The C-sharp minor Fugue is another wonderfully syncopated affair with jarring half-turns and unexpected phrasing. From the dazzling C-sharp major Prelude to the lush F minor Fugue, Book II is replete with gorgeous moments. Where the piano seems an expansive medium, the harpsichord is a supremely tactile one that arrests us with its plucked immediacy, and the relay from one to the other gives us the luxury of both worlds, as it were. Book II, however, offers more in the way of the grinding syncopations and dance-like diversions more often associated with the instrument for which it was written. On the surface Book I is more elegiac and perhaps therefore amenable to a pianistic performance. Jarrett’s choice to do so may seem arbitrary, but I like to think it was more deeply thought out. > Tamia/Pierre Favre: de la nuit … le jour ( ECM 1364 NS)ĭas Wohltemperierte Klavier, Buch II (ECM New Series 1433/34)īook II ushers in an entirely different sound when the piano is abandoned for harpsichord. Jarrett takes time with his trills, and while some might disagree with his pedal choices, for the most part they add a welcome splash of color. The sound quality is accordingly muted, the piano recorded as if it were a harpsichord. Throughout Book I, Jarrett revels in his love for rhythm and a relatively bare aesthetic. Other gems in the latter vein include the C-sharp major Prelude, to which Jarrett brings a flowing pace that is fast enough to excite while also allowing the notes to breathe the languid C-sharp minor Fugue the sensitively handled E-flat major Fugue the E-flat minor Prelude with its dexterous simplicity and emotive ritard and the intimate A-flat major Fugue. But he shows an equal aptitude for those quieter moments, able to switch from sprightly (Prelude and Fugue in F major) to ponderous (Prelude and Fugue in F minor) in one fell swoop. Jarrett excels in the faster movements, of which notable examples are the G major and B-flat major Preludes, as well as the Fugue in E minor. Jarrett plays these with a strong sense of forward motion that sets the tone for a beautifully articulated journey through every major and minor key of the chromatic scale. Quite simply, this is a singular talent playing music by a singular composer.ĭas Wohltemperierte Klavier, Buch I (ECM New Series 1362/63)īook I opens with one of the most significant musical utterances of the Bach catalogue: the Prelude and Fugue in C major (Gould’s recording of which was deployed into space on the Voyager Golden Record). Nevertheless, whatever novelty there is of “Jarrett playing Bach” wears off quickly, allowing the listener to focus on the music rather than dissect the performance thereof. Jarrett opts for a no-frills approach, though he has made a bold decision in recording the first book on piano and the second on harpsichord. Essentially a series of preludes and fugues written for keyboard students and enthusiasts, The Well-Tempered Clavier consists of generally short pieces, each its own microcosm of energy and ideas. For what it’s worth, Jarrett toes the line between restraint and levity, humbly approaching the music from below rather than attacking it from above. And while one cannot, of course, completely disavow a performer’s presence, this presence can be intrusive and overblown all the same. What Jarrett does seem interested in is taking his ego out of the equation as much as possible. Neither does he seem interested in laying to rest-despite critiquing others’ approaches, particularly Glenn Gould’s, in his liner notes-the ongoing debate of authenticity regarding the interpretation of Bach (and if you ask me, perhaps not even Bach ever played Bach “authentically,” tailoring as he did his keys and tempi to the occasion). That being said, I don’t think Jarrett is out to “prove” anything here. On these recordings of Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Jarrett proves himself to be a more than consummate classical performer. Keith Jarrett never ceases to astound me: not because of his chameleonic ability to shift between jazz and classical music, but by the sheer passion and commitment he brings to both.
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