J.S. Bach: “Great” Fugue in G minor, BWV 542 (Synthesized) скачать в хорошем качестве

J.S. Bach: “Great” Fugue in G minor, BWV 542 (Synthesized)

Johann Sebastian Bach's "Great" Fugue in G minor (BWV 542) for organ, acquired its name to distinguish it from the earlier shorter piece, the "Little" Fugue in G minor. This work is also not to be confused with the organ Fugue in A minor, which is also sometimes called the "Great." It is known that Bach improvised the fugue for an audition for an organist job at St. Jakobkirche in Hamburg in 1720. Bach bases the fugue on the Dutch folk tune "Ik ben gegroet" and ornaments the general shape of the melody while keeping its contour readily heard. It is widely thought that Bach used this folk tune to honor the Dutch organist Reineke, who was present at the audition. The fugue is thought to have been composed separately from its opening fantasia (assigned to Bach's time in Cöthen, 1717-1723) to his Weimar years (1708-1717, but, if the audition theory is correct, not later than 1720). Independent of the compositions' speculative origins, the work was published in Leipzig in 1833. Bach didn't get the job, but, happily enough, posterity did get the piece; generations of organists since then have considered it one of their repertoire's crown jewels. More than one worthy mind has deemed the fugue to be Bach's ultimate accomplishment in the field of organ counterpoint. The task of selecting a king from that noble crowd, however, is not an enviable one. Though it provides the sense of a stable answer to the fantasia in its predominantly even sixteenth-note rhythms, it is similarly ambitious harmonically: Bach makes two revolutions through the entire circle of fifths. The fugue makes a fine contrast with the later music of the fantasia while nevertheless seeming to belong to it. I orchestrated this piece using calliope-like flutes and horns, with a "strummed" bass. I wanted the piece to have the "analog" feel reminiscent of Wendy Carlos' performances of the Brandenburg Concertos. As always, the use of headphones will greatly enhance the listening experience.