Bach: The Art Of Fugue / Andrew Rangell

Notes and Editorial Reviews

This brand-new recording on the Steinway & Sons label features Andrew Rangell, one of the truly distinguished Bach interpreters of the present day. The Steinway label is quickly establishing a reputation for perfectly capturing the sound of their instruments, the finest in the world, in these exceptional audiophile recordings.

"In the last decade of his life, alone with his genius, Bach joyfully and purposefully immersed himself in the culmination of a life’s work – intending to place his own indelible stamp on the vanishing art of pure counterpoint. What we hear in the work’s slow and deliberate unfolding is the miracle of a vast and moving meditation - a farewell testament for the ages." – Andrew Rangell Read more />
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"[Andrew Rangell’s] free-spirited Bach is distinguished by its powerful drive and intensity and a remarkable articulation that illuminates contrapuntal intricacies with microscopic clarity...His playing captures every mood in the psychological spectrum.“ – New York Times

“He brings us precipitously close to the act of creation; the music seems to be evolving as he plays." – The Washington Post

"I can hardly get enough of listening to this recording. It hypnotizes me. It takes me to a good and comforting place. Each successive listening reveals a seemingly, heretofore unnoticed beauty and profound polyphonic mystery. I realize how excessive this sounds, but this is how Andrew Rangell’s playing of J. S. Bach affects me...The miracle of this composition...is that it is an enormously moving poetic meditation, and it is this “Poetry” I feel, which Andrew Rangell evokes and reveals to us like no other previous interpreter. "
– Micaele Sparacino, ConcertoNet.com

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Andrew Rangell seems to be just the sort of person you would like to talk to over a pot of tea and some delicious cakes. His multifaceted career has included recordings of many of Bach’s works as well as DVDs for children, which apparently call on “his special talents as author, illustrator, narrator, and pianist” (CD liner notes). The notes on The Art of Fugue are written by the performer and provide a very accessible and comprehensive introduction to this daunting work. The playing has a similar effect to that of the CD booklet - Rangell manages to make the movements accessible through his playing. These contrapuntal masterpieces each have their own identity and the performer’s decisions about these identities and how to communicate to the audience is truly engaging. Contrapunctus 4 stands out; the particularly busy section, where the rhythms and voices start to become more entangled, is projected clearly as well as harbouring energy and drive.

Movement 14, the first of four two-part canons, is somewhat magical. Until this point, the fugues have been building in complexity, both technically and in the devices used in their composition. Suddenly the texture is palpably different and this moment is often what distinguishes the great players from the good. Rangell handles this moment well, it is clear that he has an over-arching concept of the whole work whilst being able to focus on the details.

The climax of the work, the unfinished triple fugue, stops the heart like nothing else can. The entry of the last subject which is based on Bach’s name (B flat A C B natural in the German notation system), is treated delicately by Rangell and how else to leave this work but in silence?

The recording of this movement which is most arresting has Glenn Gould humming along with his playing. Whilst Gould will always be the man to beat on a piano for this work, this recording is more matter of fact and communicates more plainly than Gould, where one is often left thinking that Gould understands something that no-one else ever will. Rangell’s broad experience and scholarship lead to a cohesive yet detailed performance of one of the most inspiring pieces ever written.

-- Hannah Parry-Ridout, MusicWeb International
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Works on This Recording

1. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 by Johann Sebastian Bach

Performer: Andrew Rangell (Piano)
Period: Baroque
Written: circa 1745-1750; Leipzig, Germany
Date of Recording: 12/19-21/2011
Venue: Shalin Liu Performance Ctr, Rockport, MA

Featured Sound Samples

The Art of Fugue: Contrapunctus 1

Contrapunctus 4

Canon alla ottava

Contrapunctus 14

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review:

( 6 Customer Reviews )

Beautiful Recording December 25, 2012 By Jay S. (Pepper Pike, OH) See All My Reviews "Wonderful recording of Bach's last, great work. In general, I like most of the Steinway recordings for the pure piano sound. I'm about to order the new Lin recording. I am still 'digesting' the wonderful, deep music on this CD so this review is really about the audiophile aspect." Report Abuse

A statement of Bach's legacy November 26, 2012 By James Kendall (Kentfield, CA) See All My Reviews "I never thought that I could understand Bach. Immediately after reading the important well-researched book, The True Life of J.S. Bach, by Klaus Eidam; I celebrated having persevered the entire - well-written - tome by ordering this disc. Not that I can now regard myself as understanding Bach; with genius you can but observe, and hope to glean what you might. The Art Of Fugue was composed by Bach as an exposition of his technique and inventions, left for students of music to peruse. If Mozart is said to raise one's intelligence - I could use a dab of that... - then I assert to listen to Bach might well elevate the Spirit. This particular disc is performed by a deep lover of J.S. Bach, and it would be wise to trust his insights. Nor do you need be a musicologist to savor the end-of-life statement of this timeless master." Report Abuse

Wonderful October 31, 2012 By Kathy R. (Zachary, LA) See All My Reviews "This recording is truly beautiful. The clear voicings in the counterpoint really come alive. The touch and expression of the pianist, as well as the beauty of the tone of the instrument, truly come across!" Report Abuse

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Bach: The Art Of Fugue / Andrew Rangell

Notes and Editorial Reviews

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