 | | |
| Bach: The Art of Fugue; Musical Offering | 
 enlarge | Creators: Johann Sebastian Bach, Karl Munchinger, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester
Label: Decca
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $13.22
You Save: $4.76 (26%)
Buy New/Used from $10.60
Avg. Customer Rating:  (15 reviews)
Sales Rank: 25592
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 467267
UPC: 028946726723
EAN: 0028946726723
ASIN: B000050GK0
Release Date: March 13, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
Magisterial and Ethereal November 28, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
As a college student, this 2-cd set has proven itself to be one of the most versatile and beautiful tools with which I can create an atmosphere amenable to studtying and doing homework. But it is not merely a background music; to be fully appreciated, it needs to be listened to while gently resting one's eyes (take care not to fall asleep -- a precaution against such is to have the music up rather high, although not painfully so).
I've listened to the whole set at least once a week since I've come to Stony Brook; its staying power, its ability to never seem to get trite or "used to" is so powerful that it really inspires. Only God (or the Divine Impetus, or whatever one wants to term the higher order), working through Bach, could have produced such an entrancing set of music.
Because of reviews August 6, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I bought this version because of the other reviews and I think it was a wise choice! The tempo's are perfect and the music is inspirational!
The Crown of Western Music November 28, 2005
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
This recording of The Art of Fugue is my all-around favorite.
The premier piece of the set is the final (unfinished) fugue. I place this as the crown of all western music. Three parts of the fugue, out of a theorized four, were completed - but he didn't live to finish it. Some feel that he let it end there on purpose, for some reason. Just before he died, instead of finishing the final fugue, he composed a chorale. If the final fugue represents a journey into the after-life, then this chorale could be thought of as music from the other side, and as the only piece worthy of being played after the final fugue. That chorale is sometimes called "Vor Deinen Thron Tret Ich Hiermit", and is also known as "Wenn wir in Hochsten Noten Sein".
The Art of Fugue was written without scoring - no particular instruments were assigned - so one can find recordings done on the piano (Charles Rosen), harpsichord (Gustav Leonhardt - on vinyl only, I think), chamber orchestra, string orchestra, brass ensemble, organ, etc. My favorite recording of the final fugue is by Arthur Winograd (MGM) on vinyl, but that recording is very scarce.
Other decent recordings that I've heard so far on CD:
The Emerson String Quartet; Deutsche Grammophon B0000908-02 - their versions of the early fugues are quite good.
The Canadian Brass; Sony Essential Classics SBK 89731.
The Keller Quartet (ECM 1652) - some parts work well, others not as well.
Neville Marriner (Phillips 442-556-2) - a bit bland, but good.
Lukas Foss and the Sheffield Ensemble - Quite lively, but very unusual in its orchestration and in its freedom with the notes. Three or four of the pieces are as good as any version I've heard.
-------
One day, quite a while ago, I was walking through the quad of a university and heard one of the fugues being played inside a classroom. I looked in through the window and saw a room full of accordions playing it! True story!
The best November 20, 2005
29 out of 29 found this review helpful
Of the five CDs of J.S. Bach's The Art Of The Fugue recently acquired, The Stuttgarter Kammerorchester version is by far the most outstanding. The performance is precise. The two disks are awesome listened to in one sitting. Actually, over and over.
Of the other four sampled, Neville Marriner's version (ASIN B0000041A6) is the weakest. It is good, but lacks the precision and spark of Karl Munchinger's direction. I tend to find Marriner's direction "creamy"; perfect for a piece like Beethoven's Eroica symphony, but not right for this Bach. Also, the mixture of different instruments from piece to piece breaks up the continuity.
The Canadian Brass version (ASIN B0000026NK) is excellent but is difficult to listen to in one sitting unless you love brass. If you want a masterfully conceived and executed version of The Art Of Fugue for your collection or if you really enjoy listening to an hour straight of nothing but brass, this is the CD for you.
The Hans Fagius all organ version (ASIN B00004YYRV) is also excellent, but I personally tend to find the all organ program a bit hard to take in one sitting. Of course, this far more likely historically accurate to Bach's time than the all brass version.
Other reviewers have extolled the Emerson Quartet version of the Fugues (ASIN B00008O8B3). It's really good, but not as good as this one. It's not as precise and rigid. I like the crisp, controlled almost machine produced sound of the Munchinger version.
The Karl Munchinger version is the best for both an introduction to Bach's late Fugues (and other pieces) and for a sublime listening experience. This is one of the best "classical" CDs I have ever heard.
Emotional & elegant June 16, 2005
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
My first choice, but I am not going to have only one version of this music. Muenchinger's direction gives some of the courtly elegance of traditional Bach-interpretations; oddly enough this courtly elegance is mostly missing on so-called historically informed versions. But the most striking aspect is that this Art of the Fugue & Musical Offering are so emotional, they go straight to my heart. The two productions are wonderful in spite of being from the 60ies and the 70ies, with a clear rendering of the counterpoint. The fact that you also get The Musical Offering makes this a real bargain. Don't hesitate; this classic is not going to be in sale forever.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| | |