Bach: Musical Offering [Enhanced]

On this CD:

1. Musikalisches Opfer (Musical Offering), BWV 1079
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Robert Aldwinckle, Richard Blake, Richard Friedman, Caroline Dale

2. Trio Sonata, for recorder, bassoon & continuo in A minor, RV 86
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Robert Aldwinckle, Richard Blake, Richard Friedman, Caroline Dale

3. Trio sonata for flute, violin, cello & continuo in C major, Wq 147, H571
Composed by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Performed by Robert Aldwinckle, Richard Blake, Richard Friedman, Caroline Dale

4. Quartets (6) for transverse flute, violin, viola da gamba & continuo, No 3, TWV 43 A1 "Sonata Prima"
Composed by Georg Philipp Telemann
Performed by Robert Aldwinckle, Richard Blake, Richard Friedman, Caroline Dale

Tracks:

Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus I
Contrapunctus II
Contrapunctus III
Contrapunctus IV
Contrapunctus V
Contrapunctus VI
Contrapunctus VII
Contrapunctus VIII
Contrapunctus IX
Contrapunctus X
Contrapunctus XI
Canon alla octava
Canon alla duodecima
Canon alla decima
Canon per augmentationem in contrario moto
Contrapunctus XII (rectus)
Contrapunctus XII (inversus)
Fuga a 2 Clavicemabli (rectus)
Fuga a 2 Clavicemabli (inversus)

Tracks:

Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus XII (rectus)
Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus XII (inversus)
Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080: Fuga a 4 soggetti
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Ricercar a 3
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Canon perpetuus a 2
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Canon a 2 violini in unisono
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Canon a 2 per motum contrarium
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Canon a 2 per augmentationem, contrario motu
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Canon a 2
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Canon a 2
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Canon a 2 per tonos
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Canon perpetuus contrario motu
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Canon a 4
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Fuga canonica
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Sonata a 3: I - Largo
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Sonata a 3: II - Allegro
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Sonata a 3: III - Andante
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Sonata a 3: IV - Allegro
Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Ricercar a 6

Customer Reviews:

Step Into The World Of Bach.......2007-06-09

I have nothing but good things to say about this double album. These extremely well-balanced compositions are sure to enthrall listeners with the most discerning taste. The theme here is point and counterpoint, done to perfection. These pieces are like complex equations, only done with music instead of numbers. Bach had an amazing musical mind, and this music showcases that. There is so much to the music; it is quite rich and there is so much going on here that you may not process it all the first time. If you like classical music and Bach's style, this is essential for your collection.

Great recordings.......2007-05-20

After I read Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment (P.S.), I had to have "Musical Offering" and "The Art of Fugue," and bought this version based on recommendations. The performance by an orchestra, rather than a single instrument such as a piano or harpsichord, seems to bring out the different voices. I listen to it over and over, and never tire of it.

Magisterial and Ethereal.......2006-11-28

As a college student, this 2-cd set has proven itself to be one of the most versatile and beautiful tools with which I can create an atmosphere amenable to studtying and doing homework. But it is not merely a background music; to be fully appreciated, it needs to be listened to while gently resting one's eyes (take care not to fall asleep -- a precaution against such is to have the music up rather high, although not painfully so).

I've listened to the whole set at least once a week since I've come to Stony Brook; its staying power, its ability to never seem to get trite or "used to" is so powerful that it really inspires. Only God (or the Divine Impetus, or whatever one wants to term the higher order), working through Bach, could have produced such an entrancing set of music.

Because of reviews.......2006-08-06

I bought this version because of the other reviews and I think it was a wise choice! The tempo's are perfect and the music is inspirational!

The Crown of Western Music.......2005-11-28

This recording of The Art of Fugue is my all-around favorite.

The premier piece of the set is the final (unfinished) fugue. I place this as the crown of all western music. Three parts of the fugue, out of a theorized four, were completed - but he didn't live to finish it. Some feel that he let it end there on purpose, for some reason. Just before he died, instead of finishing the final fugue, he composed a chorale. If the final fugue represents a journey into the after-life, then this chorale could be thought of as music from the other side, and as the only piece worthy of being played after the final fugue. That chorale is sometimes called "Vor Deinen Thron Tret Ich Hiermit", and is also known as "Wenn wir in Hochsten Noten Sein".

The Art of Fugue was written without scoring - no particular instruments were assigned - so one can find recordings done on the piano (Charles Rosen), harpsichord (Gustav Leonhardt - on vinyl only, I think), chamber orchestra, string orchestra, brass ensemble, organ, etc. My favorite recording of the final fugue is by Arthur Winograd (MGM) on vinyl, but that recording is very scarce.

Other decent recordings that I've heard so far on CD:
The Emerson String Quartet; Deutsche Grammophon B0000908-02 - their versions of the early fugues are quite good.
The Canadian Brass; Sony Essential Classics SBK 89731.
The Keller Quartet (ECM 1652) - some parts work well, others not as well.
Neville Marriner (Phillips 442-556-2) - a bit bland, but good.

Lukas Foss and the Sheffield Ensemble - Quite lively, but very unusual in its orchestration and in its freedom with the notes. Three or four of the pieces are as good as any version I've heard.
-------
One day, quite a while ago, I was walking through the quad of a university and heard one of the fugues being played inside a classroom. I looked in through the window and saw a room full of accordions playing it! True story!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

Average customer rating:

Mill. Classical review
classical music for the unitiated
Some little gems there that I had forgotten!
A very helpful collection
Excellent!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000K1C9
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Tracks:

Brandenbutg Concerto No.3 In G First Movement
Overture No.3 In D Second Movement
Violin Concerto In E First Movement
Prelude In C minor
Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude (Chorus From Cantata No.147)
Overture No.2 In B minor Minuet And Badinerie
Oboe Concerto In D minor Second Movement
Brandenburg Concerto No.4 In G Third Movement
Musical Offering - Fuga canonica
Easter Oratorio - Overture
Minuet In D minor
Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel herunter(From Choral Prelude BWV 650
Brandenburg Concerto No.1 In F Second Movement
Art Of The Fugue - Contrapunctus 9
Concerto For Flute, Violin, Harpsichord And Strings. Triple Concerto - Third Movement
Overture No.4 In D - Réjouissance
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Water Music - Alla Hornpipe
Xerxes - Ombra Mai Fu (Largo)
Messiah - And The Glory Of The Lord
Concerto Grosso In A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4 - Larghetto Affettuoso
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 4 Allegro
Water Music - Air
Messiah - For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Concerto Grosso In B flat, Op. 3, No. 2 - Largo
Salomon - Sinfonia, Act 3
The Choice Of Hercules - While For Thy Arms
Water Music - Allegro (Suite No. 1)
Suite No. 5 In E - Air With Variations
Jephtha - How Dark, O Lord
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 5 Alla Siciliana - Presto
Mi Palpita Il Cor (Solo Cantata) S'un Di M'adora
Water Music - Andante Allegro Da Capo
Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra in E-flat: First Movement
Symphony No. 94 in G: Surprise Symphony-second movement
Concerto for Violin No. 2 in D: Third Movement
Flute Trio No. 31 in G: Second Movement
Symphony No. 31 in D: Hornsignal-First Movement
String Quartet No. 17 in F, Op. 3, no. 5: Serenade Quartet-Second Movement
Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat for Violin, Cello, Oboe, Bassoon and Orchestra-Third Movement
Concerto for 2 Horns & Orchestra in E-flat: Second Movement
Symphony No. 88 in G: Fourth Movement
String Quartet No. 77 in C: Kaiser Quartet-Poco adagio cantabile
Notturno No. 1 in C: Second Movement
Symphony No. 98 in B: Londoner No. 4-Fourth Movement
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - first movement
Piano Concerto in A - second movement
Flute Concerto in D - Rondeau
Serenade - Minuet
Violin Concerto - first movement
Symphony No. 40 in G minor - first movement
Clarinet Concerto - second movement
Turkish March
Divertimento - Minuet
Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat - first movement
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67-First Movement
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, no. 2: Moonlight Sonata-First Movement
Overture
O welche Lust (Prisoners' Chorus)
Ha, welch ein Augenblick (Pizarros's Aria)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Second Movement
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 61: Third Movement
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13: Pathétique-Second Movement
Sympony No. 6 in F, Op. 68: Pastorale-First Movement
Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 80: Choral Fantasy - Finale
German Dance No. 1 In C
Impromptu Op. 90, No. 3 In G-Flat
Heidenroslein
Ave Maria
Der Lindenbaum
Quintet In A 'Trout Quintet' - Andante
Mass No. 6 In E-Flat - Kyrie
Die Schone Mullerin Des Mullers Blumen
German Dance No. 2 In G
Piano Sonata In B-Flat
Nachtgesang Im Walde
Winterreise - No. 15: Die Krahe
German Mass - Zum Sanctus (Heilit, Heilig Ist Der Herr)
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished' - Second Movement
Waltz No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 18 Grande Valse brillante
Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, no. 2
Etude in G-flat, Op. 10, no. 5
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21-Second Movement
Mazurka in D minor, Op. 33, no. 2
Prelude in D-flat, Op. 28, no. 15 Raindrop
Etude in C, Op. 10, no. 1
Nocturne in D-flat, Op. 27, no. 2
Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 Fantasy Impromptu
Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35-Third Movement
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor - first movement 113.String Seranade - Waltz
Violin Concerto - second movement
The Sleeping Beauty - Waltz
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Swan Lake - Waltz
Eugene Onegin - Polonaise
The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers
Orchestral Suite No. 4 - Mozartiana - Third Movement
Swan Lake - Dance of the Swans
Symphony No. 6 in B minor - Pathétique - Third Movement
Hungarian Dance No.5
Lullaby
Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op. 68 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in E-flat, Op.117, no. 1
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77 - Third Movement
Waltz, Op. 39, no. 15
Concert for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83 - Second Movement
String Quintet in G, Op. 111 - Second Movement
Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op. 98 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 76, no. 7
Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor
German Requiem Selig sind die Toten (Final Chorus)
Die Fledermaus - Overture
Kaiser Waltz, Op.437
Thunder And Lightning Polka, Op. 324
Roses From The South Waltz, Op. 388
AnnenPolka, Op. 117
Vienna Blood Waltz, Op. 354
Eljen A Magyar Polka, Op. 332
Wine, Women and Song Waltz, Op. 333
On The Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 134
Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg - Overture
Tannhauser - Die Pilger sind's (Pilgims' Chorus)
Tannhauser - O du mein holder Abendstern (Wolfram's Aria)
Lohengrin - Act 3 Prelude and Bridal Chorus
The Flying Dutchman - Jo-ho-he Traft ihr das Schiff (Senta's Ballad)
The Flying Dutchman - Steuermann, lass die Wacht (Sailors' Chorus)
Die Walkure - Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond (Siegmund's Aria)
Die Walkure - Ride of the Valkyries
Siegfried Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! Schmiede mein Hammer (Siegfried's Forging Song)
Tristan und Isolde - Liebestod
Thus sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (excerpt)
Don Juan, Op. 20
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, I.Nacht
Don Quixote, Op.35, first movement: Introduction
Salome, Op. 54, Dance Of The Seven Veils
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, Finale: Hab' mir's gelobt ihn lieb zu haben
Piano Concerto 2 In C minor, Op. 18 - First Movement
Vocalise, Op.34, No. 14
Prelude In G Sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12
Piano Concerto No. 4 In G minor, Op. 40 - Third Movement
Symphony No. 2 In E minor, Op. 27 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 In F sharp minor, Op. 1 - Second Movement
Rhapsody, Op. 43 On A Theme By Paganini
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Liebestraum No.3 in A-flat
Piano Concerto No.1 in E-flat - third movement
Angelus
Mephisto Waltz No.1 (Dance in a Village Tavern)
Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
Dante Symphony - Finale. - Purgatorio - Magnificat
Les Préludes
Boléro
Daphnis et Chloé first movement: Nocturne
Rhapsodie Espagnole
Shéhérazade - first movement: Asie
Ma Mère l'Oye - fourth movement: La Belle et la Bête
Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet
La Valse
Slavic Dance No. 1 in C, Op. 46, no.1
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World' - second movement
Humoresque, Op. 101
Slavic Dance No. 8 in G minor, Op. 46, no. 8
Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 22 - second movement
Romance for Violin and Orchestra In F minor, Op. 11
Symphony No. 7 in D minor - third movement
Melodie (Songs My Mother Taught Me)
Carneval Overture, Op. 92
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104 - third movement
Symphony No.4 In A, Op. 90. Italian - First Movement
Frühlingslied In A, Op. 62, No. 6
Wedding March (From A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61)
Duetto In F, Op.30, No.6 (From Songs Without Words)
String Symphony No.9 In C. Schweitzer Symphony - Third Movement
Concerto For Violin, Piano And String Orchestra No. 1 In D minor - Second Movement
Symphony No.3 In A minor, Op.56 Scottish - Third Movement"
Notturno (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Rondo Capriccioso, Op.14
String Symphony No. 12 In G minor - First Movement
Venetian Gondola Song In F Sharp minor, Op.30, No.6
Scherzo (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Violin Concerto In E minor, Op.64 - Third Movement
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - Morgenstimmung
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - I. Prelude. Allegro vivace
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - IV. Air. Andante religioso
Arietta, Op. 12, no. 1
Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 56
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Solveig's Song
Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Op. 65, no. 6
The Last Spring, Op. 34, no. 2
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op 46 - Anitra's Dance
Nordic Melody Op. 63
Notturno, Op. 54, no. 4
Elegie, Op. 47, no. 5
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Arabic Dance
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 - Allegro
Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 97 - Rhenish - first movement
Traumerai (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)
Mondnacht (from Eichendorff-Liederkreis, Op. 39)
Aufschwung (from Fantasietucke, Op. 12)
Triolett, Op. 114, no. 2
Tanzlied (No. 1 from Duets, Op. 78)
Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120 - second movement
Frühlingsgruss
Abschied (from Waldszenen Op. 82)
Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - Im wunderschonen Monat Mai
Manfred Overture, Op. 115
Romance in F sharp, Op. 28, no. 2
Die Rose stand im Tau
Liebesgarten (from Four Duets, Op. 34)
Warum? (from Fantasiestucke, Op. 12)
Kennst du das Land, Op.79, no. 29 (from Lieder der Mignon, Op. 98a)
Von fremden Landern und Menschen (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)

Album Description

An extraordinary 20-CD collection of great works by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, J. Strauss, R. Strauss, Schumann, Wagner, Dvorak, Grieg and Liszt. It also features worldrenowned artists such as Sir Neville Marriner, Martha Argerich, Ivo Pogorelich, Hermann Prey, Reiner Goldberg, Sylvia Sass, Jochen Kowalski, Peter Schreler and many more. This exquisite, copper metallic, deluxe boxed set is the perfect gift for the classical music neophyte.

Customer Reviews:

Mill. Classical review.......2007-05-13

This is a great set of recordings for the money, the only problem was I've had to clean some of the CD's before they played correctly.

classical music for the unitiated.......2007-04-01

This set is a good way to start listening to classical music. It's very well produced and easy to listen to. I purchased it to use as part of my world history high school class. It would have been nice to have some bio information on the composers. However, the product is exactly as advertised and good value for the money. The students were intrigued by how many of the excerpts they had heard before.

Some little gems there that I had forgotten!.......2007-03-30

Although I studied classical music at school, I had all but forgotten it until I bought this set. I heard several tracks I haven't heard for over 30 years, and I had been humming Brahms's 'Hungarian Dance no. 5' for years without ever knowing what it was and it was on the disc, so that was nice.

I found it to be a very good selection overall, but I felt too much had already been heard on TV, which of course is what lots of newcomers to classical music might appreciate. I managed to find about 2 hours of tracks that I wanted to keep, which works out quite expensive per disc, but I did find some wonderful music I had completely forgotten about, so it was worth it. All in all, it represents good value, and I have only knocked one star off as so much of it had been used in adverts.

It is definitely a good introduction to classical music, and it has made me want to listen to more of it, so I don't regret this 'expensive' purchase one bit!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

A very helpful collection.......2007-03-24

I define this set as an excellent way to find out who you like, and who you don't, among 20 of the important composers. It opens the door to purchasing more complete pieces by composers you do like, and can save a lot of time and money in the process.
To criticize the set for not containing more composers, or more than just snippets of those who are in the set, is missing the point: it is a helpful introduction to finding your way in the huge maze of classical music. It succeeds admirably in this.
Sound quality is uniformly very good on an audiophile system.
Highly recommended.

Excellent!.......2007-03-08

A great way to start a classical music collection. It's nice to have a full CD of each composer. It makes it easy to keep track of selections/composers I already have and what composers I still need to puchase to complete my collection.

Average customer rating:

Extraordinary and beautiful rendering of Bach's great fugal opus
Excellent Exposition of the art of the fugue
A great master plays one of the monuments of the Baroque
Absolutely stunning
Best of the best

Bach: Die Kunst der Fugue

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Bach: Goldberg Variations
Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87
Bach: The Art of Fugue; Musical Offering
Art of the Fugue - 70th Anniversary Edition
Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier

ASIN: B000002ZS9
Release Date: 1993-11-23

Tracks:

A Musical Offering, BWV1079: Ricercare a 3
A Musical Offering, BWV1079: Ricercare a 6
Four Duettos, BWV802 - 805: Duet No 1 In E Minor
Four Duettos, BWV802 - 805: Duet No 2 In F Major
Four Duettos, BWV802 - 805: Duet No 3 In G Major
Four Duettos, BWV802 - 805: Duet No 4 In A Minor
The Art Of The Fugue, BWV1080: Contrapunctus 1
The Art Of The Fugue, BWV1080: Contrapunctus 2
The Art Of The Fugue, BWV1080: Contrapunctus 3
The Art Of The Fugue, BWV1080: Contrapunctus 4
The Art Of The Fugue, BWV1080: Canon in Hypodiapason (Canon alla Ottava)
The Art Of The Fugue, BWV1080: Contrapunctus 5
The Art Of The Fugue, BWV1080: Contrapunctus 6 (per Diminutionem) in Stylo Francese
The Art Of The Fugue, BWV1080: Contrapunctus 7 per Augmentationem et Diminutionem
The Art Of The Fugue, BWV1080: Canon alla Duodecima in Contrapunto alla Quinta

Tracks:

The Art Of The Fugue: Contrapunctus 8
The Art Of The Fugue: Contrapunctus 9 alla Duodecima
The Art Of The Fugue: Contrapunctus 10 alla Decima
The Art Of The Fugue: Contrapunctus 11
The Art Of The Fugue: Canon (in Hypodiatessaron) per Augmentationem in Contrario Motu
The Art Of The Fugue: Canon alla Decima (Contrapunto alla Terza)
The Art Of The Fugue: Contrapunctus 13 (Rectus)
The Art Of The Fugue: Contrapunctus 13 (Inversus)
The Art Of The Fugue: Contrapunctus 12 (Rectus)
The Art Of The Fugue: Contrapunctus 12 (Inversus)
The Art Of The Fugue: Contrapunctus 14

Customer Reviews:

Extraordinary and beautiful rendering of Bach's great fugal opus.......2007-07-11

As an obssesed fan of Glenn Gould, I would not have found my way to buying this album had I not realized that Gould had not recorded it on piano but only did some extracts on an organ, of all things. I have played through these fuges before and found them uninterested compared to the lovely themes that permeate the entire Well Tempered Clavier books 1 and 2. I read a few reviews of people who had bought this cd and on the strength of their passionate and positive appraisal, I bought it. Good that I did.

Her playing is first class, impeccable with a sure sense of dynamic, rythmic and colorful phrasing that entertain and enchant from the beginning to the end. This is a woman who had lived with these pieces, played them and contemplated their meaning. I have always said that a mere technician can reproduce sounds on a piano, often in a very accurate way but if there is no soul, if there is no artistic merit in the interpretation, then it is like listening to a robot playing the instrument. A gifted artist rises to the occassion and is motivated and inspired by the material at hand. The results here are worth a lifetime of repeated listening. If my memory is correct, there are so little, if any, indications in Bach's edition of how fast or loud or soft to play these pieces. That ommission allows an opportunity for the great artist to interpret with creativity. We are not disappointed here. The intuition of this artist led her to imbue this work with such beauty, allowing the work to reveal it's own inner realities on sublime levels. This is supposed to be Bach's crowning achievement and in most ways closes the Baroque era. A very rich accomplishment both for Bach, who died writing the last notes and for Tatiana Nikolayeva a recording that places her at the highest levels of musical accomplishments.

Excellent Exposition of the art of the fugue.......2007-07-10

The clarity of the notes and the even balance of the melody and harmony made this familiar piece of music sound new and exciting

A great master plays one of the monuments of the Baroque.......2006-04-21

When I first saw this recordings in a music store I never realized what was waiting for me inside the jewel case. Two or three years had to go before I got one. Since then this is one of my favourites. Nikolayeva was a master in all the meaning of the word and although I am a purist (would have liked a Harpsichord instead of a Piano) her interpretation is magnificent, moving and executed with the precision required for a Brain surgery. Do not miss this set, it is without a question one of the very best AoF ever recorded. You will only need to hear how this great Russian Master played the first three notes of the Ricercare a 3, BWV1079, to know what I mean.

Absolutely stunning.......2005-11-29

This is far and out the greatest interpretation ever (on piano) of this monumental work - absolutely perfect, under any aspect. If you are a classical music fan it would be a crime to give it a miss.

Best of the best.......2005-05-08

I own about a dozen performances of The Art of Fugue (ranging from solo piano and organ over string quartet to Hermann Scherchen's orchestral arrangement). This is hands down my favorite (Scherchen's a distant second). Glenn Gould's might have been equally good if he had ever recorded the whole set for piano. (He recorded a partial set for organ, and piano recordings of a few individual fugues were released posthumously.)
While Bach never specified instruments for TAoF, the voice leading is too keyboard-friendly to be coincidental. It is not a "flashy" work but --- despite that --- extremely demanding on a keyboard player in that exceptional articulation skills are required to clearly bring out the four voices.
The purist may be annoyed at the fact that a piano (rather than a harpsichord) is used at all, and that (obviously) modern A=440 tuning is used. If you are one of these, you may wish to consider Davitt Moroney's harpsichord recording instead.
Unlike Moroney and organist Helmut Walcha, Ms. Nikolayeva does not attempt to "complete" the final unfinished fugue: her playing tapers off on the last notes in the manuscript.
The playing is not only crisp and technically perfect but beautiful at all times, and the recording very clean.
Bonuses are the four Duets (which work surprisingly well on the piano) and the two Ricercars from The Musical Offering. (The Ricercar a 3, incredibly, is actually rooted in an improvisation session by Bach on an early Silbermann fortepiano at the palace of Frederick II in Potsdam.)

Average customer rating:

Danger, danger - too tempting..!
Music of angels

Harmonie Universelle
Anonymous , Sephardic Traditional , Cancionero de Montecassino , Clement Woodcock , Mallorcan Anonymous , Josquin Desprez , Antony Holborne , Jose Marin , Marin Marais , Nicolo Fontei , Johann Sebastian Bach , Juan Bautista Jose Cabanilles , Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber , Jean-Baptiste Lully , Jordi Savall , Montserrat Figueras , Pedro Estevan , Adela Gonzalez-Campa , Rolf Lislevand , and Ton Koopman
Manufacturer: Alia Vox
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Harmonie Universelle II
Villancicos y Danzas Criollas
La Folia, 1490-1701
Elizabethan Consort Music
Altre Follie, 1500-1750

ASIN: B00005AU4N
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Customer Reviews:

Danger, danger - too tempting..!.......2006-08-08

No, it's not a bad review.. But don't buy this disc unless you want to get sucked in to a wonderful world of new musical experiences.

It's a clever 'taster' disc that contains some wonderful, intriguing and diverse muscial pieces by jordi and his various ensembles, one or two tracks each from various discs he has made for his label Alia vox. There are the sombre viol pieces, the 'swinging' ensemble tunes, then the haunting pieces by Figuerras (- for me the Sephardic ones especially).

At first I had my few favorites, then I realised that I was beginning to like everything on the disc, then I was in love with some of the pieces because the sound was so delicious and foreign and exciting, and I had to hear more..

At first I wondered why this was such a cheap disc, but it wasn't really cheap - I have now bought eight other savall discs, all because of this one, and no, I haven't been disappointed.

You have been warned.

Music of angels.......2003-12-04

This disc features a variety of players or groups and individuals, including several of my favorites within this genre(time period music) such as Jordi Savall, Hesperion XX and Montserrat Figueras. The music was recorded between 1998-2001. Being relatively uninformed I can testify to the beauty of the timeless music from the ordinary perspective of an outsider to this type of music. My knowledge base is ziltch for time period music but I do know what I like and the music sends my spirit soaring. This is joyful, tranquil music that transcends musical timelines and boundaries infecting the listener with a feeling of peace. Some of the music is written by annoymous authors, much like the beautiful pieces of art you might see in a museum with only the tag of artist unknown, while some is written, in contrast, by well known composers like J.S. Bach. The music has a religious quality, very much like music performed on sacred days in ancient times. One particular song that has the qualities just mentioned is "Alfons V El Magnanim" that is performed twice(as nice) in succession in a slightly different manner. The second version features the lovely voice of Montserrat Figueras and all I can say is, it is exquisite. Her voice is featured on many of the songs and it is as though you are in cathedral and an angel has entered to take you on its wings. Some of the music was written as far back as the 1400's and you can only wonder how many souls this music has touched throughout the ages in one form or another. La Capella Reial De Catalunya further accentuates and compliments the textures by lending their collective voices to the lead vocals of Figueras. There are a variety of pieces or styles offered on this disc including some " Elizabethan Consort Music," a lovely piece by Le Consort Des Nations entitled "L'Orchestre Du Roi Soleil" and some music for the season. The soft, soothing qualities prevail throughtout the disc regardless of who is performing. The musical instruments are played enthusiastically, at times underemphasized but with an exuberance for the time period. If you are in the mood for some quiet music to fill you with joy than give this bargain disc a listen. The booklet is thick with a bilingual offering in English and French quotes but features very little information about the music featured on this particular disc. Instead the booklet is an offering of color photgraphs of the players in performance, including a beautiful portrait of husband and wife team Jordi Savall and Monsterrat Figueras as they are working together. By far the vast majority of the booklet is thirteen pages dedicated to other discs released by the featured performers and the instruments thay play such as harp, viola, lire, luth etc. Recommended music that reflects the season that has universal appeal and longevity. Running time is 78:37.

Average customer rating:

Colourful!

J.S. Bach: Musikalisches Opfer

Manufacturer: Alia Vox Spain
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Die Kunst der Fuge
François Couperin: Les Concerts Royaux
Elizabethan Consort Music
Vivaldi: La Viola da Gamba in Concerto
Bach: Sonatas for Viola da gamba und Cembalo

ASIN: B00005B84O
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Customer Reviews:

Colourful!.......2005-06-16

This interpretation is a perfect match to Savall's equally beautiful Art of the Fugue. Here you find even more variety in the blend of instruments. I am not going to have only one version of this music and my first recommendation is Münchinger's more emotional recording on Decca. When it comes to colourful instrumentation, however, Savall is the winner, and the direction & playing needs no justification, it is simply wonderful, even if I doubt this folk music style reflects the spirit of the baroque era. The king's theme must have been very popular during the 18th century; you find it even in the song "Gråt Fader Berg" by the Swedish minstrel Carl Michael Bellman (1740-95).

Average customer rating:

Oddly dispirited and square
A Great Bach Recording
Excellent recording...if transcriptions appeal to you
Back to Bach (Via Philadelphia)
Superb Salonen, Magnificent Bach plus

Bach: Transcriptions

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Transcriptions
Stokowski's Symphonic Bach
Bach - Stokowski
Stokowski's Symphonic Bach, Vol. 2
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

ASIN: B00004WK4B
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

Toccata in d, BWV 565
Fugue in d, BWV 565
Fant in c, BWV 537
Fugue in c, BWV 537
The Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Ricercare No.2
Prld in E flat 'St. Anne', BWV 552
Fugue in E flat 'St. Anne', BWV 552
Fugue in g, 'Little', BWV 578
Ste: I. Ov
Ste: II. Rondeau -
Ste: Badinerie
Ste: III. Air
Ste: IV. Gavotte I -
Ste: Gavotte II

Customer Reviews:

Oddly dispirited and square.......2005-09-24

These lushly romantic, even shmaltzy arrangements of Bach for orchestra--the kind made famous by Stokowski when conducting was a glamorous Hollywood profession--don't suit Salonen at all. By temperament he is all but anti-romantic, a modernist through and through. So these performances, despite being well played and in gorgeous sound, are lifeless. Stick with Stokowski all the way.

A Great Bach Recording.......2001-03-22

Tis is a collection of some of the best music suited for orchestra. Most of these works were originally for harpsichord and organ. They are played with such grace and elegance by L.A.P. Salonen does a fantastic job conducting. Thede pieces were brillantly arranged by the likes of Stokowsky, Webern, Mahler, Elgar, etc. These are among the most brilliant musicians ever. They are fantastic. The Tocatta and Fugue in d is powerful. The elegance of the suites are matched by nothing. The Air is so moving. The flutist is wonderful. This is an all around great c.d. for any Bach fan.

Excellent recording...if transcriptions appeal to you.......2000-12-15

With all the new and exciting contemporary works that the LA Phil is presenting (not to mention the rethinking of some of the "old masters") I wonder why Salonen elected to put this selection on disc. The orchestra plays beautifully, the sound is elegant, but there is something that aproaches pedantic about this. Perhaps Salonen wants to exercise some of the influences on his own composing. Or perhaps this is an homage to the old tradition of creating various arrangements of well known music for a variety of ensembles. It is valuable as a curiosity, but it is doubtful that it will be one of your frequently played recordings. Why not Stucky or Lieberson or Reich or even the Gorecki 2nd Symphony instead.......?

Back to Bach (Via Philadelphia).......2000-10-11

Vulgarian and Neanderthal throwback that I am, I love this stuff, inordinantly. I think Stokowski a genius and precisely for his Bachwerk, his "arrangements" of the Leipzig master's keyboard compositions for full modern symphony orchestra. But Stoki labored in good company, for, as Esa-Pekka Salonen's new Sony anthology with the L.A. Philharmonic shows, Gustav Mahler, Sir Edward Elgar, Arnold Schoenberg, and Anton Webern inter alia all put their able hands to updating and amplifying Bach for a dynamo age. (As a matter of fact, Leonard Slatkin has recorded a similar, but even more variegated, CD, with the BBC Philharmonic, for Chandos.) We begin with Stoki's most famous (or infamous) transcription, the D-Minor Toccata and Fugue, made doubly notorious through its role as a kind of overture in the Disney film "Fantasia." Salonen competes with several recorded versions, going back to the late 1920s, with Stoki himself at the helm of the Philadelphia and other orchestras. He has, I believe, made the decision to do it the way Stoki did it, and the result is satisfying. (That is to say, technicolor, over-the-top, and cinematically glittering.) Next up? Elgar's miraculously pompous and circumstantial reworking of the Fantasy and Fugue in C-Minor (also on Slatkin's Chandos CD). Yep. Sounds like the First Symphony or one of those processionals. Relish it. Glory in it. Dann kommt ja Herr Webern, with his sound-coloristic treatment of the Ricercar from "A Musical Offering." Less grand, it is, than Elgar, but uncanny and hence welcome as a change of pace. In Arnold Schoenberg's hyper-romantic rethinking, the "Ste. Anne" Prelude and Fugue becomes a vast two-movement symphony, with the same orchestral palette as his own "Pelleas und Melisande" or "Gurrelieder." Stoki now makes another appearance, with his version of the "Little" Fugue in G Minor. At last, Gustav Mahler comes up to the plate with his arrangment of selections from the orchestral suites. Der "Gustl" offers perhaps the tamest stuff here, but it's still plenty meaty fare. Gimme more! I remember, for example, a mid-1970s LP of Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphians in arrangements of nothing but the fugues. There were eight of `em, as I recall. Then there was the Columbia LP of the London Symphonic Wind Ensemble doing Bach as Berlioz might have done him when he was writing the Symphonie Funebre et Triomphale. And is there a billionaire out there who will commission some needy living composers to orchestrate the Preludes and Fugues of that other contrapuntal master, Dmitri Shostakovich? Meanwhile, I'll keep playing the lottery.

Superb Salonen, Magnificent Bach plus.......2000-09-10

Esa-Pekka Salonen is given to eccentric and idiosyncratic readings of scores, not always to their disadvantage. This selectionof transcriptions of Bach works by other composers and conductors is by its very nature odd-ball, and Salonen makes the most of it. He is particularly effective with Elgar's interpretation of the fantasy and Fugue in C Minor.

Tracks:

Allegro Assai - Maurice Andre
Aria - Christophe Rousset
Echo - Rafael Puyana
Praeludium - Andras Schiff
Preludio - Henryk Szeryng
Air - Thurston Dart
Allegro - Musica Antiqua Koln
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Peter White
Toccata And Fugue - Wolfgang Rubsam
Prelude - Helmut Wacha
Fugue In G Minor 'The Little' - Helmut Wacha
1. (Allegro) - Alfred Brendel
2. Andante - Alfred Brendel
3. Presto - Alfred Brendel
Allegro - The English Concert
Allegro - Philip Ledger

Tracks:

Prelude - Mischa Maisky
Badinerie - The Academy Of Ancient Music
Bourree - Narciso Yepes
Sheep May Safely Graze - The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
Invention No. 4 In D Minor - Andras Schiff
Prelude - Rosalyn Tureck
Fugue - Rosalyn Tureck
Chromatcal Fantasy And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 903 - Trevor Pinnock
Bist Du Bei Mir - Kiri Te Kanawa
Jesu, Priceless Treasure - Simon Preston
Fugue - Carlo Curley
Komm, Susser Tod, BWV 478 - Ton Koopman
Sinfonia - Heinz Holliger
Andante - Arthur Grumiaux
Largo - Trevor Pinnock
Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme - Munchener Bach-Chor
Gigue - Janos Starker
Fuga Ricercata A 6 - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam
Magnificant Anima Mea - Monteverdi Choir

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful collection.......2006-02-02

The album earns its title in many ways. Not only are the selections excellent, but the compilers of this collection chose performances from the late 1950's all the way to the late 90's. Well chosen.

Average customer rating:

lively and clear
Precise and clear, but emotionally dry.

Bach: The Musical Offering

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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J.S. Bach: A Musical Offering; Flute Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3 [Canada]
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Bach: The Art of Fugue

ASIN: B000009CJD
Release Date: 2000-10-05

Tracks:

The Musical Offering: Ricercar A 3
The Musical Offering: Canon Perpetuus Super Thema Regium
The Musical Offering: Canon 2 A 2 Violini In Unisono
The Musical Offering: Canon 3 A 2 Per Motum Contrarium
The Musical Offering: Canon 4 A 2 Per Augmentationem, Contrario Motu
The Musical Offering: Canon 5 A 2: Canon Circularis Per Tonos
The Musical Offering: 1: Largo
The Musical Offering: 2: Allegro
The Musical Offering: 3: Andante
The Musical Offering: 4: Allegro
The Musical Offering: Canon A 4
The Musical Offering: Fuga Canonica In Epidiapente
The Musical Offering: I
The Musical Offering: II
The Musical Offering: III
The Musical Offering: IV
The Musical Offering: Canon 1 A 2: Canon Cancrizans
The Musical Offering: Canon Perpettuus A Flauto Traverso, Violino E Basso Continuo
The Musical Offering: Ricercar A 6

Customer Reviews:

lively and clear.......2007-02-03

This is a very fine recording of a piece which can be hard to approach, and is usually made more so by too-serious or high-and-dry performances where earnestness replaces musicality.

Bender and his forces present a very lively view of The Musical Offering, well varied, clear, and always musical. They avoid the soft edges inherent in some of the older recordings (Mariner - for whom I have much respect), and are equally successful in steering clear of the bright-and-brittle trap that original instrument ensembles often fall into. Their sound is clear, and the performers maintain an admirable rhythmic drive and control; this is very musical playing. This is a modern instrument performance, informed however by all we heave learned from the original instrument movement, that is, clear articulation, somewhat faster speeds, a chamber music approach rather than an orchestral one.

Don't be fooled by the price; this recording can hold its own against any full-price recording I have heard. Highly recommended as an introduction or as an only recording.

Precise and clear, but emotionally dry........2006-01-19

This was my first recording of The Musical Offering. The other I own is the Neville Marriner. Of those two, I prefer this one. The players work wonderfully together. The lines of music come out crisp and clear. Not a beat is missed. In that sense, this is an incredible recording. However, it really sounds like they're just kind of playing the notes. Very little emotion is conveyed. Part of me likes that approach because it's kind of a "no nonsense" Bach. You get exactly what's on the sheet music. But the other, greater part of me thinks that if that's all I wanted I could just download a MIDI version. I would like at least a little individuality and personality thrown in. Not so much that it bastardizes Bach's music, but just enough to display the awesome emotion present in all Bach compositions. There is meaning behind the musical use of the word "interpretation."

Now, I really just cannot help but comment on the other review. No artistic merrit? You MUST be joking! The Musical Offering and The Art of the Fugue are Bach's two greatest works, both written around the time of his death. (Indeed, AotF was not finished.) They represent everything that Bach stood for regarding music. There are few pieces of music known to me that carry as much emotion as the Ricercare a 6 from MO. And the MO along with the AotF are masterpieces of counterpoint. The MO is more canon oriented while you can guess what the AotF primarily consists of. Please, do not let this person keep you from purchasing a recording of this music.

Bach: The Art of Fugue / Musical Offering

Average customer rating:

repetition, glorious repetition
Very good, but why not go for the best instead?
A reasonable, but not outstanding, 2 CD set of Bach
A rich variety of instrumentation
LIKE A TEXTBOOK --VERY INFORMED-NOT BAD, BUT A LITTLE DRY

Bach: The Art of Fugue / Musical Offering

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: The Art of Fugue; Musical Offering
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Bach: Complete Partitas
Bach: Goldberg Variations
Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment (P.S.)

ASIN: B0000041A6
Release Date: 1994-10-17

Tracks:

The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 1
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 2
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 3
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 4
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Canon alla Ottava
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 5
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 6, a 4, im Stile francese
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Canon alla Decima, Contrapuncto alla Terza
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 7, a 4, per Augmentationem et Diminutionem
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 8, a 3
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Canon alla Duodecima in Contrapuncto alla Quinta
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 9, a 4, alla Duodecima
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 10, a 4, alla Decima
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Canon per Augmentationem in contrario motu
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 11, a 4
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 13, a 3 (rectus)
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 12, a 4 (rectus)
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Fuga a 2 Clav.

Tracks:

The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 13, a 3 (inversus)
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 12, a 4 (inversus)
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Alio modo Fuga a 2 Clav.
The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Fuga a 3 Soggetti (unfinished)
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Ricercar 1 (a 3)
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Canon perpetuus super Thema Regium
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Canones diversi super Thema Regium: Canon 1 a 2 (Canon cancricans)
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Canones diversi super Thema Regium: Canon 2 a 2 violini in unisono
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Canones diversi super Thema Regium: Canon 3 a 2 per motum contrarium
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Canones diversi super Thema Regium: Canon 5 a 2 (Canon circularis per tonos)
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Sonata For Flute, Violin And Continuo: Largo
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Sonata For Flute, Violin And Continuo: Allegro moderato
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Sonata For Flute, Violin And Continuo: Andante larghetto
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Sonata For Flute, Violin And Continuo: Allegro
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Sonata For Flute, Violin And Continuo: Canon a 2 quaerendo invenietis (Canon contrarium stricte reversum)
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Sonata For Flute, Violin And Continuo: Canon a 4
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Sonata For Flute, Violin And Continuo: Canon perpetuus
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Canones diversi super Thema Regium: Canon 4 a 2 per augmentationem, contrario motu
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Canones diversi super Thema Regium: Fuga canonica in epidiapente
Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Canones diversi super Thema Regium: Ricercar 2 a 6

Amazon.com essential recording

There are many apocryphal stories in the classical-music world, but the one in which Frederick the Great challenged Bach to improvise a six-part fugue on a theme of the king's own invention is true, and The Musical Offering was, after a period of further reflection, the result. As with all the works of Bach's later years, the work is both great art and a "teaching piece," which shows everything that he thought could be done with the king's theme. The Trio Sonata based on the theme is the only major piece of chamber music from Bach's last decades in Leipzig, and that makes the work and essential cornerstone of any Bach collection. This performance, led by Neville Marriner, is both polished and lively, and very well recorded. At a "twofer" price, coupled with The Art of Fugue, it's the preferred version of the work on modern instruments. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

repetition, glorious repetition.......2006-12-31

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.

Very good, but why not go for the best instead?.......2005-11-21

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?

A reasonable, but not outstanding, 2 CD set of Bach.......2005-09-20

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.

A rich variety of instrumentation.......2005-08-28

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.

LIKE A TEXTBOOK --VERY INFORMED-NOT BAD, BUT A LITTLE DRY.......2003-05-29

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.

Bach/Markevitch: The Musical Offering
Average customer rating:

Perhaps the Best Bach Orchestration EVER

Markevitch's Elegant 'Musical Offering' Orchestration

Bach/Markevitch: The Musical Offering
Lyndon-Gee , Arnhem Po , and Bach
Manufacturer: Marco Polo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Complete Orchestral Music 3

Markevitch: Complete Orchestral Music Vol. 5

Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment (P.S.)

ASIN: B0000X7KEQ
Release Date: 2004-04-20

Tracks:

I. Ricercare A 3 Voci
Tema
Canon A 2, Cancrizans
Canon Perpetuus Super Thema Regium
Per Motum Contrarium
Canon In Unisono
Per Motum Contrarium (Quaerendo Invenietis)
Per Motum Contrarium: Inversus Var. Vae
Fuga Canonica In Epidiapente
Per Augmentationem Contrario Motu
Canon Per Tonos
Canon Perpetuus A 4
Largo
Allegro (With Orchestral Interpolations)
Andante
Allegro Giusto ('Canon Concertante', I.E. Canon Perpetuus)
Tempo Di Giga
IV. Fuga (Ricercar) A 6 Voci

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps the Best Bach Orchestration EVER.......2005-07-31

(Note Bene: If you are new to The Musical Offering, as I was before purchasing this recording, read the book "Evening in the Palace of Reason" to learn the inside story of this fascinating work. As well as a dio biography with alternating chapters on Bach and Frederich the Great (whose motives for instigating this work, as the author claims, may have been suspect and bordering on the sadistic, as was Frederich's wont), the author gives an invaluable insight on the inner workings of this piece and what Bach may have been truly trying to communicate in it. If reading about Bach's life bores you, skip those chapters. The book is well worth it regardless. (Frederich's life was both more eventful and profoundly more disturbing.))

In 1949-50, Igor Marketvitch rearraned some of the canons in this fascinating work of Bach's to form them into a theme-and-variations movement and orchestrated the whole piece for antiphonal strings, cor anglais, bassoon, flute and harpsichord. The trio sonata, which Bach wrote with Frederich the Great's prowess on the flute in mind, is left as an instrumental piece for flute, solo violin and harpsichord after an introductory for foll strings. The Ricercar for three voices, which Bach improvised for Frederich on a theme the monarch provided and may have been intended to be deliberately impossible for Bach to treat in his polyphonic style, is an opening movement and the Ricercar for six voices, which Frederich also requested but Bach wrote later, realizing doing so on the sxpot was far above even his improvisatory powers, is used as the finale for the whole work.

Christopher Lyndon-Gee states in the notes state that Nadia Boulanger, Marketvitch's teacher, completed the harpsuchord part for Markevitch's fellow student Dinu Lipatti to play but Lipatti died before Boulanger was finished. Lyndon-Gee complains that this keyboard part is anachronistic due to its being overly
pianistic but it works perfectly fine for me as a consort for the
other two instrumentalists.

The whole arrangement is extremely tasteful, much lighter in overall approach than most Bach orchestral arrangements while adding color and texture. The effect is like seeing a set of expert watercolors instead of the the bright oils of Stokowski et al. Lyndon-Gee writes that Markevitch was happy with this arrangement -- for good reason -- and recorded it himself twice.

Lyndon-Gee was familiar to me from his excellent Naxos recordings of George Rochberg's Violin Concerto and Fifth Symphony, and he does an equally fine job here -- perhaps a little too stately at times but perfectly acceptable. The Arnhen Philharmonic, which was new to me, is an extremely adept group whose clarity and tone -- just dry enough to complement Bach's music but with a wonderful tone in ensemble passages -- is perfect for this piece

Don't hesitate on this disc. Buy it.

Markevitch's Elegant 'Musical Offering' Orchestration.......2004-05-16

Igor Markevitch (1912-1983) is known to us these days almost exclusively as a conductor; some will remember him as an excellent teacher of conducting and composition. But few have heard his music, not surprisingly since he stopped composing at age 29 and did not promote his music much after that. He wrote, 'I would say to you, very frankly, that I am objective enough to claim that there is music which needs to be heard before mine, and for which the need is more urgent. Apart from that, if my works are good enough, they can wait: and if they cannot wait, it is pointless to play them.' Thanks to Marco Polo the time has come to hear his music. This is volume 7 of a project to record his complete orchestral music. And if I'm not mistaken, the one I've been most waiting for (having only ever heard a portion of it, 'L'Envol d'Icare,' before) is next in line, his moving 'Icare,' generally acknowledged to be his masterpiece.

This CD contains Markevitch's elegant orchestration (and completion of the unfinished portions) of one of Bach's miraculous final works, 'The Musical Offering.' Many artists have made completions and orchestrations of the work, beginning with Johann Philipp Oley in 1763 and including such masters as Webern and Busoni. I have long loved the orchestration recorded by Karl Munchinger and coupled with Graeser's completion of 'Art of Fugue.' But that is a performance in high romantic style with lush strings and 19th-century expression. Here, however, we have a much leaner sound, partly due to Markevitch's orchestration and partly due to the style of playing exercised by the Arnhem Philharmonic under Christopher Lyndon-Gee, whose recordings I've come to treasure in recent months.

I'm not musicologist enough to comment about Markevitch's completions of the missing portions of Bach's work. All I can say is that they sound right and satisfying to me. He reorders the movements and conflates the randomly organized canons into a single movement. The work was originally published, along with the two separate Ricercars on the same theme, as '1. Two Fugues, 2. a Sonata, and 3. various Canons.' Markevitch inserts one of the canons (No. 8) into the Sonata as its fourth movement prior to the Gigue. He terms the conflated remaining nine canons as 'Theme with Variations,' doubling one of them (Quaerendo invenietis) into linked versions, one of which is the inversion of the other. (I'm paraphrasing from the excellent booklet notes written by conductor Lyndon-Gee.) The two Ricercars stand as the opening and closing movements of what now looks like this: 1. Ricercar a 3, 2. Theme with Variations (the Canons movement), 3. Sonata, 4. Ricercar a 6. I have to say this makes for a very satisfying experience.

I've probably played this disc a dozen times now. It has haunted me even in my sleep. (I suppose some will want to psychoanalyze that, but so be it.) This is incredible music, as I'm sure all will agree, and this completion and performance serve it well.

TT=54:55

Heartily recommended.

Scott Morrison

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