Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Canadian Brass :: Bach: The Art of the Fugue

All Hail Brass on Bach!!!!!

Shota Hanai | Torrance, CA | 05/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What I love about "The Art of Fugue" by J.S. Bach is how much it touches me. Obviously I don't mean physically because this is not supposed to evoke direct emotion or mood like Classical or Romantic pieces; it's ABSOLUTE MUSIC. Like what Bach did to all other fugues such as "Little" Fugue and the famous (Toccata and) Fugue in D minor, he truly had to put a huge effort and knowledge to make each voice work one another so it sounds so smooth and well-blended. Bach is a genius for having the relations between difference voices make so much sense, and even better is that the cantus firmus in each piece is based the one from the first piece; variations include change of rhythm, divided durations between voices (such as one voice playing half as fast as the CF and another twice as fast), and inversion. No matter how different in those tools is has become, Bach still managed to make them sound so "right". The "language" of music is what touches me and many of us so much, that he is indeed entitled to be one of the greatest composers ever.



"The Art of Fugue" is originally written for a keyboard, but there are different versions. The one I decided to own is this version, done beautifully by a brass quintet (Canadian Brass). Keyboard or strings are good, but I love this version because the gorgeous warmth and aerophonic quality (like human voice!) makes it so alive. The "grand" sound of brass suits for this "grand" (as in what I liked about as mentioned in the previous paragraph, plus all is in a melancholy but furious D minor ending in D major) set of pieces. The "language" of music itself has touched me, and the wonderful sound of the brass adds even more teardrops.



Whether you're getting a keyboard version or not, this must be bought and listened. This album really shows how powerful Bach's music can be. Unless you hate brass instruments or non-original versions, a must buy.



All Hail Brass on Bach!!!!!"

The Best of Canadian Brass

John Hopfensperger | Midland, MI | 03/30/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Canadian Brass are a very virtuosic ensemble; they are well known for bon-bons like "The Flight of the Tuba Bee" -- the sort of tunes which make classical purists cringe. So, to this ensemble, the Art of Fugue must be very technically easy. Though most of the performances are a bit on the fast side, the most difficult fugues, particularly the memorable contrapunctus nine, are not played at a break-neck pace. The focus here does not seem on showmanship, but on genuine musical expression. According to the (rather short) CD notes, the project was conceived and rehearsed with the aid of Glenn Gould, to whom this disc is dedicated.



This four-voice work is transcribed by Arthur Frackenpohl for brass quintet. One voice in Bach's score is occasionally split between two instruments, to create a call-and-response effect. The tuba tends to come in with the main theme in the tutti conclusion of the fugues, reinforcing the bass line, which is shared by a euphonium (which replaces the traditional trombone of the quintet). The trumpeters also switch between different keyed instruments (and even a flugelhorn) to add a very pleasant variety to this music.



The sound is attractive, if a bit distant. Indeed, the only real flaw with this disc (actually quite a big flaw for some) is the exclusion of the cannons. Nevertheless, this is a unique interpretation which shouldn't be missed.

4 / 5"