Bach: The Art of Fugue pipe organ DVD & 2 CDs, more!

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Fugue State Films FSF-0001 sold in the U. S. by Raven Released in the U. S. in March, 2010, this set consists of Two CDs and one 3¼-hour DVD The DVD* contains two major video productions about J. S. Bach: a 90-minute program entitled "Desert Fugue" featuring a brilliant presentation by leading Bach scholar Christoph Wolff concerning what many consider to be Bach's ultimate intellectual and musical triumph, The Art of Fugue , discussing the milieu in which it was created. As well, "Desert Fugue" includes enlightening comments on the work by George Ritchie and a fascinating interview with American organbuilders Ralph Richards and Bruce Fowkes, especially regarding their Opus 14 built in the style of organs known to Bach and played by him for most of his career in and near central Germany (with emphasis on Thuringian and Saxon builders Gottfried Silbermann, Zacharias Hildebrandt, and Tobias Heinrich Gottfried Trost). Briefly and fascinatingly, the DVD compares the North German style and sound of organ that has been frequently (and somewhat inappropriately) associated with Bach to the very different, almost orchestral, style of central German organs of Bach's day. George Ritchie lectures on Bach's fugal and compositional techniques especially as they relate to the Art of Fugue , with musical demonstrations. The lecture discusses the entire work generally and each of the 14 contrapuncti and the additional "mirror fugues" in an hour and 51 minutes. The Two CDs contain George Ritchie's performance of the entire Art of Fugue , BWV 1080, on the Richards, Fowkes & Co. organ completed in 2006 at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale, Arizona. This organ is built in the style known to Bach in his central German homeland of Thuringia. George Ritchie's performance of Contrapunctus 14, Fuga a 3 Soggetti , left uncompleted by Bach in Art of Fugue , as completed by Helmut Walcha The CDs also contain George Ritchie's performances of other late works of J. S. Bach: Ricercar a 6 from the Musical Offering , BWV 1079, played on the Bedient organ, op. 8, at Cornerstone Church, Lincoln, Nebraska. Vor deinen Thron tret' ich hiermit BWV 668 played on the Taylor and Boody organ, op. 9, at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts (borrowed from George Ritchie's recording of the complete Bach organ works on Raven OAR-875) Canonic Variations on Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her BWV 769a played on the Taylor and Boody organ, op. 9, at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts (borrowed from George Ritchie's recording of the complete Bach organ works on Raven OAR-875) The six Schübler Chorales played on the John Brombaugh & Associates organ, op. 26, at Southern Adventist University, Collegedale, Tennessee (borrowed from George Ritchie's recording of the complete Bach organ works on Raven OAR-875)Also contained in the package is a booklet containing stoplists and photographs of the organs, registrations used in the recordings, definitions of musical terms, an introduction to the project, notes on the on the other later works of Bach as contained in the additional CD tracks, a brief essay "An Approach to the Art of Fugue" by George Ritchie, and a brief biography of George Ritchie.All but one track on the CDs and the DVD were recorded by Edward J. Kelly. The entire production was designed and produced by Will Fraser and Simon Still of Fugue State Films of Great Britain. Sold in the U. S. by Raven. *The DVD is Region Free and is in 16:9 widescreen format. read more

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