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 Very good but warrants comparison with other string quartet versions Feb 03, 2009
I have to say I really enjoyed this performance of the Art of Fugue. Tempi are typically fairly slow, and each theme is slightly romanticized, while accents are heavily underscored. Compared to the much more idiomatic reading of the Emerson quartet (which features relatively little to no vibrato), this is a nice change of pace although I would not be without either performance as they each have different strengths and weaknesses. The last fugue is left unfinished here, as is the Emerson's reading; the Delme quartet's version, which is of similar interpretive style to this set (i.e. plenty of vibrato), includes Tovey's completion of the final quadruple fugue. This recording is split on 2 CDs and has a runtime of ~90 minutes, compared to the Emerson/Delme recordings, which both fit on one CD and are in the ~75-80 minute range.
One very interesting thing the Juilliard does is use a custom-made viola of larger size, which allows this mid-range voice to play the notes as written by Bach, rather than transposing the voice up an octave when out of the range of the standard instrument as many other quartets will do. It's a more honest and sensible solution to the problem of playing the work in this format. In contrast, the Delme's approach is to transpose the work to G Minor so that the viola's limitations are neutralized, while the Emersons just use the aforementioned technique of moving the voice up an octave when needed. I prefer the approach of the Juilliard recording to the other two.
Overall a very nice, romantic performance of the work, but I would not recommend it as a be-all-end-all recording. I would recommend listening to the Emerson quartet recording as well for a more historically informed approach, and also the Delme version if you want to hear the final fugue completed.
For those unfamiliar with the work, this work represents the magnum opus of Bach - an essay on the endless possible permutations of one simple musical phrase through the use of counterpoint. It was not scored for any specific instruments, and as such it has been transcribed for all sorts of ensembles. The final fugue, number 21, the longest fugue Bach wrote - which was left unfinished as Bach died prior to its completion - was meant to be a quadruple fugue, i.e. 4 different themes woven together in fugal form, the 3rd theme of which was B-A-C-H (B-flat - A - C - B-natural in German notation), and the 4th which was to be the original theme. You can hear the 3rd theme entering as the fugue trails off in this recording. Recent musicology suggests also that this 21st fugue was not to be the final fugue, and that Bach in fact originally planned for 24 fugues but revised his plans as his health failed. Ah, what might have been.
To the novice - give this recording a listen. If your mind is of a certain bent you will be transfixed and in awe of this composition for the rest of your life. This is a piece of eternity carved from the ether and left for us to ponder and re-examine for all time. The Juilliard do it justice, but get more than one recording as each different one illuminates different details!
For the experienced listener - this is a fine rendition of the work in this format, and the Juilliard's solemn sense of probing reveal new insights, particularly in the final fugue.
Recommended.
2 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Excellent performance Feb 21, 2006
This is an excellent performance. My daughter thought it was neat. My son said it was OK. My wife liked it. Guests liked it too. Put that upside down or right side up, either way you go, we all agree it is an excellent performance. We will listen to it again and again. It is excellent in the mountains. It is neat in the marsh. It is OK by the lake....
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Intelligent relaxation Nov 03, 2005
There are so many performances of Art of the Fugue, highlighting different aspects of this profound music. My music dealer once told me that the Juillard Quartet was "playing with muscles" - he had probably not heard the performance. The reviewer below hits the mark by the characterization "spare and dry". It could seem boring, but the fact is that I prefer this version when I want some intelligent relaxation. This doesn't exclude it from being a lively performance, for some of the movements; it is more the uniform quartet sound for this kind of music that makes the overall mood of it so peaceful. Other times I prefer the elegant performance by Ristenpart or the engaging, emotional account by Munchinger (both orchestral). The colourful one by Savall is also very good, appealing very much to fantasy. This one with Juillard was my first Art of the Fuge and is still unmissable.
8 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Wow Jan 18, 2005
Bach's music presents the epitome of the craft of fugue-writing. Fugal forms permeate every part of Bach's writing -- from the most lyrical of the French Suites to the Brandenburg Concertos, to the Musical Offering and the Goldberg Variations, not to mention the Well-Tempered Clavier and the organ fugues. In many ways, all of Bach's work is an "art of fugue." But here we have Bach's genius distilled to its essence. No flowery melodies, no lyricism -- just the pure interaction of interlocking melodies; often dissonant, often disquieting, always incredible. While the Art of Fugue can be played on any arrangement of instruments (several very nice harpsichord and piano versions exist), the quartet arrangement of these pieces allows one to most clearly discern the various voices in these extraordinary fugues (and canons). The Juilliard Quartet provides remarkable performance of this landmark piece. Their style is spare and dry (though not as spare and dry as Emerson SQ's more recent recording). But real beauty bubbles up throughout these learned performances. The final fugue, which although unfinished is among Bach's longest, and which features the theme of Bach's name (Bb, A, C, and B), is played brilliantly and will be savored over again and again. If you have one recording of the Art of Fugue, this should be it.
8 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Juilliard Illuminates Bach's Art of Fugue Dec 13, 2000
In this amazing recording of Bach's Art of Fugue, the Juilliard String Quartet truly defines itself as one of the 20th Century's leading string quartets. While the Fugues were not originally composed for string quartet, the Juilliardians make it sound as though it couldn't be performed any other way! From start to finish, this is a must for every Bach-lover's AND string-quartet-lover's library!
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