Immerse yourself in the intricate world of Johann Sebastian Bach with his masterful composition, "Musikalisches Opfer" (BWV 1079). This album, set for release on January 17, 2025, under the Ricercar label, is a testament to Bach's unparalleled genius in contrapuntal invention and motivic control. Spanning a duration of 1 hour and 2 minutes, the album is a collection of 16 tracks that showcase Bach's extraordinary fluency in composition, including ricercars, canons, and sonatas.
The "Musikalisches Opfer" is a profound exploration of Bach's musical style, arising from his remarkable ability to improvise at the keyboard. The album opens with the "Ricercar a 3," a three-part fugue that sets the stage for the intricate and complex compositions that follow. The "Fuga canonica in Epidiapente" and the "Canon perpetuus super Thema Regium" are notable for their intricate canonic structures, while the "Sonata sopr’il Soggetto Reale" offers a more melodic and accessible entry point into Bach's contrapuntal world.
The album also features a series of canons, each exploring different contrapuntal techniques. From the "Canon 1 a 2 cancrizans" with its backward-moving parts to the "Canon 4 a 2 per Augmentationem, contrario motu" with its augmented and contrary motion, these pieces demonstrate Bach's mastery of musical form and structure. The album concludes with the "Ricercar a 6," a six-part fugue that brings the collection to a grand and satisfying close.
This album is not just a collection of Bach's compositions but a journey through the mind of one of the greatest composers in history. It is a must-listen for any classical music enthusiast and a testament to Bach's enduring legacy.
Vinylscout