Bach: Piano Transcriptions, Vol. 1 (1925-1947)
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J. S. BACH
Bach: Piano Transcriptions, Vol. 1 (1925-1947)
Walter Gieseking, Byron Janis, Alexander Kelberine, Wilheim Backhaus, Sergey Rachmaninov, Rae Robertson, Arthur Rubinstein, Olga Samaroff, etc
[ Naxos Historial Great Pianists / CD ]
Release Date: Monday 29 January 2001
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Composers of the baroque era thought nothing of adapting music to suit their purposes and even borrowed from others with impunity. Johann Gottfried Walther (1684 -1748) claimed to have made 78 keyboard arrangements of concertos in the Italian style though only fourteen survive Bach, a distant relative of Walther, arranged sixteen concertos for solo clavier from the compositions of other composers, six of which were by Vivaldi. Fascinated by the work of his southern contemporary, Bach also arranged two more concertos for solo organ and converted the four-violin Concerto in B minor ,Op 3, No 10, into the A minor concerto for four harpsichords and orchestra BWV 1065. But they were not ordinary adaptations. Bach added inner parts, and altered rhythms, keys and melodies. He transformed the originals into compositions of his own.
"The CD contains 18 tracks of recordings from between about 1925 to 1947. They have been lovingly restored. The results are astonishing and from casual listening do not betray their 78s origins. They are described as 'rare historical recordings' and this is an accurate description. However the CD can be, and should be, considered not as a mere historical record but also as an alternative way of listening to great music. One cannot but believe that Bach would have enjoyed these transcriptions.
... Rachmaninov is an ideal opening for the disc with an outstanding performance of a very appropriate transcription. Evidently he had a real feeling for the spirit of Bach...
The CD is well presented and has useful documentation. The essay by Nalen Anthoni is interesting but is mainly concerned with Transcriptions in the 19th Century, whereas in fact most of the pieces on the CD were written in the 20th Century. Whilst there is no doubt that many transcriptions were written for concert use by Pianist-Composers, we should not forget that during most of the 19th and early 20th centuries, a good many houses contained a piano and this was the main way that most people heard music. Home playing of transcriptions was very common in those days before the gramophone became fully established.
Naxos has produced here a most enjoyable record which can be fully recommended not only to piano specialists but also to the general music lover and to people who are only just beginning to enjoy Bach's music." MusicWeb
Tracks:
Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006 (arr. S. Rachmaninov for piano) - I, III, VII
Aria (Largo) from Concerto in F Minor, BWV 1056 (trans. A. Cortot)
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 (trans. C. Tausig)
Sheep May Safely Graze from Birthday Cantata, BWV 208 (trans. M. Howe)
Fugue (Allegro moderato) in G Minor from Little Organ Book, BWV 578
Jesus Christus, Gottes Sohn from Easter Cantata, BWV 4
Sancify us by Thy Goodness (Ertodt' uns durch dein' Gute) from Cantata BWV 22 (trans. H. Cohen)
Chorale Prelude: Fervent is my Longing (Herzlich tut mich verlangen), BWV 727 (trans. A. Kelberine)
Jesu bleibet meine Freude from Cantata Herz und Mund und Leben, BWV 147 (trans. M. Hess)
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: Pastorale (arr. C. Lucas)
Bach/Liszt: 6 Praludien und Fugen fur die Orgel, S462/R119: No. 1. Prelude and Fugue in A Minor
Prelude, Intermezzo and Fugue in C Major, BWV 564 (trans. A. Rubinstein)
