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BACH
Tempo and Metronome Marking
Tempo and Metronome Marking
The deciding factor in choosing a final tempo will likely be the sections with short bursts of thirty-second notes, along with the speed and agility with which the student can execute the embellishments cleanly. To my ear, the piece begins to sound respectable at around quarter note = 80 and above. At the time of writing these notes, my own goal is somewhere around 92.
My personal Kryptonite is mm. 96–101, and, to a slightly lesser degree, mm. 153–156. At present, my success in those passages seems to depend on whether Jupiter is in retrograde—in other words, I have not quite cracked the code yet. That, in itself, is probably a useful reminder that the final tempo should be determined by the most technically demanding passages, not by the sections that happen to feel glorious under the fingers.
Practice Notes
Practice Notes
Student selection
Student selection
This is one of the most complex works on the Senior B list, both technically and musically. Learning and memorizing the movement can be demanding; it is best reserved for a more advanced student with secure technique, rhythmic discipline, and strong organizational skills. Consider the student’s ability to sustain a long-form movement without losing tempo, clarity, or concentration.
Establish tempo continuity early
Establish tempo continuity early
The movement does not tolerate tempo fluctuations between sections. Encourage regular metronome practice at a range of slower tempos, at the EARLY stages of learning the piece. If playing through the entire piece with the metronome is a challenge, advise your student to use the metronome across transitions and technically contrasting passages, where students are most likely to accelerate or hesitate. The goal is not metronomic rigidity in performance, but an internalized sense of pulse that keeps the architecture of the movement intact.
Develop agility and efficient choreography
Develop agility and efficient choreography
A large hand is not necessary, but agility, coordination, and quick repositioning are essential. The movement develops what might be called Cirque du Soleil hand agility: rapid shifts, changing configurations, and intricate coordination and at times counterintuitive fingering are part of both its challenge and its educational value. Avoid allowing students to solve awkward passages through tension or excessive finger effort; economical movement is key.
Maintain vigilant articulation
Maintain vigilant articulation
Articulation deserves attention throughout the learning process, not merely during final polishing. While it is too simplistic to prescribe “detached eighth notes and slurred sixteenths” throughout, a clean, active touch will support both precision and rhythmic vitality. Have students exaggerate articulation contrasts at slower tempos so that the character remains audible as the tempo increases. Listen especially for blurred sixteenth-note passagework, overly heavy eighth notes, and inconsistencies between similar figures.
Use dynamics to suggest orchestral texture
Use dynamics to suggest orchestral texture
The forte and piano markings reflect harpsichord practice, where contrasts could be produced by changing manuals. For example: the shift to piano in m. 67 and back to forte in m. 69 is particularly suggestive of a change of harpsichord manuals. Rather than attempting to imitate the harpsichord literally on the modern piano, use these markings as inspiration for the work’s orchestral and concertante character. Encourage students to imagine contrasts between fuller tutti sonorities and lighter, more soloistic textures. Dynamic contrasts should therefore involve changes in color, texture, articulation, and density, not simply louder versus softer playing.
Pedaling
Pedaling
Pedal is certainly appropriate and can add resonance, but it should be used very judiciously. Reserve it primarily for light touches on the forte tutti chords, where a little added resonance can enhance the orchestral character without compromising the clarity of articulation.
Another coloristic option is to use a very quick, subtle roll of selected chords, particularly at the opening and when the main theme returns. Used sparingly, this can give the chordal statements a sense of breadth and rhetorical emphasis while still remaining stylistically convincing.
Henle’s edition of the Italian Concerto, which I used when learning the piece, is very clear, with most details thoughtfully notated and marked throughout the score.
The hand redistribution shown above is my personal choice. I found it difficult to maintain accuracy in the right hand while jumping between the single note on the downbeat and the returning intervals. Taking the first eighth note of the right-hand passage with the left hand solved that problem effectively and made the passage feel much more secure.
Please note that this redistribution also requires a change of fingering; see my highlighted, penciled-in suggestion in the example above.
YouTube Recording Suggestions
YouTube Recording Suggestions
Glenn Gould 1959 recording: Gould’s playing exudes extraordinary control and technical command, with relentlessly precise articulation and an iron-clad sense of pulse. The result is taut, disciplined, and rhythmically uncompromising.
Glenn Gould 1981 recording: Compared with his 1959 recording, this later performance feels more effervescent and dazzling. The articulation remains extraordinarily controlled, but the overall effect is lighter, more animated, and more playful.
Andras Schiff: Somewhat faster than either of Gould’s recordings, this interpretation is more nuanced in color and phrasing while remaining equally technically dazzling. The playing combines clarity and brilliance with a greater sense of flexibility and tonal variety.
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