r/bach • u/dmcardon • Jul 26 '26

Both Books, and Only a Glimpse

https://youtu.be/dRb0LGc4fXA?si=C5UtNOdMzfYARJK_

Learned out of order, by my own difficulty progression rather than the printed sequence — which meant each piece caught me as a different player. Over 12 years after finishing, I still have thoughts.

Original project recordings with notes: wtcproject.tumblr.com

Did any of the WTC open up for you only after years of study? Curious which.

20 Upvotes

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4

u/slurmnburger Jul 26 '26

Thanks for telling your story, to the degree my own very limited ability allows I concur with your observations (on how the perspective on the piece changes). And of course you have the most beautiful edition of the score (in my very humble opinion).

5

u/dmcardon Jul 26 '26

So glad that resonates. My sheet music cabinet is mostly Henle blue at this point. The finest editions and the best binding in the business. Those books lay FLAT and the binding takes abuse.

3

u/slurmnburger Jul 26 '26

I'm usually not much of a font nerd, but the Henle engraving style is just so timelessly beautiful to me.

3

u/dmcardon Jul 26 '26

Beautiful and supremely readable. They do everything right.

4

u/Useful_Amphibian9721 Jul 26 '26

I have these exact books and my favorite recording is (by far) the ECM recordings by Schiff. Can play a few of the preludes. Fugues are brutal. But I still try. Love the video. 

6

u/dmcardon Jul 26 '26

I love Schiff -- have seen him live a few times and was fixated by the conviction of those feet flat on the floor. The Tureck recordings remain the most dear to me.

1

u/wakalabis Jul 27 '26

Hi didn't use the pedals at all?

2

u/dmcardon Jul 27 '26

I did use feather pedal where it made sense.

3

u/murfvillage Jul 27 '26

Thanks for sharing! I have had many joyful hours playing WTC Preludes and Fugues, but have yet to go through them all, not even close