The Art Of The Harpsichord - Landowska

 

Fantasia In C Minor

The Art Of The Harpsichord

Wanda Landowska

Photo: David Zingg

RCA Victor LM-2194

1958

From the back cover: SIDE 1 –  J. S. Bach Partita No. 2, in C Minor (Schmieder 826)

Sinfonia Allemande Courante - Sarabande - Rondeau - Capriccio

The Suites by Bach known as the French Suites were so called because of the supposed finesse of French écriture. And yet, the English Suites are more French than the French ones, and the Partitas which have been claimed as the German Suites, are the most French of them all.

The Partita in C Minor is Bach's most eloquent homage to French music. It is not only a homage to the music, but to the tradition and style of French interpretation. "We write differently from what we play," says Couperin in his Art de toucher le Clavecin. Bach proves and demonstrates this postulate in this Partita.

The Sinfonia opens with an Overture à la Française, condensed into seven measures. A recit follows, gentle and expressive, which evokes an oboe d'amore, and the Sinfonia ends with a powerful fugue in two voices.

The Allemande, the Courante and the Sarabande bring us close to Couperin. In the Rondeau and Capriccio, Bach amuses himself royally with jumps from one hand to the other. One feels he is in high spirit, and the outburst even increases in the Capriccio.

Bach himself published the six Partitas, one by one. The second, in C minor, first appeared in 1727.

SIDE 2

Band 1-J. S. Bach Capriccio on the Depar- ture of His Beloved Brother (Schmieder 992)

Arioso - Andante - Adagissimo - Aria di Postiglione— Fuga all' imitazione della cornetta di Postiglione

This piece, originally called Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello diletissimo, was composed by Bach-then nineteen years old-at Arnstadt, in honor of his older brother, Johann-Jakob, who enlisted in 1704 as oboist in the army band of the Swedish King, Charles XII.

In the Arioso, tender and graceful, his friends try, with cajoleries, to persuade him to abandon the voyage.

The Andante-fugato which follows is a polyphonic de- scription of the various misfortunes which could happen to him en route.

The Adagissimo is a general lament of his friends. The descending chromatic bass, so dear to Bach and his prede- cessors, reminds us of the B Minor Mass.

But Johann-Jakob is adamant and his friends wish him farewell. Then comes the Aria di Postiglione followed by a spirited fugue, on the imitation of the postillion's horn, which overflows with gaiety.

Bach composed the Capriccio which is almost unique in his work-under the influence of Kuhnau whose de- scriptive Biblical Stories, in sonata form, were composed four years before.

Band 2-J. K. F. Fischer Passacaglia in D Minor

Johann Kasper Ferdinand Fischer, also famous as organist and harpsichordist, was one of the first-as well as Georg

Muffat-to introduce into Germany the French ornaments.

The Passacaglia, Fischer's most beautiful piece, belongs to his Musikalisches Blumen Büchlein. It begins in the low register of the harpsichord whose gravity is intensified by the somber tonality of D minor. Restrained at first, the passion grows, rises and blazes out in a theme whose re- semblance to that of Bach's Chaconne for unaccompanied violin-also in D minor-strikes us. Let us not be surprised. Bach not only knew the works of Fischer, but also used his themes in certain fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier.

Band 3-J.

J. S. Bach Fantasia in C Minor (Schmieder 906)

The autograph of this Fantasia is in Dresden. It would be important for every interpreter to know it because it reveals the method of executing certain ornaments which Bach-instead of indicating them by signs-wrote out in notes. This case is rare in Bach's works and an eloquent lesson.

The Fantasia can be played on the modern piano, but the passages for crossed hands obviously call for the two keyboards of the harpsichord.

The character of this Fantasia is stormy. The two voices run, sometimes in contrary motion, sometimes together, sometimes they clash and interweave-magnificent effects intended for the two keyboards.