A new and compelling walk through The Well-Tempered Clavier
J. S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I. Matthew Dirst, harpsichordist. Acis Productions 2-CD set, APL 54117, $29.99, with digital downloads at various prices. Available from acisproductions.com.
Disc one: Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 846; Prelude and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 847; Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major, BWV 848; Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Minor, BWV 849; Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 850; Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 851; Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Major, BWV 852; Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Minor, BWV 853; Prelude and Fugue in E Major, BWV 854; Prelude and Fugue in E Minor, BWV 855; Prelude and Fugue in F Major, BWV 856; Prelude and fugue in F Minor, BWV 857.
Disc 2: Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp Major, BWV 858; Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp Minor, BWV 859; Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 860; Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 861; Prelude and Fugue in A-flat Major, BWV 862; Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor, BWV 863; Prelude and Fugue in A Major, BWV 864; Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 865; Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Major, BWV 866; Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Minor, BWV 867; Prelude and Fugue in B Major, BWV 868; Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 869.
With so many recordings of Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier available, choosing an album to purchase or stream online can pose a conundrum for the average harpsichord aficionado. Matthew Dirst’s recent contribution opens the listener’s ears to the well-crafted work of a skilled conductor and keyboard virtuoso in the same person. Each prelude and fugue possesses a different character marked by vastly differing motives, styles, and contrapuntal choices. Largely successfully, Dirst navigates the rhetoric of each fugue subject with tasteful articulation and sensitive phrasing, and the many prelude styles are delivered with effectively contrasting variety between them. Every motive is etched, and crystal-clear counterpoint is the result. Coupled with this microscopic detail is Dirst’s sensitivity to affect, with which he sprinkles the entire album with inspiration. On a broad scale, one very strongly hears a conductor at the helm of this polyphonic ensemble; at times Dirst’s choices of tempi, articulation, and sonority recall the small ensemble of a cantata or the concerto grosso of a Baroque orchestra.
The most successful selections on this album combine interpretation of affect, motivic shaping, tempi, and registration in such a way that hearing these selections a “different” way is unthinkable in the moment. (Frankly, one may listen to the first four pairs of preludes and fugues and walk away with copious lessons!) The E-major set is particularly delightful. The pastorale nature of the prelude is sweetly expressed, and the strident subject of the fugue drives the piece forward without heaviness or rushing. The somber C-sharp-minor prelude elegantly prepares the listener for the gravitas of the fugue, which contrasts effectively through an angular yet compelling subject, singing linear motion, and a monolithic, unyielding structure. Sets such as the F minor and G minor, which have been presented as deliberate to the point of making one look at one’s watch, are delivered as straightforward but with elegant phrasing and touch in the preludes, and etched articulation in the fugues. Indeed, in the more chromatic fugue subjects, the Crucifixion choruses of the Saint John and Saint Matthew passions easily come to mind through Dirst’s delivery. Even slightly more difficult sets to comprehend at a first listen become comprehensible to the lister; the A-major fugue’s disjointed subject and awkward meter sound completely natural in Dirst’s hands, and the B-minor fugue’s intensely chromatic and sorrowful affect is delivered sensitively without giving way to sentiment. Both fugues possess a very clear structure, which is no small task for their complexity!
A few times, however, one may wish for a slightly more lyrical approach that treats the harpsichord’s sonority with greater breadth and wider array of color. Owing to the propulsion of tempi and strident subjects, occasionally the resonance of the harpsichord is clipped, and harmonic sensitivity lessens, particularly in moments of textural change. This phenomenon often works in tandem with a persistence of combined registrations such that the harpsichord’s sonority becomes a rapid series of vertical events rather than a flow of harmony. One may notice this especially in the D-sharp-minor, A-flat-major, and A-minor fugues. Perhaps in Dirst’s imitation of a larger ensemble the harpsichord’s registration and natural “attack” occasionally become overbearing, but other pieces in the album contain similar registration and forward-moving material yet sing, dance, and resonate beautifully. The B-flat-minor set, for instance, blends tasteful registration, a feeling of natural breath, and a moving vocal phrasing. Pieces with such sophisticated interpretation are the high points of this album and make it a worthy addition to a music library.
Dirst’s choice of instrument lends itself well to interpreting this repertoire. The Gräbner replica by John Phillips creates a scintillating resonance, which perfectly suits the delivery of the WTC’s contrapuntal canvas. Dirst is also to be commended for the flow of his program notes, which may be referenced by the scholarly harpsichordist as well as the eager amateur. All in all, this album is an education in rhetoric and process—the rhetoric of each individual motif and its shape, and the unfolding of each contrapuntal work in the WTC. The listener and the player would do well to hear what Dirst offers in this album and learn from it.
