Dale Carr | Fantasia in c BWV537 by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Dale Carr on 10 June, 1998 @dalecarr6361 | Uploaded March 2021 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Fantasia in c, BWV537, by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ in the Ludgerikirche in Norden on 10 June, 1998
This fantasia is a masterpiece of creative musical recycling.
The work is divided into 2 clearly articulated sections; the 1st presents 2 subjects and makes a cadence on the dominant, while the 2nd presents the same 2 subjects, moving from the dominant to the subdominant and back to the tonic.
The 1st subject is presented in 3-voiced imitation above a long-held pedal tone, c, before the pedal states the subject [1'07"], closing the 1st sub-section with a ½cadence {c-bb-ab-g} [1'25"]. The 3 upper layers of the imitation are ingeniously constructed so that they can be interchanged later, allowing re-use of the material without exact repetition.
The 2nd subject is composed of an 8ve leap and a slurred sighing motive [1'42"], the texture being filled out with flowing 16th notes, while the pedal continues its stepwise downward motion toward a full cadence on the dominant [2'53"]. The last 6 measures of the pedal part [2'07"...] are recycled almost exactly, though transposed, toward the end of the piece.
The full cadence on the dominant [2'53"] introduces the 2nd main section of the piece. The 1st subject is presented anew, in 3 manual voices above a long-held pedal tone, now g, a 5th higher. It would have been impossible to simply transpose the manual voices up a 5th because there are not enough keys at the treble end of the keyboard. Bach solved this problem by slightly modifying the voices and by interchanging them so that
- what was played by the soprano is now played by the alto;
- what was played by the alto is now played by the tenor; &
- what was played by the tenor is now played by the soprano.
Déjà vu at its best.
This subsection closes with a ½cadence [4'08"], followed by a new presentation of the 2nd subject with leaps and the slurred sighing motive, now sometimes by inversion. This passage moves slowly to the subdominant [5'18"], while the pedal continues its slow stepwise downward movement.
Following a short transition back to the tonic realm, the pedal part from the end of the 1st section is recycled [5'34"], transposed by a 5th, to lead to the cadence [6'20"] in the tonic. The manual parts here are newly invented, using flowing 16th notes similar to those concluding the 1st section.
The work ends inconclusively with a short bridge [6'20"] {again with pedal tones c-bb-ab-g} to a ½cadence, awaiting the beginning of the fugue.
The fugue is in a very different way another masterpiece of creative musical recycling. I hope to post it soon.
registration:
- Rückpositiv, 8' Gedackt
- Pedal, 16' Prinzipal
The fugue is here: youtu.be/0POd6NKZLDU
Fantasia in c, BWV537, by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Dale Carr on the Schnitger organ in the Ludgerikirche in Norden on 10 June, 1998
This fantasia is a masterpiece of creative musical recycling.
The work is divided into 2 clearly articulated sections; the 1st presents 2 subjects and makes a cadence on the dominant, while the 2nd presents the same 2 subjects, moving from the dominant to the subdominant and back to the tonic.
The 1st subject is presented in 3-voiced imitation above a long-held pedal tone, c, before the pedal states the subject [1'07"], closing the 1st sub-section with a ½cadence {c-bb-ab-g} [1'25"]. The 3 upper layers of the imitation are ingeniously constructed so that they can be interchanged later, allowing re-use of the material without exact repetition.
The 2nd subject is composed of an 8ve leap and a slurred sighing motive [1'42"], the texture being filled out with flowing 16th notes, while the pedal continues its stepwise downward motion toward a full cadence on the dominant [2'53"]. The last 6 measures of the pedal part [2'07"...] are recycled almost exactly, though transposed, toward the end of the piece.
The full cadence on the dominant [2'53"] introduces the 2nd main section of the piece. The 1st subject is presented anew, in 3 manual voices above a long-held pedal tone, now g, a 5th higher. It would have been impossible to simply transpose the manual voices up a 5th because there are not enough keys at the treble end of the keyboard. Bach solved this problem by slightly modifying the voices and by interchanging them so that
- what was played by the soprano is now played by the alto;
- what was played by the alto is now played by the tenor; &
- what was played by the tenor is now played by the soprano.
Déjà vu at its best.
This subsection closes with a ½cadence [4'08"], followed by a new presentation of the 2nd subject with leaps and the slurred sighing motive, now sometimes by inversion. This passage moves slowly to the subdominant [5'18"], while the pedal continues its slow stepwise downward movement.
Following a short transition back to the tonic realm, the pedal part from the end of the 1st section is recycled [5'34"], transposed by a 5th, to lead to the cadence [6'20"] in the tonic. The manual parts here are newly invented, using flowing 16th notes similar to those concluding the 1st section.
The work ends inconclusively with a short bridge [6'20"] {again with pedal tones c-bb-ab-g} to a ½cadence, awaiting the beginning of the fugue.
The fugue is in a very different way another masterpiece of creative musical recycling. I hope to post it soon.
registration:
- Rückpositiv, 8' Gedackt
- Pedal, 16' Prinzipal
The fugue is here: youtu.be/0POd6NKZLDU
