music. The recording is excellent. So good is it that the close miking may have you reaching for your distortion metre - don't panic: it's just the sound of spittle and air in the mouthpiece of some of the bass instruments.

A delightlful disc!

This recording is really unbelievable. The Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet really confirms it status of superb ensemble. Using a wide range of recorders they spin fugues as threads on a loom, greatly voiced. Especially the sound of the lower recorders amazed me (subcontrabass). Not just 'variations on a theme'!!!

If you find it odd that a "historically informed" purist like me should recommend a performance that has no historical justification, well... so do I! Nevertheless, this is good music, full of taste and insight, perhaps the clearest statement ever of Bach's theoretical devotion to The Art of Fugue.