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Bach: The Art Of Fugue / Sébastien Guillot
Naxos

Bach: The Art Of Fugue / Sébastien Guillot

$19.99 Only 3 left

Details

Composer
BACH J.S.
Artist
Sébastien Guillot (Harpsichord)
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
May 16, 2006
Catalog #
8557796
UPC
747313279623

About

For his recording of Bach's The Art of Fugue, harpsichordist Sébastien Guillot includes the composer's early autograph versions. Although Bach's more familiar revisions generally were for the better, his first thoughts make for fascinating comparison. Contrapunctus 1's first version contains alternate note readings and lacks the gorgeous coda Bach added as an inspired afterthought. If the piece often referred to as Contrapunctus 10 sounds as if it starts mid-stream, so to speak, that's because we're used to the 22 sublime bars Bach subsequently tacked on to the beginning. The early version of the canon in augmentation and inversion is fascinatingly florid, but without the revision's extraordinary chromatic tension and melodic humor that Guillot brilliantly conveys. Other differences involve ornamental more than compositional refinements.

In an era where a few too many harpsichordists embrace these pieces with fussy agogics, crawling tempos, and a reverential halo, Guillot's fleet, uncluttered, and enlivening interpretations are positively refreshing. Ornaments and cadenzas are infused with improvisatory joy, while Guillot's rolled chords contain more gestural and expressive variety than we often hear. Should you prefer more repose and austerity (and some listeners undoubtedly will), I'd stick with Robert Hill, Gustav Leonhardt, and Davitt Moroney. But if Guillot's extroversion entices, then by all means supplement your collection with this inexpensive, beautifully engineered release.

--Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 17 tracks

  1. 1 Fugue 1 (Contrapunctus 1) 02:50
    Track
    1
    Title
    Fugue 1 (Contrapunctus 1)
    Duration
    02:50
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  2. 2 Fugue 2 (Contrapunctus 3) 02:40
    Track
    2
    Title
    Fugue 2 (Contrapunctus 3)
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  3. 3 Fugue 3 (Contrapunctus 2) 02:35
    Track
    3
    Title
    Fugue 3 (Contrapunctus 2)
    Duration
    02:35
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  4. 4 Fugue 4 (Contrapunctus 5) 03:25
    Track
    4
    Title
    Fugue 4 (Contrapunctus 5)
    Duration
    03:25
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  5. 5 Fugue 5 (Contrapunctus 9) 03:23
    Track
    5
    Title
    Fugue 5 (Contrapunctus 9)
    Duration
    03:23
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  6. 6 Fugue 6 (Contrapunctus 10 and 14) 03:46
    Track
    6
    Title
    Fugue 6 (Contrapunctus 10 and 14)
    Duration
    03:46
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  7. 7 Fugue 7 (Contrapunctus 6) 04:17
    Track
    7
    Title
    Fugue 7 (Contrapunctus 6)
    Duration
    04:17
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  8. 8 Fugue 8 (Contrapunctus 7) 04:28
    Track
    8
    Title
    Fugue 8 (Contrapunctus 7)
    Duration
    04:28
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  9. 9 Canon in Hypodiapason (Contrapunctus 16) 04:29
    Track
    9
    Title
    Canon in Hypodiapason (Contrapunctus 16)
    Duration
    04:29
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  10. 10 Fugue 10 (Contrapunctus 8) 06:04
    Track
    10
    Title
    Fugue 10 (Contrapunctus 8)
    Duration
    06:04
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  11. 11 Fugue 11 (Contrapunctus 11) 06:16
    Track
    11
    Title
    Fugue 11 (Contrapunctus 11)
    Duration
    06:16
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  12. 12 Canon in Hypodiatessaron, al roverscio e per augmentationem 05:26
    Track
    12
    Title
    Canon in Hypodiatessaron, al roverscio e per augmentationem
    Duration
    05:26
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  13. 13 Fugue 13 (a) Forma recta (Contrapunctus 12a) 02:30
    Track
    13
    Title
    Fugue 13 (a) Forma recta (Contrapunctus 12a)
    Duration
    02:30
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  14. 14 Fugue 13 (b) Forma inversa (Contrapunctus 12b) 02:35
    Track
    14
    Title
    Fugue 13 (b) Forma inversa (Contrapunctus 12b)
    Duration
    02:35
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  15. 15 Fugue 14 (Forma inversa) (Contrapunctus 13) 02:20
    Track
    15
    Title
    Fugue 14 (Forma inversa) (Contrapunctus 13)
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  16. 16 Canon al roverscio et per augmentationem (Contrapunctus 15) 03:44
    Track
    16
    Title
    Canon al roverscio et per augmentationem (Contrapunctus 15)
    Duration
    03:44
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot
  17. 17 Fugue 19 (fragment of a fugue with several subjects) (Contrapunctus 20) 07:45
    Track
    17
    Title
    Fugue 19 (fragment of a fugue with several subjects) (Contrapunctus 20)
    Duration
    07:45
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Sebastien Guillot