Musical Offering

[Jim Morrison <jim_morrison@sprynet.com>]

Since we're on the subject of books about Bach, I thought I'd ask what you
people think of Hans David's book on the Musical Offering.  I just bought a
used copy and it looks fairly exhaustive and clearly goes into more musical
detail than I novice like me can understand.  The book, from what I can
tell, is now out-of-print.

I think the Six part ricercar from the MO  is one of the great Bach peices
not played by Gould.  Rosen does an excellant job on the piano, and my
favorite string version is a recording perhaps many have never heard of:
Rodulf Baumgartner leading the Lucerne Festival Strings.  I have no idea who
they are either.  I just know they do a wonderful job of capturing the
rising tension of the work in a a very full-sounding recording .  It's on a
DG compilation that I bought years ago, which also contains Mozart's string
transcription of BWV 878, Fugue in E Major from WTC II, K. 405, No. 3.


Not that I have many books on Bach, but the best that I do own, is the
Oxford Composer Companion on him.  A bit pricey, but there's a wealth of
information in there.

Bye,


Jim