J.S. Bach: The Art of the Fugue

Peter Elyakim Taussig (Composer), J.S.Bach (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: J.S.Bach
• Composer: Peter Elyakim Taussig
• Audio CD (May 1, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• ASIN: B00005KC70
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #457,560 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From the Artist
After twenty years of concerts and recordings I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and arthritis in my right hand. With the help of the Yamaha Corporation, I developed a recording technique which replaces my fingers with a computer mouse and allows me to record with my left hand alone on an acoustic concert grand piano. The technique, called "Musical Sculpting", has the extra benefit for the listener of creating unparalleled clarity and the ability to hear complex music in a completely fresh way. The Art of the Fugue consists of 22 fugues (Contrapucti) built on a single theme. A fugue is a musical form in which several voices move independently of each other while maintaining a harmonious co-existence.

Product Description
A unique solo piano recording of this monumental work, recorded by one of Canada's best known pianists who is disabled in his right hand. A computer-assisted technique allows the artist to use only his left hand and offers the listener an entirely new listening experience in which every voice can be followed as if played by a separate hand.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars In memoriam Glenn Gould, April 19, 2004

By	marschallin73 (milan, italy) - See all my reviews

Taussig's endeavor is certainly commendable, his skill unquestionable: or, from a slightly different perspective, one is tempted to suggest that Bach's stunningly beautiful Art of Fugue exhibits the uncanny tendency to automatically redress interpretive weaknesses.

And just a couple of minor weaknesses I have found. First: how the playing can be muddled, rushed and (clumsily) uneven in places (I am thinking of Contrapunctus 1, which never really seems to get off the ground) represents for me an intellectual challenge: doesn't this revolutionary recording technique enable the separate treatment of each voice?
Second: as one reviewer notices, the rendition is a little on the romantic side, although not consistently so.

But these are indeed trifles. Overall, this cd is a remarkable achievement. Yet, it is enough to listen to Gould's late (piano) recording of Contrapunctus 1 vis a vis Taussig's to grasp the difference between the superhuman and the merely human. The comparison stirs up old, still anxious questions: why is it so arduous to even come close to Glenn Gould's sound? What was his secret? Why did he die without recording the entire Art of Fugue on his piano? Why did he die at all?

These are devastating questions, which can only be reiterated. Questions that Taussig, through his frank, even passionate Art of Fugue, seems to be rephrasing in dignified, wistful ways.

Recommended.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I want the whole series! Extraordinary!, October 28, 2003

By	Pierre R. Schwob (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I clicked on the 1-Click Purchase after listening only to the Contrapuctus No.9. Extraordinary! And the rest of that CD is likewise outstanding for its bold musicianship and crackling intelligence. I can't wait for the rest of this series of 18 CDs. Tauber's recording technique, while unorthodox, produces a wonderful interpretation of Bach's genius - of which Gould (a friend of Tauber who also dabbled in electronic instruments during their seminal days) would have approved - minus the humming... These recordings prove once more that the instrument matters much less than the control of the instrument. Bravo!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a breakthrough, August 6, 2001

By	J. M. Steeber "Oh, we're FLOATIN' down the Hu... (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Here is likely the best Disklavier recording ever produced. The time put into this project must have been staggering. I heartily recommend that the listener have a good meal, a good glass of red wine and a long listening session with this disc -- during which all cares and time are abandoned. Buy this.