This brings to mind the unorthodox improvisations Bach himself did, much to the consternation of his church overseers. It's a joy to watch and listen to a musician with the chops and imagination to create this informed craziness.
I am a lifelong listener to Bach-even as a child, I was drawn to his music before I knew that it was "his" music (our PC famously had a track mislabeled as "Mozart" when in fact it was the Prelude in C# from the first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier). In 2006, I celebrated getting my first iPod by filling it with Bach and then spending a calendar year listening to nothing but his music. Now, several iPods, &c., later, Cameron Carpenter's CDs of Bach's work fit nicely alongside the complete Bach cycles of luminaries like Peter Hurford, Simon Preston, Lionel Rogg, and Kevin Bowyer. With that being said, I think this performance is impressive, creative, and a whole lot of fun. Carpenter uses a technique similar to that of Virgil Fox in Middleschulte's Perpetuum mobile-playing the first two minutes or so entirely on the pedal board as he gradually throws on more and more stops. His pedal technique is impressive, as is the no-doubt showmanship-inspired playing on two manuals simultaneously with one hand. The arrangement itself is a bit raucous, but one could easily say the same of the closing torrents of sound crashing over the listener in the closing bars of the Passacaglia, or the similarly perpetual-motion Prelude in C minor from WTC I. The reentrance of the original Prelude at 3:23 helps underpin the piece and bring it full circle. Would Bach have loved or even liked this? We don’t know-what we DO know is that he found the technology and talent at his disposal by the mid-eighteenth century to be limiting, and he had a great love of showy improvisation. The Passacaglia and Fugue, the great Prelude and Fugue in A minor (543) with its running scales, the rhythmic drive of the Dorian Toccata-these are pieces we can easily imagine Bach “elaborating” on in performance, just as he surely reveled in the dexterity that they displayed. Perhaps this is a bit more Barnum and Bailey than Bach would prefer, but I think what we know about his personality points to him at least enjoying the creativity of Carpenter's work. I think the judgment of this young man’s work has been largely unfair and even a bit snobbish. It brings to mind a reflection from one of Virgil Fox’s old managers: “Too many people were offended by a showman when they should have been dazzled by a genius.”
One of my favorite pieces I found it apocalyptic and baroque it's fantastic I love it ! Un de mes morceaux préférés j'ai trouvé cela apocalyptique et baroque c'est fantastique j'adore !
I wonder if Sebastian ever played it like this? He, of course, could, as easily as Mr. Carpenter. Although he might have added a few voices on the keyboards, turning it into a cannon. Although maybe it already is a cannon, just needing to by chopped up and transposed. With Sebastian, anything is possible. :)
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Bach would have LOVED this.
This brings to mind the unorthodox improvisations Bach himself did, much to the consternation of his church overseers. It's a joy to watch and listen to a musician with the chops and imagination to create this informed craziness.
I liked listening to this. Thanks.
Saw cameron in dallas and he was just excellent.
It is just Brilliant.
Happy Birthday Cameron!!! God bless you always🎉🎊🎁🎈🎂🥳😇🙏🥰
I am a lifelong listener to Bach-even as a child, I was drawn to his music before I knew that it was "his" music (our PC famously had a track mislabeled as "Mozart" when in fact it was the Prelude in C# from the first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier). In 2006, I celebrated getting my first iPod by filling it with Bach and then spending a calendar year listening to nothing but his music. Now, several iPods, &c., later, Cameron Carpenter's CDs of Bach's work fit nicely alongside the complete Bach cycles of luminaries like Peter Hurford, Simon Preston, Lionel Rogg, and Kevin Bowyer.
With that being said, I think this performance is impressive, creative, and a whole lot of fun. Carpenter uses a technique similar to that of Virgil Fox in Middleschulte's Perpetuum mobile-playing the first two minutes or so entirely on the pedal board as he gradually throws on more and more stops. His pedal technique is impressive, as is the no-doubt showmanship-inspired playing on two manuals simultaneously with one hand.
The arrangement itself is a bit raucous, but one could easily say the same of the closing torrents of sound crashing over the listener in the closing bars of the Passacaglia, or the similarly perpetual-motion Prelude in C minor from WTC I. The reentrance of the original Prelude at 3:23 helps underpin the piece and bring it full circle.
Would Bach have loved or even liked this? We don’t know-what we DO know is that he found the technology and talent at his disposal by the mid-eighteenth century to be limiting, and he had a great love of showy improvisation. The Passacaglia and Fugue, the great Prelude and Fugue in A minor (543) with its running scales, the rhythmic drive of the Dorian Toccata-these are pieces we can easily imagine Bach “elaborating” on in performance, just as he surely reveled in the dexterity that they displayed. Perhaps this is a bit more Barnum and Bailey than Bach would prefer, but I think what we know about his personality points to him at least enjoying the creativity of Carpenter's work.
I think the judgment of this young man’s work has been largely unfair and even a bit snobbish. It brings to mind a reflection from one of Virgil Fox’s old managers: “Too many people were offended by a showman when they should have been dazzled by a genius.”
I Listen To Bach's Music For 3 years Now And Am Able To Play It On Piano And Cello On 1 Third Of It.
I think peoples' issue with Cameron isn't that he's a showman, it's that he's a dick about it
Unmitigated genius
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
One of my favorite pieces I found it apocalyptic and baroque it's fantastic I love it !
Un de mes morceaux préférés j'ai trouvé cela apocalyptique et baroque c'est fantastique j'adore !
Cool 😎
This Is Nice, Thanks For Sharing.
A masterful circus version of the JSB's Prelude 1007
I wonder if Sebastian ever played it like this? He, of course, could, as easily as Mr. Carpenter. Although he might have added a few voices on the keyboards, turning it into a cannon. Although maybe it already is a cannon, just needing to by chopped up and transposed. With Sebastian, anything is possible. :)
A tomber par terre …
🙂
He is such a pretty man.
Hardly no sound, sorry.
Spettacolo noioso
The degree of proprioception it takes to do this...