Bach: The Art of Fugue

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Free Music Notes for Bach: The Art of Fugue

Free Music Review: An ethereal and haunting performance of Bach's masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars

Yes, I am aware that performing the Art of Fugue on viols is not historically accurate, but unless one absolutely has to have a period instrument performance, what does it matter? Actually, I find the 'inauthenticity' of the performance rather unique in that most 'historicaly inaccurate' baroque performances use instruments that came into use after the baroque period (e.g, piano). But the viol's popularity reached its height during the century before Bach and had already gone out of fashion by the time of Bach's birth, the last work of real significance written specifically for viols being Henry Purcell's brilliant series of Fantasias from 1680 (I would recommend Jordi Savall/Hesperion XX's recording of these pieces). So, this recording of Bach's Art of Fugue for viol consort achieves a rather different kind of musical anachronism than what most are accustomed to: it uses instruments from the period before the piece being performed was written. I find this very intriguing and would be interested in hearing how this would work with other, perhaps later music. I could imagine that Schubert's fourteenth string quartet, the 'Death and the Maiden' Quartet, would sound very interesting performed on viol consort!

In any event, the performance on this CD strikes me as basically flawless and thus fit for listening on headphones, which make the experience even more haunting and intimate.

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