# Bach: Art of Fugue Contrapunctus I



## esnault (Sep 11, 2021)

Bach receives the dexed synth treatment 

Main layer was performed live with bass and strings added afterwards.


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## Markus Kohlprath (Sep 11, 2021)

For me still one of the greatest pieces of music in human history and the one I turn to when I really need a time out of this world. Your treatment is interesting. Sounds like a cleaned organ basically. Strings I cannot recognize. Are there any? One wonder of Bachs music is that you can play it with whatever you want and it doesn't loose it's magic.
I am used to an old hungarian chamber string recording which I digitalized from a vinyl that was only available in hungary. I think you cannot get it anywhere today. Despite a poor quality by todays standard it's one of my all time favorites and probably my desert island recording.
If you are interested I can provide a link for you or anybody interested but I don't want to hijack your thread. It might be interesting to compare the organ like approach with the more expressive interpretation of a string ensemble.


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## esnault (Sep 11, 2021)

Thanks for replying. Yes I'd be fascinated to hear the chamber string version. The strings are there in my version but very low down in the mix (maybe -20 dB faders). Their initial entry coincides with the 16' bass and drop out again when the bass drops out. They are only there to fill in the cracks, as it were.

As for my own desert island recording it is Joanna McGregor's: 

It's the most musical I know and I don't think I could ever tire listening to it. The contrapunctus II after a sublime Contrapunctus I just takes my breath away


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## esnault (Sep 11, 2021)

Markus Kohlprath said:


> Sounds like a cleaned organ basically. Strings I cannot recognize. Are there any? One wonder of Bachs music is that you can play it with whatever you want and it doesn't loose it's magic.


Also, in case you missed it in the OP, all sounds are from the dexed synth which is a clone of the Yamaha DX7. So any strings you do detect will also be very, err, synth-y


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## Cyberic (Sep 11, 2021)

Another top performance following your recent Byrd interpretation. The Dexed VST is tremendous, fantastic that it’s free.


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## Markus Kohlprath (Sep 11, 2021)

esnault said:


> Thanks for replying. Yes I'd be fascinated to hear the chamber string version. The strings are there in my version but very low down in the mix (maybe -20 dB faders). Their initial entry coincides with the 16' bass and drop out again when the bass drops out. They are only there to fill in the cracks, as it were.
> 
> As for my own desert island recording it is Joanna McGregor's:
> 
> It's the most musical I know and I don't think I could ever tire listening to it. The contrapunctus II after a sublime Contrapunctus II just takes my breath away



This is unbelievable good I find. Thank you very much for showing it. Interesting how she swings in contrapunctus II. Almost triplets. I never heard a piano version of the piece I have to admit. Yes this is the kind of music one never gets tired of listening. I'll post the string version later.


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## Markus Kohlprath (Sep 11, 2021)

esnault said:


> Also, in case you missed it in the OP, all sounds are from the dexed synth which is a clone of the Yamaha DX7. So any strings you do detect will also be very, err, synth-y


Ah ok. Didn't know what dexed synth means. Your playing is spot on of course I forgot to say.


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## esnault (Sep 11, 2021)

Cyberic said:


> Another top performance following your recent Byrd interpretation. The Dexed VST is tremendous, fantastic that it’s free.


The only "issue" is that it is mono output (like the original DX7 I assume). I created a bit of width by panning the strings 50% left and right and, of course, the true stereo reverb helps somewhat too.

Also, post production in general is as minimal as possible in the sense that I press render on REAPER and conform to a suitable integrated loudness


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## Markus Kohlprath (Sep 12, 2021)

So here is the Hungarian Chamber String Orchestra I unfortunately don't know the name of in the moment with the complete "Kunst der Fuge" by Bach. It must have been recorded in the 60ies or seventies I suppose. It was laying around in my parents record collection. For more information I need to search the booklet of the vinyl which I don't have access to right now. It is mostly string orchestra. Some of the later pieces are with organ and it stops right in the middle of the last contrapunctus which is unfinished because of Bach passing away. This is somehow really touching like being a witness of Bachs last hours on earth. The first Contrapunctus you can listen to right here. The rest is in a zipped file on dropbox which you can access and download through this link: 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xooj45ngdz2rdk3/Die%20Kunst%20der%20Fuge%20mp3.zip?dl=0 (Die Kunst der Fuge (Chamber String Orchestra))
I digitalized this some years ago in a pretty amateurish way without having even heard about RX back then. So might not be the best possible sound but still something at least I enjoy to listen to. Hope you find it interesting.


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## esnault (Sep 12, 2021)

Markus Kohlprath said:


> So here is the Hungarian Chamber String Orchestra I unfortunately don't know the name of in the moment with the complete "Kunst der Fuge" by Bach. It must have been recorded in the 60ies or seventies I suppose. It was laying around in my parents record collection. For more information I need to search the booklet of the vinyl which I don't have access to right now. It is mostly string orchestra. Some of the later pieces are with organ and it stops right in the middle of the last contrapunctus which is unfinished because of Bach passing away. This is somehow really touching like being a witness of Bachs last hours on earth. The first Contrapunctus you can listen to right here. The rest is in a zipped file on dropbox which you can access and download through this link:
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/xooj45ngdz2rdk3/Die%20Kunst%20der%20Fuge%20mp3.zip?dl=0 (Die Kunst der Fuge (Chamber String Orchestra))
> I digitalized this some years ago in a pretty amateurish way without having even heard about RX back then. So might not be the best possible sound but still something at least I enjoy to listen to. Hope you find it interesting.


Many thanks. Downloading now...

Most if not all of the Art of Fugue recordings I own also stop somewhat abruptly at that point in the manuscript. Some chose to rearrange the order of movements so that the _Fuga a 3 Soggetti_ not the last thing you hear but for me it is my preferred way to hear the incomplete fugue at the end. I don't have much time for completion attempts that never sound like Bach. There are lots of very cool theories about the supposed missing pages, whether it was an intentional thing, or whether the final combined fugue of the theme and B-A-C-H was sketched but found to be lacking. It wouldn't be the first time Bach tried something and decided not to continue (the D minor oboe and harpsichord concerto BWV 1059 fragment for example which may have come up against some tricky transformations from BWV 35 organ obbligato to BWV 1059 oboe). I'm less inclined to think that Bach died while trying to complete it and it may have been a marketing thing. Just before he died, he had already lost his ability to write out his music due to declining general health and eyesight.


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## esnault (Sep 12, 2021)

I should also note that my recording is lower in pitch. It's more than a half-step and more like 3/4 of a step lower than A=440.


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## Markus Kohlprath (Sep 12, 2021)

esnault said:


> .I'm less inclined to think that Bach died while trying to complete it and it may have been a marketing thing. Just before he died, he had already lost his ability to write out his music due to declining general health and eyesight.


Probably true. Of course I didn't mean it literally in the sense of him dying with the pen in the hand. But I doubt that he decided not to continue the composition for other reasons than not being able to do it. Doesn't really matter after all. And I'm no expert on Bach biography anyway.


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## esnault (Sep 12, 2021)

No worries....It is all fascinating stuff. Art of Fugue along with Musical Offering are two of my favorite Bach compositions. A new acquaintance of mine has asked if I would tackle Contrapunctus IV so expect some more "dexed" Bach soon


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