Introduction
The Pre-lude and Fugue in C major, BWV is a composition written by J.S Bach. It appears in the book “The Well-Tempered Clavier” as the first prelude and fugue. This book comprises of a set of 48 preludes and fugues that were authored by J.S Bach. The prelude part of this keyboard piece consists of 35 bars and is also characterized by broken chords. It ends with a single C major chord. However, some artists over time have added extra bars inside the piece in order to add a personal touch to the piece or to alter its progression. The fugue, on the other hand, is made up of 27 bars. It is also written over four voices. The fugue commences with a two measure subject for the alto voice. At the end of each subject, a soprano voice joins the alto, and this signals the commencement of the answer that is in G major. This answer is then repeated in the tenor as well as in the bass. This is followed by the modulation of the piece through several keys whereby the main subject is repeated in all the four voices. The home key signals the ending of the piece and here, each voice stops at a not-this note is then held on to the end, forming a chord in C major.
These are the features of the original composition by J.S Bach. However, throughout time, the piece has been performed and interpreted by a variety of artists and composers. These artists have either added elements into the piece, removed some elements or altered some elements already contained in the piece. This has meant; there are many different versions of J.S Bach’s Pre-lude and Fugue in C major, BWV organized by different artists and composers. Each of these composers has added something different.
Glenn Gould, Daniel Ben Pienaar and Samuel Feinberg are three artists who have played different versions of this keyboard piece by J.S Bach.
Glen Gould was renowned Canadian pianists who was widely recognized in the musical field for his various interpretations of keyboard compositions by artists such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn Shubert and Byrd. One aspect that featured prominently in his interpretation of various keyboard prices was extreme eccentricity. Many considered his interpretations of keyboard pieces by famous artists to be quite unorthodox.
In his version of J.S Bach’s Pre-lude and Fugue in C major, Gould’s eccentricity is crystal clear. His version is filled with virtuosity, passion and an almost hypnotic ecstasy. Most of the performers playing the piece have abided by the original Baroque style in which the original piece was composed but Gould’s portraying of the piece does not abide by the Baroque style in any way. He hums along as he plays the piece, and he simply breathes new life into the music. His fingers appear to be always on the edge when playing the piece, and there is a hint of a light staccato. He does several alterations to the original piece by Bach.
For example, he does something very interesting when the musical piece breaks at the 25th measure. This is at about 1.14 mark of the song. At this point, Bach suddenly shifts form a near mechanical style that he been playing from the beginning and adopts a wholly human style. The focus on this part is placed on the phrasing of the notes and is also accompanied by a strict confinement of tempo as the measure breaks.
Another interesting alteration occurs near the end of the 28 measure of the piece. Gould plays the first two beats of this measure at a regular tempo.
Here, he seems to have ignored or perhaps forgotten that Bach had articulated specific instructions in regard to this section stating that it should actually be played at a faster tempo or speed than the rest of the piece, before shifting gear and then slowing the tempo at the next measure. Gould also does away with the half trilled ornament on the piece’s lasts note, which in actual sense makes the piece feel a bit incomplete. In measure 9 of the piece, Gould breaks away from the hypemeter and then maintains a short articulation of downbeats. This slightly increases the measures dynamic intensity.
Another curious element is identifiable in the 10th measure. He returns to a ringing articulation that was first introduced in the 5th measure and here, the soprano can be heard resonating over the entire measure. In fact, if one listens to two measures for the first time, one might take them to be a reversal of polarity of the hypermeter, that is, from the shorter and weaker beat on the first measure of this pair (the 9th) to the longer and stronger beat on the second measure of the pair that is the 10th measure.
In fact, the two bars are representation of transition whereby the contrapuntal and the harmonic pattern of the two measures is actually maintained while on the other hand, the metric emphasis actually switches in term of anticipation at the phrase’s ending.
However, after the 10th measure, Gould continues letting the soprano note to reverberate. This ultimately suspends the hypemeter and at the same time eliminates the previously existing pattern.
Apart from Glenn Gould, the other composer who has interpreted J.S Bach’s Pre-lude and Fugue in C major is Samuel Feinberg. Feinberg was a Russian native who was also known for his compositions and his piano works. Born near the end of the 19th century in 1890, he died in 1962. Just like Gould, Feinberg was fond of making interpretations of famous composer’s piece. Feinberg is perhaps best remembered for his interpretation of J.S Bach’s Pre-lude and Fugue in C major. He was also involved in a lot of keyboard transcriptions. Feinberg also composed many piano sonatas, fantasias, and piano concertos among other pieces.
In relation to J.S Bach’s Pre-lude and Fugue in C major, Feinberg’s version is less eccentric than the version of Gould. From the moment he starts playing the prelude, the audience is immediately confronted with a grand musical intellect and Feinberg’s pianistic mastery becomes immediately conspicuous. The Preludes adopt a formal shape, and there is a poetic rendering of the prelude’s rhythmic stresses. Another interesting aspect of Feinberg’s version is that of the tempo adjustment that is usually associated with prelude whereby he gives this adjustment to the fugue. Here, there is an intense ritarndadi, and the phrases are strongly outlined.
There is also a great polyphonic clarity throughout Feinberg’s version. He boldly voices the fugue and in doing this, all the subject’s activity, the counter subjectivity as well as the transitional material all become transparent as well as operative. Feinberg also conspicuously circumvents the pedal but displays a great touch variety as well as a cautious tempo choice. This makes the music vivacious.
There are also a lot of other brilliant aspects in Feinberg’s version of the piece. In measures 5 and 7 for instance, Feinberg increases the tone and also plays them with huge suso. After this change, he retreats dynamically and dramatically in measures 8 and 6.
In measure 5, Feinberg introduces a two bar hypermeter that he continues with all the way to the piece’s 10th measure. In the 11th measure, a softer dynamic level is maintained.
Another interesting aspect of his composition is in regard to the cadential progression. Throughout the piece, soft dynamic levels are utilized, and Feinberg does not disrupt established hypermeter’s vestiges. In measures 11 to 14, there is the creation of a phrase that almost mimics the piece’s measures 1-4.
In nutshell, Feinberg’s interpretation of J.S Bach’s Pre-lude and Fugue in C major does not deviate much from the Baroque style in which the original composition was articulated in by J. S Bach. In addition, he does not exhibit the extreme eccentricity depicted in Gould’s version of the keyboard piece. Feinberg only does enough to make the piece lively but does not alter a lot of the aspects of the original piece.
In addition, to Glenn Gould and Samuel Feinberg, there is still another artist who has performed his own version of J.S Bach’s Pre-lude and Fugue in C. This is Daniel Ben Pienaar. Piennar is South African born composer who gained prominence from a young age. He won various musical accolades as a teenager and young man.
He later moved to study music abroad at London’s Royal Academy of Music. Pienaar continues to perform various musical pieces by famous composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Bach. His version of J.S Bach’s Pre-lude and Fugue in C was recorded in the year 2003.
His version of the piece is quite similar to Feinberg’s version. The contrapuntal style of the piece is exhibited with great clarity. Through the piece, Pienaar greatly varies the tonal palette and also applies more pedal. There is also accentuated spontaneity in the playing of this piece of musical piece. There is a great deal of improvisation as some pieces are distinctively absent in Bach’s original piece.
The phrasing is very well judged. In addition, Pienaar varies the piece dynamics with extreme ease. He does not allow the music to delay or go into a repetitive tedium. As mentioned, earlier, Pienaar alludes very much to the Baroque style of music that this piece was organically composed in. He does this by using transparent textures as well as brilliantly articulated contrapuntal lines.
However, he also shows great liberty and freedom in terms of expression and tempo where he fully exploits the dynamic and the tonal potential of the piano to bring about a general sound that is very pleasing to the ear..
As shown, all the pieces have distinctive aspects and features. Gould’s version is filled with a lot of eccentricity while the latter two are a bit more reserved. However, from the three pieces, the one that would appear to be a favorite for many is Feinberg’s version.
Works Cited
Gould, Glenn. The Well-Tempered Clavier I: Preludes and Fugues, Johann Sebastian Bach. Sony Classical SM2K 52600. 1962
Feinberg, Samuel. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier (complete). Russian Disc 15013.1959
Daniel Ben Piennar. The Well-Tempered Clavier I: Preludes and Fugues, Johann Sebastian Bach. 2003.
