Customer Reviews

Bach: The Art of Fugue / Musical Offering

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It was the music on this disc -- originally available as separate boxed sets of vinyl records -- along with ASMF's Brandenburgs that really sparked my interest in baroque music in general, and Bach in particular. Though, 30 years later, the performance sounds a little dark, slow and dense to ears accustomed to airier historically-informed performances, it nevertheless has a richness and warmth that you simply won't hear on any other recording of these two works.

This is absolute music, composed without any specific instrument in mind. The Offereing and the Art of Fugue have been equally successfully performed on the organ, harpsichord, piano, and by string ensemble. The ASMF succeeds in presenting them in ALL of these contexts, except the piano.

The performance is first-rate, if a little reserved.

An acquaintance of mine once overheard the sound of Bach emanating from my computer, grimaced slightly, and said 'it's repetition'.

Precisely. Though she thought she was making a criticism.

J.S. Bach explored creation via the medium of music. In overturning and resettling the soil given to him by musical convention and his own fecund mind, he understood himself to be exploring the possibilities of God's good earth.

He produced no more repetitious works than the Art of Fugue and Musical Offering. But ah, the glory!

Because Bach was not specific about the instrumentation he desired for one or both of these works, Sir Neville Mariner and the Academy of St-Martin-in-the-Field, those always trustworthy custodians of all things baroque, give us this fine recording of a number of combinations of strings as well as of organ and harpsichord.

These are not pieces for random listening. One needs to sit and soak in the seemingly endless creative moves that Bach could make with just a few themes. It is endlessly repetitious and ceaselessly fascinating, perhaps a bit like love itself. Indeed it is almost entrancing.

In fact Bach *was* loving several objects as he exercised his masterful, musical intuition. He was loving God, for at the end of each manuscript he penned the initials 'S.D.G' ('Soli Deo Gloria' = 'To God alone be the glory'). He was loving the very creation he was exploring. And, professional considerations notwithstanding, he was loving those sympathetic listeners who for centuries would find themselves amazed at his craft.

'The Craft of the Fugue', after all, is arguably the better translation of 'Die Kunst der Fuge' than the more conventional 'The Art of Fugue', though at any rate Bach's craft was that of an artisan who also happened to understand the constituent elements of his craftsmanship with exceeding guile.

As one listens to this magnificent music, it is possible to believe - one must almost say to glimpse the reality - that God is his heaven, that this good earth is indeed a beautiful thing, and that sympathy on the part of the listener moves one a step or two towards conviction on these counts.

This CD set comes from some tapes recorded during the '70s, and the audiophile will quickly hear this. In spite of this hiccup, the depth of the performances are striking.

In his last years, J.S. Bach wrote much of his music for the sheer joy of creating mathematically delightful pieces, hence the endless variations and inversions of the themes from "Art of the Fugue" and "Musical Offering." Some evidence suggests that J.S.B. didn't care too much whether or not the music was, in fact, performed. I think he would be struck by this performance, especially, of the 6-part ricercar - one of the most complex and repeatedly listenable compositions ever put to paper by man.

This is not necessarily a collection of music that bears constant listening to from start to finish as if it were a number of movements of a larger piece. Pick and chose your diamonds from the drawer, and leave a few for another day.

I realize I'm in the distinct minority here, but I think this is a fantastic recording of the Art of Fugue and the Musical Offering. Part of me really likes the slower tempos, maybe because it allows the listener to appreciate the depth and real genius that goes into writing such complicated works. Bach was nothing if not an original... During his day, he was not recognized as the brilliant composer that he was. Instead, he was seen mostly as being old and worn out. Today, we can look back on his music and realize how wrong some people were. Here is a composer for which there is no equal, and I don't think there ever will be. These two pieces contain some of his most intellectual music, but it's still intoxicatingly beautiful to listen to. At this price, grab it up.

This cd is best for those of us who are unfamiliar with Bach's music and want to get to know these two works and buy an affordable cd at the same time. As a general introduction it is great and very educational--the art of fugue is played on various instruments to drive home the fact that the music was never scored for specific instruments. Each contrapunctus is given a decent and fair showing.

Marriner however seems to be most comfortable when he is conducting lighter, airier stuff like Mozart divertimentos (some of the best mozart around is conducted my marriner in my opinion) Bach is a little above him i think.You can tell that he has deep respect for this music by the way he handles it--but i think he has trouble finding the soul or emotion of this music. Put another way he demonstrates masterfully the intellectual side of Bach, but fails at capturing the emotion and feeling of Bach. And dont tell me that there is no emotion to Bach's music--because i know better having heard some of his other pieces.

To be fair though it should be said that The Art of Fugue and to some extent the Musical Offering are two of Bach's most abstract and "conceptual" works so it is no wonder that one might have trouble capturing all its dimensions on cd. I have difficulty sitting through this cd (although i have done it several times) at times the performance comes off as being a little dry and rote--almost as if one was playing an exercise or an etude rather than a work proper. It is best in small pieces. The fugal nature of the piece can at times make one think one is hearing the same thing over and over due to the slower tempo and conducting style of Marriner. In reality however there are many different things going on in each fugue despite the fact that they are all based on one theme. Close listening to the cd helps to develop a sensitive ear as you try try to distinguish what is going on in each fugue that sets it apart from the others (analysis).

As a final word, this cd is not bad-it s a good showing, but its definitely not the best perf either.In my opinion-this cd is best heard in small chunks. Its great if you want an introduction to this work, its great if you want to save money. Its great if you like your bach simple-- except for two harpsichords it doesnt use period instruments--but it does use period performance (no vibrato, small ensemble) Its also great if you like to "dissect" your Bach as you hear it and see the analytical side to this music. If however you would like to hear the emotional side to these very intellectual and somewhat abstract pieces try the Munchinger. Also do not miss the Stardust Quartet interpretation on recorders--it sounds as if it were a totally different piece--very airy and beautiful rather than heavy and concrete.

In general i would say if you dont know these two pieces by Bach start with this and once you feel comfortable and familiar with the piece check out some of the other interpretations and see how they differ and which you like best.

This last, highly-systematic composition of Bach was his summation of the art of contrapunctal composition. It is even recorded in history that the well-aged Bach - then blind - temporarily regained part of his eyesight (ruined from a desperate operation) to pen the final illuminations of his art. While he died before finishing it, what he left is some of the most intricate, intelligent and daunghting music of the counterpoint style. Each movement highlights one or more different compositional techniques in counterpoint. Additionally, the Musical Offering is another major, late fugal composition with its own fascinating history.

As Bach did not document the scoring for The Art of Fugue, performances range from solo keyboard instruments (organ, harpsichord, piano) to string quartet to wind ensemble to brass arrangements to full orchestra to whatever. But what about this varied orchestral performance by the ASMF? I think other reviewers made a good conclusion: it is a solid CD to "sample" the various instrument combinations that are possible for this fugal giant of a composition. While purists may perhaps find this variery of scoring on this CD here overly accomodating to keep the music "more interesting," it probably is an advantage for the listener new to the music or for those who just like variety sometimes. Personally, I liked the approach here with the wide variety of sounds and textures of the harpsichord, organ, string quartet, flutes and full orchestra. The sound quality on this CD is very good - full bodied with an attractive resonance but without losing clarity of the individual voices.

Some may cite a lack of emotional quality as a weakness of Marriner's conducting here. This can be heard at times but mostly only when comparing to another orchestra. But overall the music is quite good and should please most. Penguin Guide gave this set a top 3/3 stars citing both "a style of playing that is profoundly satisfying with finely judged tempi, unmannered phrasing and resilient rhythms ... though some of the playing is a trifle bland." Well said I think and not an over-endorsement or under-endorsement.

For an orchestral performance with more passionate and emotive undertones, look to the Stuttgart Orchestra conducted by Munchinger - a fine recording that also gets high marks. That set contains the same two works and is quite wonderful to hear with more complex sonorities and more artful building of the fugal inter-twining. Just compare the first two clips and you will see how the ASMF version is more "unmannered" while the Munchinger/Stuttgart CO performance breathes much more emmotional drama into the music. Other performaces to consider are: The Emerson, Delme or Keller String Quartets and the Stardust (wind) Quartet - the latter who play on recorders of varying sizes and depth of tone that sound together not unlike the pipes of an organ. But, for a wide variety of sound, the Marriner set here is quite nice. Regardless of what performance you like the most, enjoy this legendary music.

Of the five CDs of J.S. Bach's The Art Of The Fugue recently acquired, this is my least favorite. It is good, but but lacks the precision and spark of Karl Munchinger's direction (see ASIN B000050GK0). I tend to find Marriner's direction "creamy"; perfect for a piece like Beethoven's Eroica symphony, but not right for this Bach. Also, the mixture of different instruments from piece to piece breaks up the continuity.

The Canadian Brass version (ASIN B0000026NK) is excellent but is difficult to listen to in one sitting unless you love brass. If you want a masterfully conceived and executed version of The Art Of Fugue consisting of nothing but brass, this is the CD for you.

The Hans Fagius all organ version (ASIN B00004YYRV) is also excellent, but I personally tend to find the all organ program a bit hard to take in one sitting. And it doesn't have the contrasts of multiple-instrument versions. Of course, this far more likely historically accurate to Bach's time than the all brass version.

Other reviewers have extolled the Emerson Quartet version of the Fugues (ASIN B00008O8B3). It's really good, but not as good as the Karl Munchinger one (ASIN B000050GK0). It's not as precise and rigid. I like the crisp, controlled almost machine produced sound of the Munchinger version.

The Karl Munchinger version is the best for both an introduction to Bach's late Fugues (and other pieces) and for a sublime listening experience. I recommend getting the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester version (ASIN B000050GK0). Why go for good or excellent when you can get the best instead?

...and yet I must attempt to desrcibe in words how incredible this music is. Harold C. Schonberg, the New York Times music critic, said about The Art of Fugue that perhaps it would always remain a piece for aestheticians, and never wholly for enjoyment.

How wrong an impression that gives of the music! I have been listening to this last masterwork of Bach's in an organ version, as played by Wolfgang Rubsam. That traversal on Naxos is a worthy version indeed, and I liked it so much that I doubted purchasing this CD. This version is not focused solely on the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields as an ensemble. Different sections and instruments take on certain fugues; most prominently the string section which opens in the first fugue. Woodwinds join with the strings, and other fugues are given to the organ and harpsichord. This switching on and off gives the work a color that many would want in a work famously known as many variations on one theme.

A Musical Offering benefits from the same method of giving various movements to an instrument. Bach's penultimate work indeed even shares some thematic similarty with The Art of Fugue. I hardly noticed the transition from work to work when played them both through. And that's only to say that A Musical Offering offers the same profound kind of themes, the same imprint of genius as Art of Fugue.

I recommend this CD set with all my heart.

Contrapuntal Master shows his stuff with this masterful offering from Sir Neville and his Academy of St. Martin.

He demonstrates repeatedly his ability to not only express extremely difficult compositions to play, but at the same time delightful sounds to captivate the listener.

Especially attractive is Contrapunctus 4, and all that have the organ.

The Musical Offering of history fame is well presented here, with fine harpsichord, finished off by a grand riercar.

This is a good, but certainly not great, set of performances of two of Bach's contrapunctal works. Why only three stars? Well, it is a bargin, and there is nothing glaringly wrong, but there are just better recordings of both of these works available. If you are really on a very tight budget, you might buy it, but if you are really into Bach or want to learn, skip this and spend a bit more money.

In fact, if you look around you can get better recordings on the cheap. For the Musical Offering try Leonhardt and for the Art of the Fugue there are numerous better sets, for instance the Gould keyboard recording, or the Jordi Savall peformance that includes both of the works.