Customer Reviews

Bach: The Art of the Fugue

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Don't let this one get away. This has slipped in & out of print, & it is great to have it available again. An unusual project well worth having if you love Bach & especially if you love brass instruments. This piece by Bach is fascinating in itself, but hearing the brilliant scoring for Brass Ensemble makes it possible to hear the subtlety of the multiple parts better than say, for organ or harpsicord. Recently, the Canadian Brass also did the same magnificent job of scoring Bach's ever popular "Goldberg Variations" to similar great effect. The price of this disc, however, is a steal...

I always heard how The Art of Fugue was supposedly so cerebral and/or boring. Well, being a big fan of Bach, and having read the interesting history behind this music, I ignored the rumors and started searching Amazon for a good recording. In my humble opinion, this one is the finest.

I like how the voices of the fugues can be distinguished so easily due to the different instruments (as opposed to an organ or piano). In fact, I think this is the perfect type of music for a brass group; it sounds so majestic and royal, but not in a pompous way.

For me, this music is actually quite emotional. Especially knowing that it was most likely the last thing Bach wrote before his death. The climax of each fugue is always quite stirring.

Between Bach's brilliant fugue set and the virtuoso playing of Canadian Brass, this is as close to perfect as it gets. I listen to this when I want to clear my head and think logically, but it also produces an emotional response as well. If you love Bach and you love brass, this is the one.

The Canadian Brass are a very virtuosic ensemble; they are well known for bon-bons like "The Flight of the Tuba Bee" -- the sort of tunes which make classical purists cringe. So, to this ensemble, the Art of Fugue must be very technically easy. Though most of the performances are a bit on the fast side, the most difficult fugues, particularly the memorable contrapunctus nine, are not played at a break-neck pace. The focus here does not seem on showmanship, but on genuine musical expression. According to the (rather short) CD notes, the project was conceived and rehearsed with the aid of Glenn Gould, to whom this disc is dedicated.

This four-voice work is transcribed by Arthur Frackenpohl for brass quintet. One voice in Bach's score is occasionally split between two instruments, to create a call-and-response effect. The tuba tends to come in with the main theme in the tutti conclusion of the fugues, reinforcing the bass line, which is shared by a euphonium (which replaces the traditional trombone of the quintet). The trumpeters also switch between different keyed instruments (and even a flugelhorn) to add a very pleasant variety to this music.

The sound is attractive, if a bit distant. Indeed, the only real flaw with this disc (actually quite a big flaw for some) is the exclusion of the cannons. Nevertheless, this is a unique interpretation which shouldn't be missed.
4 / 5

What I love about "The Art of Fugue" by J.S. Bach is how much it touches me. Obviously I don't mean physically because this is not supposed to evoke direct emotion or mood like Classical or Romantic pieces; it's ABSOLUTE MUSIC. Like what Bach did to all other fugues such as "Little" Fugue and the famous (Toccata and) Fugue in D minor, he truly had to put a huge effort and knowledge to make each voice work one another so it sounds so smooth and well-blended. Bach is a genius for having the relations between difference voices make so much sense, and even better is that the cantus firmus in each piece is based the one from the first piece; variations include change of rhythm, divided durations between voices (such as one voice playing half as fast as the CF and another twice as fast), and inversion. No matter how different in those tools is has become, Bach still managed to make them sound so "right". The "language" of music is what touches me and many of us so much, that he is indeed entitled to be one of the greatest composers ever.

"The Art of Fugue" is originally written for a keyboard, but there are different versions. The one I decided to own is this version, done beautifully by a brass quintet (Canadian Brass). Keyboard or strings are good, but I love this version because the gorgeous warmth and aerophonic quality (like human voice!) makes it so alive. The "grand" sound of brass suits for this "grand" (as in what I liked about as mentioned in the previous paragraph, plus all is in a melancholy but furious D minor ending in D major) set of pieces. The "language" of music itself has touched me, and the wonderful sound of the brass adds even more teardrops.

Whether you're getting a keyboard version or not, this must be bought and listened. This album really shows how powerful Bach's music can be. Unless you hate brass instruments or non-original versions, a must buy.

All Hail Brass on Bach!!!!!

The Canadian Brass originally recorded Bach's 'The Art of the Fugue' in 1988. Sony released it under its 'Sony Classics' bargain line in Fall 2001. Sadly, it's already out-of-print. This disc represents sort of an exercise for showcasing all of the elements associated with Baroque music. It's an interesting work, even if it sometimes seems disjointed. Personally, I prefer a coherent work over a 'musical exercise.' Nonetheless, the piece is interesting, if only because it features all of the musical elements at Bach's disposal during the Baroque era.

If you can still find it, go ahead and buy it (especially if you can find it used). You might not listen to it every month (as you might Bach's Brandenburg Concertos or other orchestral works), but it's historic, and therefore worth a listen.