Bach/Krebs BWV 559

[handsoff]

I don't know if many people here ever play the short preludes and fugues BWV 553-560, but I'm using them for practice after a long lay-off from the organ bench. They are also nice and short for use after a morning service with a congregation keen to either get home or chat around the coffee cups in the vestry.

 

I'm currently re-learning BWV 559 in A Minor and can't decide upon the appropriate speed; neither of my copies has any metronome markings.

 

Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Nigel Allcoat]

As Bach is not yet on the Forum to ask, I humbly suggest you let the notes speak for themselves. The speed I have found is dictated by the instrument and room and changes constantly. Seien Sie sich!

Best wishes,

N

[pwhodges]

Of course, he's probably not the best person to ask anyway, as it's reckoned they were written by someone else.

 

Paul

[Nigel Allcoat]

Of course, he's probably not the best person to ask anyway, as it's reckoned they were written by someone else.

 

Paul

 

But a second pair of ears is rather helpful (and I think we should fully respect Bach's in this matter!). However I find composers are not quite the best people to ask about their music anyway. But there are a few rare exceptions I would say!

N

[handsoff]

Thank you Nigel; as always, a pragmatic answer. I shall follow my ears and fingers...

[Vox Humana]

Can't disagree with Nigel. The prelude in particular is open to different speeds and interpretations and who's to know which is right? The right speed is any that draws the listener with it and sounds musically convincing. I wouldn't expect anyone to agree with me, but I've always felt that the prelude would make much more sense on a pedal clavichord.

 

I wouldn't foist these pieces on Krebs, at least not Ludwig. I can't believe that he had anything to do with them any more than JSB did. They just don't have the feel of his music and JLK worked out his fugues usually much more fully and always much more "earnestly" than any in this set. I'm not so sure about Tobias since I only have a few chorale preludes of his, but none of these seem as galant as the "8 Short" either. I think general opinion now just ascribes them to some unknown (though by no means incompetent) composer of the galant.

[handsoff]

Thanks Vox. One of my copies attributes them as being "Possibly by J.T.Krebs" and the other, an ancient copy of "An Introduction to Bach for the Organ" (Edited by A.M. Henderson) which was far from new when I acquired it upon starting to play the organ in 1966, makes no comment.

 

I'm tending towards a fairly stately tempo with a crotchet probably being ~= 60 (my metronome's spring having recently pinged ) on the bases that all of the notes are clearly audible, the music "flows" nicely and that my out-of-practice digits can cope.

[MusingMuso]

I don't know if many people here ever play the short preludes and fugues BWV 553-560, but I'm using them for practice after a long lay-off from the organ bench. They are also nice and short for use after a morning service with a congregation keen to either get home or chat around the coffee cups in the vestry.

 

I'm currently re-learning BWV 559 in A Minor and can't decide upon the appropriate speed; neither of my copies has any metronome markings.

 

Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

 

======================

 

 

I don't think I've ever played this work, or any of the others coming to think about it. However, I had to smile at what I found on YouTube, because there are two rather nice performances.

 

If you're not too proud to take a lesson from a young lad in Holland, the following (played on an electronic instrument) is so nicely performed and a tribute to his tutor(s).

 

 

However, for sheer style and panache, and another gem from the Czech Republic, the following is superb:-

 

 

MM

[handsoff]

Thanks very much MM.

 

I'm not too proud to a lesson from anyone; I need all the help I can get! The tempo I have been using is much the same as the lad from Holland who makes it sound musical and with a nice flow, so that's a big help to me.

 

I love the sound of the Czech organ, the piece works well with the higher registers; something else to try on my next trip to practice...

 

For a nicely ornamented version, I like this one, albeit played a bit faster...

 

 

P

[Sanderman26]

Anonter version here: http://www.pcorgan.com/SampleSets1730Waltershausen.html

[Vox Humana]

I mentioned above that I felt the piece would make more sense on a pedal clavichord and, lo, there's such a version on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSWmueEJFrs...feature=related. The performance is a bit too Romantic for my taste, but it gives the idea.

 

I wonder how many of us would end up re-evaluating our Bach interpretations if we had to practise him on one of these instruments instead of on our toasters or pipe organs.

[MusingMuso]

Thanks very much MM.

 

I'm not too proud to a lesson from anyone; I need all the help I can get! The tempo I have been using is much the same as the lad from Holland who makes it sound musical and with a nice flow, so that's a big help to me.

 

I love the sound of the Czech organ, the piece works well with the higher registers; something else to try on my next trip to practice...

 

For a nicely ornamented version, I like this one, albeit played a bit faster...

 

 

P

 

 

=========================

 

Ooooh yes!

 

Now that's a quality performance I seriously overlooked; thank-you.

 

I love the ornamentation, but who is performing I wonder?

 

MM

[pwhodges]

Ton Koopman, I think. The notes say it's from the Teldec box set.

 

Paul