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Re[2]: GG: Italian Concerto
These are valid points about the Italian Concerto but IMHO
it is still a fabulous Bachwork. It does not have the heavy
contrapunctal content of other late baroque works; instead
it is mostly two-part counterpoint with block chords thrown
in here and there. To me that gives it a distinctively
"keyboard" flavor as opposed to some of the other keyboard
works which are truly 2-, 3-, or 4-part in nature and
therefore readily adapt themselves to other instrumental or
vocal performances.
I suppose in a sense the IC is less complex than certain
other Bachworks but each movement is beautifully organized
and the middle movement is a wonderful example of elaborate
right hand ornamentation against a repeating left-hand
motif. I particularly like the deceptive cadence near the
end of the first movement where Bach adds a few extra bars
and then finishes on the same cadence an octave down (ending
on F major). I can't give you the bar number right now but
the motif that is repeated goes A-Bb-C-F-A-G-F-E-F in eighth
notes, and it is right before the final recap.
I really dig the Italian Concerto.
mark
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: GG: Italian Concerto
Author: "John P. Hill" <jphill@frank.mtsu.edu> at internet
Date: 3/5/97 10:47 AM
Re: Italian Concerto
Thanks to Rob for info. on composition date for the
piece; I'd thought it was earlier in Bach's output.
One might debate whether the Italian Concerto is a "showpiece",
but I think there is no question about it lacking the kind of
contrapuntal interest and intensity found in later works like the
ART OF FUGUE. I think one could make the case that it's
"compositional footprints" relate it more closely to the earlier,
keyboard-virtuoso type works that GG so often criticized.
As to Gould's statements being contradictory, I'm not so sure.
I think that often his *actions* were not consistent with his
philosophy. There are many examples: slamming Capitalism while
mastering the stock market, hating late period Mozart while recoding
all of the Sonatas, etc.
I don't see too much evidence of contradictory statements by Gould;
I do see changes in his performance style and choice of repertoire,
though. One reason I prefer his middle and late period
playing to his earlier work is that he seems to be "less out to make
a point" by playing things unbelievably fast or unbelievably slowly,
for example. Later, he also seemed less interested in "making an
individual statement" through his recordings. His early
work always sounds like a virtuoso pianist "pulling out all the stops"
to me, whereas his later work sounds like a great *musician* who
happens to be playing a piano (very well!).
I'm still at a loss at to why he revisited the Italian Concerto in
particular and I wonder if he discussed this with anyone at the time.
Incidentally, do we know for sure that he actually *did* re-record
this piece in the early 80s? Is anyone aware of plans to release
this newer version?
jh
On Wed, 5 Mar 1997, Rob Haskins wrote:
> On Wed, 5 Mar 1997, John P. Hill wrote:
>
> > The Italian Concerto is one of those flashy showpieces that Bach wrote
> > early on as a virtuoso keyboardist.
>
> The Italian Concerto was published around 1735. I don't think
> it's a very early work. It certainly has none of the "lapses"
> (if one can think of J. S. Bach as having "lapses"!)
> that I associate with early pieces like the D-major toccata.
>
> > Gould's criticism of it always
> > focused on it's lack of contrapuntal interest and the fact that it was
> > a showpiece for keyboard virtuosity (he hated these kinds of
> > quasi-competitive displays...).
>
> As always, Gould was being contradictory. I can't really see what
> is particularly show-offy about the Italian Concerto compared
> to the fourth and fifth partitas, both pieces Gould loved.
> It's true he hated the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue and the
> performance shows -- not so, I think, for his performances
> of the Italian Concerto.
>
> Rob Haskins
> Eastman School of Music
>