There's always much specuation as to Bach's motivation in composing Die
Kunst Der Fuge (The Art of Fugue).  Was it to for teaching purposes, to
display one's craft, or to provide an artistic musical creation within the
parameters of the fugue?  Whatever the answer, the work can well be used
for all three reasons.  Additional speculation concerns the proper sequence
of movements.  A third issue is the merit of recording less than the entire
work which is often the case.

The Art of Fugue consists of twenty movements.  Most recordings, at a
minimum, contain the eleven "traditional" fugues; they are identified as
Contrapunctus I thru XI.  The additional movements consist of two "mirror"
fugues, four two-part canons, two fugues for two claviers, and the Fuga a
3 soggetti.

Seventeen versions are submitted for review:

Organ:
Marie-Claire Alain - Erato 91946 (1992).
Kei Koito          - Temperaments 316016/17 (1998).
Hans Fagius        - BIS 1034 (1995).

Organ and Piano:
Glenn Gould        - Sony 52595 (1962/67/81).

Piano:
Edward Aldwell     - Biddulph FLW 002 (1996).
Evgeni Koroliov    - Tacet 13 (1990).
Tatiana Nikolayeva - Hyperion 66631/2 (1992).
Joanna MacGregor   - Collins 70432 (1995).

Harpsichord:
Kenneth Gilbert    - Archiv 427673 (1989).
Davitt Moroney     - Harmonia Mundi 901169/70 (1985).
Robert Hill        - Hanssler 92134 (1998).
Gustav Leonhardt   - Vanguard 2011/12 (1953).

Multiple Instruments:
Alessandrini/Concerto Italiano   - Opus 111 30191 (1998).
Savall/Hesperion XX              - Astree 2001 (1986).
Keller Quartett                  - ECM 457849 (1997).
Phantasm                         - Simax 1135 (1997).
Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet - Channnel Classics 12698 (1998).

Before beginning the reviews, I have four messages:

1.  I consider the issue of the sequence of movements entirely moot with
the advent of cd technology - program them any way you like.

2.  I am not going to be downgrading performances because the work is not
provided complete.  As an example, Aldwell gives us the 11 traditional
fugues; that's it.  His coupling is the French Overture.  I'm going to
evaluate what he provides of the total work.  Gould's recording is quite
different in that some movements are on organ, others on piano, and three
of them are given on both instruments in different versions.

3.  Since Contrapunctus I thru XI are the most prevalent items in an Art of
Fugue recording, I will review them first, although not always in numerical
order.  Then I'll cover the additional movements.

4.  Any instrument or combination of instruments is quite valid for
performance.  Bach did not specify instrumentation, although prevalent
thinking is that the intent was for the keyboard.  For the reviews, I feel
I'm offering a decent variety of presentation.  The harpsichord is, in my
opinion, the most idiomatic instrument.  The piano presents a less severe
reading.  The organ is the majestic and darkest instrument.  Multiple
instrument performances provide, other matters equal, the greatest variety.
I should note that the Channel Classics cd, although multiple in
instrumentation, is all on recorders.

The eleven "traditional" fugues can be placed in one of three categories:
simple fugues, stretto fugues, or multiple subject fugues.  I'll identify
the category as we progress from one fugue to the next.

As for possessing any preconceptions, I try to leave those at the door,
but I must admit that Gilbert's performance has traditionally been the one
I'm most likely to want to hear.  The one recording I have not listened to
at all is the version for recorders from the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust
Quartet (ALSQ).  To be honest, I am a little skeptical of a group of
recorders on a steady basis - I'll see how it works out.

One other thing.  I have a very simple rating regimen I generally use:

Level 1 - No desire to listen to it in the future; non-competitive.
Level 2 - A worthy performance, but plenty of room for improvement.
Level 3 - Very good performance, highly rewarding, blemishes are not major.
Level 4 - Excellent performance on both technical and artistic grounds,
   provides great enjoyment and/or enlightenment.
level 5 - Magical and transcendent, doesn't seem that a better version could
   possibly exist.

Contrapunctus I - All the versions begin with Contrapunctus I which is
a "simple" fugue in that there are no special contrapuntal effects; the
subject moves from one voice to another.  The alto voice introduces the
Art of Fugue theme, and it's a lovely and mysterious theme.  This fugue
presents twelve entries of the subject and twelve answers.  The range and
intensity of emotions coming out of the music is astounding, and much of it
is delivered in a subtle manner.  This fugue is so graceful, aristocratic,
sad, and urgent that it seems to enter one's bloodstream; the music and the
listener are one.

Here's level 1 where Aldwell resides.  His reading is very contrary to
his usual way with Bach.  Instead of being dreamy and slow, Aldwell is
relatively fast, misses much of the music's beauty, and bangs out notes
toward the conclusion of Contrapunctus I.  The other four piano versions
are major improvements on this unattractive issue.  Kei Koito, on organ,
is an even less attractive proposition; she doesn't concern herself with
shades of subtlety because her performance contains no subtlety.  It's an
"in your face" interpretation which I feel is contrary to the themes of the
music.  Koito also has the annoying habit of changing tempo slightly at
inappropriate points.

Gould's organ version occupies level 2.  Although a pleasant and enjoyable
performance with an attractive bounce, it has the flavor of taking a stroll
in the park.  I think the music demands greater gravity.

Alain's on level 3 with a dark and well paced performance which excellently
conveys the full breadth of emotions.  My only reservation is that the
sound is bass heavy and somewhat pervasive.  Robert Hill delivers a fine
and idiomatic performance; it is on the quick side and Hill misses the
depth of the best versions.  The ALSQ provides a lovely performance on
recorders, but there's a weight to the music that's lacking.  A lack of
sufficient austerity is all that holds back the Savall(all brass),
Alessandrini(strings & harpsichord), Fagius and Phantasm(consort style).

Although there are not any magical performances, there are eight
outstanding ones: Gould on piano, Gilbert, Leonhardt, Moroney, MacGregor,
Koroliov, Nikolayeva, and the Keller Quartett.  What they all have in
common is that they convey intensely the full range of moods, display a
fine projection of twelve entries and answers, provide excellent weight and
depth, *and* each performance is flat-out gorgeous.  Gould is aristocratic,
Leonhardt is slow and inevitable with great build-ups of emotion, Moroney
is very urgent, MacGregor is dream-like but serious, Koroliov is
exquisitely graceful, Nikolayeva is incisive, and the Keller Quartett is
haunting.

At this point, I'm moving on to Contrapunctus III which is the inverse of
Contrapunctus I and probably my favorite movement of the Art of Fugue.  I
feel it has everything that Contrapunctus I possesses plus a great demonic
quality as well as being uplifting in nature; the contrast between the
demonic and uplifting qualities is stunning.  As with Contrapunctus I, III
has twelve entries of the subject and twelve answers; however, here the
answer comes first.  A chromatic and masterful countersubject enhances the
wealth of material.

Gould's recording only has an organ version, and it doesn't even rise to
the quality of his organ performance of Contrapunctus I.  It is too fast
and much too light; demonic activities are minimal.  The performance of
Alessandrini et al employs an oboe d'amore, bassoon, violin, and viola.
I don't care much for this combination of instruments for this particular
fugue; it lends itself to excessive lightness and the demonic qualities
become almost happy and playful.  This definitely is not my idea of how to
play such intense music.  The recorder performance from the ALSQ is also
insufficiently heavy to convey the depth of the music, and the recorders
sound piercing at times.  So these three versions represent Bach "Lite";
you might respond better to this approach than I do.

Robert Hill's reading is highly effective, but his phrasing occasionally
does not appeal to me.  Phantasm provides a lovely performance, but a
comparison with Savall (also all viols) shows the relative lack of weight
in their sound.  Fagius also has a lack of weight, although I enjoy his
version.

That leaves eleven excellent or better versions of Contrapunctus III.
The Keller Quartett gives another haunting performance, but I prefer the
more demonstrative reading from Savall.  Leonhardt is very demonstrative,
although Moroney and Gilbert provide more uplifiting interpretations.
Nikolayeva's reading is highly enjoyable, but she could have supplied
greater emotional depth.  MacGregor provides one of the most uplifting
performances; the dark side is slightly underemphasized as Aldwell's
superbly dark reading clearly shows.

Seven versions are outstanding.  Alain and Koito fully deliver from the
organ; Alain is very slow with great emotional depth; there are times when
it seems as if the bowels of the underworld are opening wide.  Koito uses
a more moderate tempo to display a very wide range of emotions highlighted
by the "all Hell breaks loose" sensation.  Savall's Consort reading is a
great one - deep with all the weight I could ask for.  Gilbert and Moroney
give superb harpsichord interpretations highlighting the darkness in the
music as well as the optimism.  Initially I was a little put off by
Aldwell's slow-downs of tempo, but continued listening entirely won me
over.  Now I had mentioned that Aldwell was quite fast in Contrapunctus I,
and his much slower tempo in Contrapunctus III could be seen as a favorable
contrast with its inversion.  That might hold except for my opinion that
Aldwell's strengths in Bach involve slower than average tempos, a
relatively seamless flow, and a dream-like atmosphere.  I just don't
consider Aldwell the type who can well pull off this contrast.  Speaking of
dream-like peformances, Koroliov starts off in Contrapunctus III with an
irresistable dreamy reading; as he progresses he gains weight and strength,
providing a great contrast with the first half of his interpretation; the
build-up is stunning.

Contrapunctus II is another simple fugue with twelve entries and answers.
However, unlike the introspective nature of Contrapunctus I and III, this
fugue has a dotted rhythm in the countersubject which gives the music a
ceremonial aura similar to a French Overture.  The Alain liner notes refer
to this fugue as "festive"; personally, I'm hesitant to confer that
adjective since the music is, in my opinion, hardly of a highly positive
nature.  But it is ceremonial and heroic.  Stretti and syncopation are also
prevalent.

Contrapunctus II has a "galloping" pace.  This raises in my mind two
questions - where are we galloping towards, and what is the motivation?
Of course, that's for each listener to decide (or not).

The ALSQ recorders sound piercing and frankly silly at high volume.  At
significantly lower volume, the piercing sound disappears.  However, the
atmosphere is so light, sort of a frolicking gallop. Other listeners might
like it, but I find this type of reading somewhat frivolous and not very
enjoyable.  Performance standards are high, but the interpretation and
instrumentation, imho, makes this version non-competitive.  Jordi Savall
and Hesperion XX are a good antidote to the ALSQ  - serious and slow (more
on them later).

Joanna MacGregor is very fast at a little over 2 minutes.  She engages in
a number of "cute" mannerisms not to my liking which I feel detract from
the seriousness of the music.  As with the ALSQ, frolicking becomes the
overiding activity.  Just listen to the Koroliov performance, and you'll
notice a large difference in conception.  The Keller Quartett is also very
quick and sometimes sounds awkwardly played and a bit romantic instead of
haunting; my prevailing opinion is that the group handles the fast tempo
poorly; they could take a lesson from Gould's fast tempo performance on
piano.

The next level up is Phantasm (viols) which uses a less hectic tempo than
the Keller Quartett; that's their basic advantage.

Robert Hill is again very good, just missing that last ounce of emotion;
also, his gallop is rather choppy.  Kei Koito gives a very powerful and
intense performance which is slightly unmusical at times.  That might well
have been intentional on Koito's part as an element of her conception of
the movement.  Regardless, I think it precludes her version from being
excellent; it has a dishelveled quality.  That also tends to apply to
Marie-Claire Alain's reading as well.  I do want to point out that both
Alain and Koito sound to me like they are conveying the "Gallop to Hell",
and that I feel there is a third version which is in that category and does
it significantly better and without losing any musicality (more on that
later).  Fagius delivers a fine account with less power but greater nuance
and lyricism than either Koito or Alain.

Before I hit the excellent performances, I should mention something about
the variety of mood in Contrapunctus II.  Basically, I feel that the
general mood of the music is dark and worse.  But there are a few passsages
where the light is trying to break in; you know them when you hear them,
since they represent such a stark opposition to the majority flavor of the
music and because Bach was a master at allowing a subtle but strong shade
of mood enhancement in essentially dark music to enter the listener.  Well,
Contrapunctus II has some of the best uplifting passages he ever wrote.
Although I do place top priority on the darkness of this fugue, its
uplifting qualities are a very important element as well.  These are the
excellent readings:

Gustav Leonhardt is on the slow side and highly ceremonial and stately;
it's a riveting performance of inevitability.  The gallop becomes more of
a swagger, and the uplifting passages are well delivered.

Edward Aldwell uses an average tempo and brings more of the uplifting
nature of the music to the forefront than any of the other versions.  The
performance is softer and gentler than most, and it conveys to me the
journey toward enlightenment.

Jordi Savall and Hesperion XX give a very haunting performance using
a consort approach.  They are much slower than the Keller Quartett and
Phantasm.  Their journey to the ultimate in melancholy is infectious, and
the uplifting moments present a very sharp contrast to the general mood of
the performance.

I had mentioned earlier that there is a version with a "Galloping to Hell"
theme which is excellent; Kenneth Gilbert is going to war.  His reading
is relentless and intense.  He gallops quickly into the fires of Hell to
battle the protectors of the underworld; nothing will dissuade him from
accomplishing his mission to eradicate all traces of evil and venom.
Gilbert's pacing and gallop are probably the best I've heard.  He keeps
coming at the listener non-stop and without mercy.  The uplifting passages
are still there and very effective, although their priority is low.  My
only reservation about the performance is that the level of nuance is very
low.

Rinaldo Alessandrini and his Concerto Italiano are fast and galloping
toward a state of multiple personalities.  Why head in that direction?
There's safety in numbers.  The counterpoint is stunning, music is going
off in all directions but always makes connections at the right moments.
Instrumentation consists of strings, bassoon, and harpsichord; they meld
together beautifully.

Evgeni Koroliov is racing toward the scene of an impending murder which
he dreamed of the previous night, his own.  Fortunately, arrival at his
destination reveals that he is not dead.  Relief is very strong.  However,
he has the same dream the next night and every one thereafter.  Koroliov
goes from darkness to light to continual emotional panic - a very effective
reading that will actually have you smiling toward the mid-point of the
performance.

In discussing the ALSQ peformance, I intimated that Gould's piano
performance was an excellent example of how to keep everything in place
and moving forward.  The man is a technical and artistic marvel in
Contrapunctus II.  His pacing and accenting are terrific; this is the most
exciting of the 18 versions; I dare anyone to stay still while listening.
Gould is galloping at lightning speed to the corporate takeover of another
conglomerate; it will net him additional billions of dollars, and he's
having the time of his life.  He exerts power over all, he intimidates
everyone, and he can not be cornered.  It's a tough world out there.

As good as the above excellent versions are, the following three
performances stand above them: Gould on organ, Nikolayeva, and Moroney.
Each of them is thoroughly mesmerizing.  Gould's pacing and bounce could
give a listener the feeling of a light performance, but the bass line has
so much impact that a sinister sensation enters the mix.  The uplifiting
passages come through so clearly and with a rising of happiness which is
something to behold.  But it's the bass line and bounce which lifts Gould's
reading to majestic heights.  With Moroney, I have the feeling that his
harpsichord is talking to me, and I can't open my mouth to answer.  His
reading is so authoritative and commanding with the best pacing I've ever
heard.

Nikolayeva is ever so slow as she trudges through the snow packed landscape
with determined steps.  Every inch traversed is analyzed as her head and
eyes focus downward to avert the icy sleet hitting her body.  She has no
real gallop; the environment won't allow it, but the trudging is continuous
and strong.  She rests, knowing that rest could be the end of her, and
she's starting to have visions of better days when she could count on
having a tomorrow.  But today is all she has.  She gets up and continues
her journey, but her steps keep getting slower and shorter.  Finally, there
is no movement; her body sinks into the wet ground, and her spirit finds
its way to those better days.

Contrapunctus IV is the inverse of Contrapunctus II.  The soprano voice
starts things off with the inverted subject.  Exuberant extended passages
follow, and they need to be projected strongly but also display some fine
nuances.  Timings range from a little over 2 minutes to a maximum of over
seven minutes.  This huge tempo differential can greatly change the impact
of the music.

The lowest level is reserved for those performances which make this
fugue uninteresting.  I wouldn't think that would be easy to accomplish,
but perhaps I'm wrong.  Alain sucks out all interest with a curiously
uninvolved reading which is as light as it is uneventful.  Koito takes over
five minutes to tell me nothing; for this slow tempo to work at all, the
counterpoint must be strongly detailed and entries well differentiated
from one another.  Since Koito doesn't succeed with these basics, her
performance just goes on and on.  Listen to the equally slow version by
Phantasm and hear how capturing the basics gives life to the music.

MacGregor is alone on the second level.  Her reading is on the fast side,
and that might reduce some of the music's depth.  However, she has a larger
problem - she plays too softly much of the time with quite a reduction in
exuberance.  Fast and quiet, in my view, does not get much out of this
music.  MacGregor does pick up steam eventually, but it's too late by then.
By comparison, Koroliov is even faster but shows that strong projection
makes a major difference.

Before moving on to the better versions, I need to point out that Gilbert
is a no-show for Contrapunctus IV.  The liner notes state that the early
manuscript score indicates a total of *three* simple fugues.  Based on
rules I set up, it's a no harm - no foul situation, although I do find it
odd to provide Contrapunctus II but not its inversion.

Hans Fagius is on the third level.  His is an heroic and somewhat
relentless reading lacking a little in nuance; Moroney, by comparison, is
just as relentless but captures all the nuances.  Gould, on organ, gives a
fine performance which I find slightly lacking in intensity.

There are five excellent versions.  Savall's brass performance of heroic
proportions is one of them; it's a slow reading of almost six minutes.  The
ALSQ also gives a great performance of haunting impact.  The same applies
to the Keller Quartett's fast and exciting interpretation.  Aldwell is very
rewarding with a smooth performance of depth and beauty.  Koroliov gives a
Gould-like performance of speed and pin-point accuracy; it's very
impressive and maintains fine musicality and variety of expression.

These are the outstanding performances:

Leonhardt's the seven minute man.  That he can pull this off at all is
fine achievement, but he does much more than that.  The stature, depth,
tenderness, joy, strong projection, and x-ray examination of every note
makes the seven minutes go so quickly.  This is magical music-making, must
be heard, and is the best version reviewed along with two others.

Gould, on piano, is not as fast as Koroliov, but he's in that ballpark.
What lifts Gould to a higher level is the bounce, pacing, and much greater
variety of expression than Koroliov provides.  This is Gould at his "fast
speed" best.  Phantasm takes the great potential for a consort reading
to deliver a poignant and haunting performance and fully realizes it.
Nikolayeva is very incisive; she softens her tone often, but that only
inceases the intimacy of the reading; she never sounds as if she's going
away.  Hill's interpretation is an outstanding one, so full of hope and
tenderness.

The second magical performance comes from Gilbert.  As good as Hill is,
Gilbert delivers that much more incisiveness with a darker reading that
still gives full weight to the hope/joy in the music.  The tempo is
moderate and that might be preferred by most listeners to Leonhardt's
very slow account.

Alessandrini and his Concerto Italiano give the third magical performance
of Contrapunctus IV.  It is easily the most varied and detailed.  Flute,
oboe d'amore, bassoon, and cello are the intstruments used and each one can
be followed with precision as a solo agent and as a piece of the whole.
The setting is intimate and joyful in a subtle manner; this is the most
uplifting version of the eighteen.

Updates:

I like Moroney's harpsichord versions best in the simple fugues.  He
is thoroughly idiomatic, and I find myself entirely at one with his
intrepretive decisions.  He displays great depth, invention, pacing, and
a near perfect blend of austerity and joy/optimism.

Excellent performances are from Gilbert, Gould on piano, Koroliov,
Nikolyaeva, and Leonhardt.  Not far behind are Aldwell, Alessandrini,
and Savall.

I have Fagius and the ALSQ toward the bottom of the group.  Neither is
doing badly, but they have problems.  Fagius never rises to the top; he
plays well, is enjoyable, and simply does not distinguish himself.  With
the ALSQ, the problem might be more me than the group.  I'm finding them
somewhat light and without sufficient variety; the varied and delicious
instrumentation of a group like Concerto Italiano is more to my liking.

Don Satz
[log in to unmask]