J. S. Bach, Contrapunctus I from "Die Kunst der Fuge", solo guitar arragement
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- Опубликовано: 19 сен 2024
- My arrangement of this wonderful fugue for solo guitar. As I am not a classical musician, I strove hard to accomplish the arrangement and did my best to perform it in an acceptable manner. So far I went beyond my actual abilities, so please excuse that handful of mistakes and imperfections. There is still a hell of a work to be done! The biggest problem of the piece stems from its octave extent, which is much broader than that of a guitar - and of course: it is a four-voiced counterpoint. I kept however the original key of d-minor and employed lots of harmonics, both natural and artificial to add some necessary sustain. Performed on the 1830`s anonymous guitar.
To whom it may concern: I have been considering to share the score for a long time indeed since it took me a few months to finish the arrangement. It might be foolish to share it for free, considering how much musical litter is to be paid for all around, but it was the great Bach who wrote it, not me. I’m a mere translator. Bach’s wife died in poverty while current three-chord-pickers relish the benefit of copyright law. So here is the score. An important notice: I wrote it in two staves to make the voices clear and comprehensible but it is not meant to be a two-guitar arrangement however; if so it should have been arranged in a different manner. refraktorian.rajce.idnes.cz/Contrapunctus_l%2C_J._S._Bach/
"Three-chord-pickers relish the benefit of copyright law", gonna use that one.
Hi there, amaizing job, i really mean it! wonderful playing and also score is simply beautiful.. although i just learn 12 bars in an afternoon :)
The hero we needed but did not deserve
Thank you. Wonderful work.
@@hackerguitar you are welcome, sir.
I heard that Bach's favorite instrument was the clavichord, a small, quiet instrument with an intimate and nuanced expressive capability, particularly suited to his musical style. As such, I believe JS would approve here.
I actually read the same! Yet I dare not hope nevertheless…Thank you very much for your kind words sir.
A true gentleman, artist and music lover. Thank you, sir.
I would like to be, but I’m afraid I’m not. Thank you nevertheless!
Unrelated to the performance, but what a stunning instrument. WOW
You’re right. it’s an anonymous approximately 1830s guitar.
It has an amazing sound, perfect for Bach. I would have loved to play it, but would not do it justice…
@@unwrought9757sounds like Lute, and looks just antic and unique. Great guitar
@@boogie404 you’re right, absolutely.
Merci
organist here, you did an amazing (and wonderfully creative) job arranging the voices -- bravo!!! (extra credit for the vocalized d-pedal at the end!)
this made my day, thank you sir...
Thank you sir, I feel really pleased indeed. I tried to use a thumb tremolo for the sustaining D, but although it worked and could be played, it doesn’t fit the style.
Is this a Bobby that might have taken care of a dog named Jacques Cousteau?
What a stunning display of intellectual and physical athleticism, worthy of the composer!
Thank you for your kind words, but I do not deserve such praise indeed.
Beautiful playing of one of my favorite works. I've heard this on strings, winds and brass, not to mention keyboards of any type, but this rendition on this instrument with this musician is deeply personal and gratifying. My compliments to the instrument maker but especially to unwrought for this fine presentation.
@@bigmandrel thank you very much. I truly appreciate your kind words.
Bach studied each instrument to its technical, `chromatic` edges and limits first...
He would have applaused, Sir ! Thank you so much !
I thank you, sir!
@@unwrought9757 My honour,
to write you that :) You simply deserve it !
My god I just realized you were humming at the end. You pull out all the tricks to make this happen. Really creative stuff!
I tried a thumb tremolo for the bass pedal at first - and it worked- but finally considered that to be too far from the style…
Sir, you did something almost impossible and extremely hard. 4 voices fugue on a guitar, it sounds crazy. But you did it and it sounds great. Bravo !
Thank you very much for your kind words. I appreciate that indeed.
Hello Matêj. It’s your nearly famous English friend here 😄
That guitar is perfect for this piece. It has a sound quality which cannot be reproduced on a modern instrument. Beautiful.
Hello! Glad to hear from you indeed. The guitar is really great for such music, I really love the instrument.
The fact that you are not a classical musician is probably your strength! Beautiful performance and arrangement, thanks for the inspiration
Thank you for your kind words. The lack of the classical background is basically a complication, but sometimes I am really about to think that it could help me to see some things quite differently and thus to be able to play them in a new way. At least I hope so.
Impressing. Would not have guessed a 4-part would go on a guitar. Thank you for your effort, and for playing a Bach work. I am so fond of him.
Thank you. I also love Bach. When I began considering this arrangement, my original intention was not to perform it, but to learn from it as much as possible. I did not believe actually I would deliver.
I give the poster two thumbs up 😊, first for the honest recording of the sound of this modest old instrument and secondly for his excellent arrangement and rendition. Congratulations!
Thank you very much. l used only my iphone X with no additional mic or enhancement.
@@unwrought9757 Well, in this case, I wish more performers used the iPhone for recording😉!
@@curaticac5391 I want my recordings to be true. Therefore, I change nothing, I don’t cut, edit or enhance anything.
One of the greatest masterpieces of music. Also that guitar is wonderful
…the sheer gift of talent is an inspiration to the rest of Mankind to do better…ascending ever higher …
@@JulieCarey-y1n Bach’s music is a bottomless lake of inspiration indeed.
Astonishingly good. Bach is like humanity’s great great grandfather
Thank you, sir.
Excellent playing of beautiful music. Well done! 👍🍷
@@emlyngriffith5846 thank you very much!
Despite your modest disclaimers, an excellent arrangement and performance! Just... a great job!
Thank you very much for such kind words.
These comments are filled with so much warmth. Thank you, everyone!
Perhaps good music unites good people.
Your playing is wonderful, and the arrangement is creative and accurate
Thank you very much.
Wonderful playing, with soulfulness and musicality.
Your guitar sounds and looks amazing.
Thank you Sir.
Not at all, the pleasure is mine.
Wow, found this by accident again. This video really made me get into the classical guitar and compositions and now I (try to at least) play nothing but that. Very demanding for self learners but what a great joy to play.
I started as an organ player, and at teens became more familiar with guitar. Never played the contrapunctus myself on either instrument, but naturally familiar with the B A C H structural idea, beautiful arrangement and dedication to the craft. Kudos to you, sir.
Thank you very much for your kind words, sir.
It is so nice to see you making videos again! Please do more! Every time I play my acoustic guitar, I play the first ragtime video you did with the pink walls in the background. My son, now 14 remembers me playing that song for him at bedtime. You are an amazing talent and thank you for enriching future generations. Thank you.
Joseph
Dear Joseph, I don’t know what to say, I cannot think of an appropriate answer for such praise. I know I post my videos very rarely but people such as you are the real reason to keep working. Thank you indeed.
Such a marvelous arrangement! Well played! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
@@juanmiguelsuarez thank you!
This is the only version except Glen Gould on piano that I love to listen and im coming back again and again to listen to it, great job, Sir! Thank You. I wish I have tabs for guitar for this because I can read notes easy for piano/accordion but im totally stupid as for notes on guitar because I learned guitar by myself and I never used notes for that and im too lazy and my brain is too old I guess for this kind of learning now. Ok, I know it's always possible, lets just say I'm just too lazy, anyway thanks for giving us notes of your interpretation, I believe that I will translate it to tabs one day, the day when I will find mental strenght to do it because knowledge isn't the thing that run the life force, at least in my case.
Thank you so very much for your prayers indeed! However, I must harshly disappoint you by admitting that I cannot write tabs. It’s quite difficult to me and it would take me months to manage. Nevertheless, there is the score available here for free. I hope il will help you.
An absolutely magnificent transcription!
Thank you very much, sir. It took a while I must admit. At first I just wanted to study the piece, not to play it as I had no intention to do so mainly because the complete lack of belief that it could be even done on guitar in the original key.
This is the best new video I have seen for days. Added to my Bach playlist. And having multiple voices on one guitar is soo amazing. 😮
@@l3p3 I appreciate indeed your words, sir. thank you very much.
Love the French sailor outfit
Wundervolles Arrangement -- und welche Freude über die kostenlosen Noten: Herzlichen Dank für diese - wirklich selbstlose! - Arbeit!
@@ulrichsteckelliederfindert3562 Dankeschön wirklich. Ich habe getan, was ich könnte. Es ist eine Musik die viele Arbeit braucht. Und ich bin kein Klassischer Musiker dafür bin ich manchmal fast zu Ende gegangen.
You made my day! Keep on keeping on, you are great!
@@IngoGonzalez-i6g thank you, I will!
Oh my gosh. I love this piece i never thought this possible on guitar! Thank you ill try learning this one by using your video
To be honest I didn’t believe it either when I began. My original thought was not to play it but to learn from it as much as possible, I continued then bar by bar - and one day I realised that I could play it. I wrote the score, the link could be amongst comments.
Wow… holy f*** man, that’s incredible. Super cool guitar first off, but this version is mind blowing. It’s like nails on a chalkboard when I hear musicians with formal training butcher baroque music. I’ve always felt like it was just meant to be a “here are the notes, go shred my brethren” kind of thing when this stuff was originally put down on paper. There’s sooo much emotion in this piece - and you bring it across in the right way
Forgot to so say it’s almost the exact timing of Glenn goulds version
Thank you very much, sir! I feel really pleased that you like my arrangement so much.I agree completely with your opinion about Baroque music and its guitar interpretation , which very often lacks emotions and the right feeling. Sometimes it has no feeling at all..
@@robertcolucci4137 I did not know that I swear!
Actually I’m wrong on that, just listened and his is longer by a minute, but very similar feeling. m.ruclips.net/video/zwkzf-KUNPM/видео.html
You should check out Evangelina mascardi playing the Bach lute suites when you have a chance, she’s amazing
@@robertcolucci4137 I immediately listened to Mr Gould after having read your comment. You are right. And thanks for another great recommendation! I will find it as soon as possible!
Very good arrangement and performance, subscribed, greetings.
Thank you very much it was a great deal of work for me to handle such complicated and complex music.
Excellent. Beautiful Sir Thank You.
@@avimukta1 the pleasure is mine.
Amazing❤🎉🎉& thank you for generously sharing the score! 🎉🎉
You’re welcome sir. I know I am not much of a businessman, but I hope that everyone who is really interested in playing Bach on guitar will use the score only for himself.
I have recently rediscovered Bach, so beautiful!
One of my favorite Fugas. Great work!
@@Sergio_deus thank you! I love it as well.
Such a smooth use of harmonics to keep the parts flowing! Fabulous job!
@@Oenloveslife thank you very much. The octave range of the piece is the hardest obstacle and harmonics seemed to me the only way through…
truly extraordinary
Thank you sir.
WOW so crazy of your passion for Bach, Guitar, and Fuge !!! Great Job
Thank you very much!
Gorgeous guitar!
@@journeymancellist9247 she really is. An old lady indeed, born in 1830s.
Sir, that was absolutely beautiful. Something very endearing about the sound and timbre of your choice of instrument. Extending the range with carefully interspersed harmonics shows diligence both in terms of technical execution and arranging skills. Kudos to a very enjoyable video.
@@harryjoseph1802 thank you very much for such nice words indeed.
Your musicianship is superb. Thank you for sharing this.
@@morinkhuur the pleasure is mine, thank you for your kind words.
no way you can say 'im not a classical musician'. you play classical (well, baroque) music brilliantly, so i would say that makes you one without argument :)
most classical guitarists play instruments that have a very bassy sound, but the 1830 anonymous guitar is quite thinner and tinnier, so it reminds me of a lute, and i quite like it, because it gives nice separation to the voices. of course, your amazing technique and arrangement matters more than anything else when it comes to your great sound :)
Thank you very much, I appreciate truly your kind words. I began as a rockabilly guitarist, than switched to blues and folk music and finally got into ragtime music. And after being given this very guitar I fell in love with classical and baroque music, although I had no classical training or education, only some remnants of technical basics from childhood lessons. Luckily I have never switched to the pick. You are right about the guitar and its sound qualities that are very specific indeed. Thanks again.
That's absolutely gorgeous, thanks a lot!
@@user-qi2yj7mq8c you’re welcome!
Thank you to let us have a look a the score too.👍
@@Trash.Zombies you’re welcome!
This actually touched me.
Lots of mechanical play out there. To be honest I hear even more poetic possibilities.
Taking more freedoms in expressing the emotion of the theme.
This is wonderful in it's musicality.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, sir. I try to play it better with better understanding of the structure every time. Sometimes I might succeed. I hope I can improve it a bit.
This arrangement is incredible, bravo!
Thanks, I tried my best.
Inspiring, beautiful.
@@adrianutley3060 thank you.
THUMB POSITION. WELL DONE
@@journeymancellist9247 indeed, I learned that from you, cellists:-)
wonderfull
Proof that there is hope in humanity. Not once but 4 times: The composition, the arrangement, the playing and that guitar Oh my Wakan Tanka:)))))
incredibly beautiful
@@Renake thank you very much
That guitar is lovely wow. Sound is very unique almost has this lute overtone quality its really nice to listen to
Thank you very much. Indeed the guitar is very special, I love it.
In 1985, I first got acquainted with Bach's "Kunst der Fuge" performed by "Ars Rediviva" on a Supraphon record. I could listen to this great work for hours every day, and I still consider the orchestral performance of "Ars Rediviva" to be the best! I am very glad that someone else loves and performs this work by Bach. Good luck and further improvement to you!
Thank you very much. I adore Ars rediviva as well, they are great indeed.
mindblowing amazing skill!!!
Thank you
I have loved and played this piece for decades, but never have I heard it played so beautifully. Wonderful touch and rhythms! (I worry about the strap at the neck because of possible excessive stress at the heel joint.) Your work on the piece has been worth every second.
@@frederichr.hormelsteinlich6099 thank you very much for your enormously kind words, sir. I used to play with the foot stand but it caused me quite dreadful back pain. Since I have been using this, everything is all right, luckily. This old-fashioned guitar, however, is too tiny to be held as the modern instrument…
Fantastic arrangement
@@Roberto_MR thank you.
when he played that note with his thumb i went like "wow! you`re not suppose to do that!"
I have a little guitar like yours from 1880. Its twice as loud and clear, compared to modern class.guitars .
Your playing is wonderfull.😊
@@andreasfetzer7559 thank you! Those guitars are really incredible, you’re right.
This is truely incredible ! I can't believe my ears and eyes! Big applaus!
@@Nachtuil36 thank you!
Bravo 👍🙂!
Thank you!
I´d like to be as Non-classical musician as you are. This is delightful. And the guitar is amazing.
Thank you indeed. I would love to understand classical music more. That’s why I tried to manage this arrangement. As for the guitar - it is an anonymous instrument (probably German or Czech) built around 1830. I just love it’s sweet and weeping sound.
Wonderful and creative arrangement! This Guitar sound is amazing! Thank you for this!
The pleasure is all mine, sir.
Your attention and devotion to this really shows. Good job.
Thank you very much and excuse my replying late, but I didn’t notice your comment before
This is the best performance of this I've heard. And I've listened to a lot of them...
Thank you very much for your kind words, sir. I did my best.
That's a superb arrangement and brilliantly played. Quite stunning.
Thank you very much for such words.
I never get tired of hearing this version. Truly sublime. ( Can we expect, maybe, Contrapunctus IV in the future? 😮). But seriously, Hell of a job
I’m not sure whether I can do that, but maybe. Today I am working on my arrangements of Dvorak and Smetana…but time is the hardest challenge.
wonderful, thank you.
You are welcome!
bravissimo! (the transcriptor and the performer) i thought it was impossible
@@unagondolaunremo I thought the same when I began… thank you very much!
Discovered this from the comments in Mikkel Ploug's beautiful version.. yours is equally amazing. I love your inventiveness with harmonics and fingering, and that guitar sounds incredible even though it appears you're using just a phone or laptop microphone. Congrats on a beautiful performance, I'm looking forward to exploring your channel.
@@torontolarrivee7965 Thank you very much! Yes, you are right, I use only my phone with no additional improvements. The arrangement took me a great deal of time indeed since the composition is very complex and hardly anything could be simplified or omitted. I also came across the Mikkel Ploug’s wonderful version that I like very much.
WOW! Bravo!🥰👍
Thank you!
I'd say you did an extraordinary job!
Thank you very much sir.
This is very nicely done! Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you, sir!
The fingering move at 1:11 is cool as hell!
That was actually the only option…
Wonderful job
@@jasperchance3382 thank you very much. I did my best.
This is superb. Huge work! Bravo 👏👏👏
Thank you very much, sir.
What a Great surprise, it's been so long. I love your arrangements, if your not a classical musician then I dont know who is. Your one of my favorites!
Do you think you could do some intermediate Guitar tutorials. That would be awesome.
Thanks a lot, really. I could`t believe it was so long. I`ll try post new things more often. And as for your idea: maybe, it is at least worth considering.
Complimenti!
@@gipelle molto grazie!
Great job !
@@j6449663 thank you.
Sounds like actual counterpoint, way better than all the classical musicians, great stuff
sergio s Thank you, I tried my best. it’s very complex music, very difficult to play.
It's so perfect
Thank you very much.
Просто молодец!Просто-восторг!Спасибо!
Спасибо большое.
Beautiful, also love your guitar
It’s an anonymous 1830’s guitar, probably of Czech or German origin. Inside there is only a vignette signed by a luthier who did the repair in 1877. Unfortunately the one with the name of the maker is missing
GENIOUS!!!
@@pablostofblat7551 thank you
Bravo!
Thank you.
This is nice!
beautiful!
Thank you.
Amazing!!! awesome work Sir!
Thank you very much. It took me a while indeed to accomplish that.
This is fantastic!!
Thank you sir.
i like it ! greatings from frankfurt
@@korridor22 Vielen Dank und herzliche Grüße aus Prag!
Tremendo! Felicitaciones!
Muchas gracias!
good to see you again-your music brings me to joy again and again-1000 thanks
It is a pleasure for me, thanks. I`ll do my best not to disappoint you, nor any other of my friends here. Hope I have a few more cards upon my sleeve.
so good to see you back!! please upload more ragtime!!
Superb.
Thank you!
Nice one! That guitar has nearly 200 years of vibrations. Very cool. I love playing Bach, but I can't sight read well, and find him very hard to memorize.
@@thomasbrown3325 he is indeed.I’ve never dared play this piece in public. If one gets lost here, no improvising can help him find the way. It suddenly becomes a cursed-wood-journey. The guitar is really a miracle, you are right…
@@unwrought9757 Seems like it would be a challenge equal to improvising bebop--years of practice even to become mediocre. Ted Greene took baroque improvisation on the guitar pretty far, and left some excellent lessons on his posthumous web site.
I tried an alternate arrangement of the end, using a thumb tremolo for the sustaining D in the bass, but it did not work to my satisfaction. First it is quite difficult to be performed, but first of all it sounds too modern and attacks the composition rhythmically.
unwrought,
very nicely done: intellectual clarity and passion balanced.
Thank you very much indeed.
Many things "guitar-ish" don't go well with Bach. I think tremolo is one of them, lovely in many works but jarring and throws you off with Bach. Wise choice.
That guitar is gorgeous...
Yes it really is! Thanks for your comment! I love that instrument really much and I love it even more the more I play it. Its sweet and romantic tone is irresistible indeed.