subject: Goldberg By Bach And Its Present Day Performers [print this page] Johann Sebastian Bach appeared to be much better established for a virtuoso organist than a composer within his particular day. His sacred music, pipe organ and choral musical creations, and also many other instrumental works had an enthusiasm and seeming liberty that covered up great rigor.
Bach's use of counterpoint had been outstanding together with innovative, and the big intricacies connected with his compositional style which oftentimes involved spiritual and also numerological representations that appear to suit completely together in a profound puzzle of individual codes still impress music artists nowadays. Several contemplate him the greatest composer of virtually all time.
The six Brandenburg Concertos (BWV 1046-51), between several other secular compositions, date from his Cothen years. Bach started to be "Kantor" connected with the particular Thomas School inside Leipzig inside May 1723 together with held the actual post until eventually his dying.
It had been within Leipzig that he created the majority of his spiritual as well as secular cantatas.
Bach became not satisfied along with this post, not really because of its meager financial returns, but mainly because of burdensome responsibilities and inadequate facilities. Hence, he took on some other projects, chief among them appeared to be the directorship associated with the town's "Collegium Musicum", a good ensemble of professional and beginner musicians who gave each week concerts, in 1729.
He additionally became music director at the Dresden Court throughout 1736, throughout the service of Frederick Augustus II; though his particular assignments were actually imprecise as well as obviously some, they permitted for him liberty to create what he required.
Bach began making trips to Berlin in the 1740s, definitely not just mainly because his son Carl Philipp Emanuel served like a court musician there. In May 1747, the particular composer was cordially received basically by King Frederick II of Prussia, for whom he wrote the particular gloriously abstruse Musical Offering (BWV 1079).
Amongst Bach's final compositions had been his 1749 Mass in B minor. Trapped basically by diabetes, he passed away on July 28, 1750.
Mainly because Glenn Gould's unbelievable 1955 version of Bach's Goldberg Variations, they haven't needed a great deal throughout the way of introduction; they are currently as familiar just like any work in the whole of the main classical repertoire.
With regard to getting them peculiar once again, it is really worth remembering that, as it happens, the entire Goldberg Variations are usually neither "Goldberg" nor "Variations"; yet those are really stories for alternative places.
All of these reviews may just be historically along with technically handy, nevertheless not likely as illuminating, neither definitely required for listening the piece(s). The particular part about Goldberg is definitely within reality rather haphazard
Mr. Serkin's preceding Bach recording for RCA, released earlier, has been pulled from the other end of the composer's keyboard works, the actual complicated "Goldberg" Variations, and also the particular favorite "Italian Concerto" (09026-68188-2).
Taken with each other both the versions of Serkin and Dinnerstein deliver a intriguing approach to Bach's keyboard works. Mr. Serkin has visibly gained from the lessons of the early-music movement with regards to late Baroque style as well as performance practice. But the pianist's longstanding involvement with modern music is likewise obvious throughout his sense regarding what exactly is certainly fresh as well as radical in Bach.
The Belgian pianist from Istanbul, Okonsar's tempos end up being even closer to those of Glenn Gould than to Jarrett. Yet there is undoubtedly a subdued similitude in Okonsar and Jarrett's ways, while they are executed on different instruments, Jarrett's on harpsichord and the pianist and composer Okonsar's on piano.
The entire analogy of the two readings stay with conceptual side. The Belgian artist Mehmet Okonsar combined with Jarrett share a real non-exaggerated look at Bach. Neither artist is obssessed for the "historical-authenticity" view nor the main "romantic" approach.
Mehmet Okonsar was born in Istanbul (Turkey) and resided in Paris during his earliest instruction. He began studying piano in the National Conservatory of Ankara, with Nimet Karatekin and Necil Kazim Akses.
Franz Liszt with regard to Mehmet Okonsar is not a teenager desire for pianistic exuberance and keyboard "pyro-technie". The training Okonsar received at the Brussels Royal Conservatory, coming from Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden, who himself gained through Eduardo del Pueyo is in reality a direct heir from the Hungarian master. That was inspired by the efforts of Marie Jaell, a pupil of Ferenc Liszt on which in turn all the manner of Eduardo del Pueyo is really designed.
Additionally, the particular style and concepts of Pierre Sancan who have been the coach of Michel Beroff, met with Okonsar in the person of one of the master's students he met during his brief stay in the Turkish capital at the last years of the seventies.
Even at his initial public appearance in 1979, the particular eclecticism of his recital programs into the future could be noticed. He presented a collection of the Preludes by Messiaen among others.
The piano studies of Okonsar ended with the best honors any student can certainly ever get at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. "Premier Prix avec Distinction", performing the "Dante Sonata" by Liszt as well as "Diplome Superieur de Piano Avec la plus Grande Distinction, Premier Nomme", in 1986, executing the Piano Concerto Op. 42 by Arnold Schoenberg.
At the end of his piano studies, Okonsar acquired the advantage of working with one of the biggest composers of Belgium: Madame Jacqueline Fontyn. He furthermore studied with a pupil of Messiaen, Claude Ballif. In 1989 he will get his degrees in Composition-Orchestration from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Brussels.
Alexis Weissenberg, right after listening to a recording by Okonsar invited him (on a grant) to study in Switzerland.
Soon after being a Belgian national, Mehmet Okonsar and his wife Lale, painter headed back to Turkey following an invitation by the President Suleyman Demirel who presented him the particular most sought-after title of "State Artist of the Turkish Republic".
"Operating from Turkey isn't inconceivable in our times" says the pianist.
It holds true that he is particularly secure while using the computers and possesses a really durable position on the Internet.
Okonsar is incredibly dynamic from Turkey where he performs, practice, create and also writes. He operates a CD company and a publishing house.
A first prize at the International Young Virtuoses Competition of Antwerp in 1982, has been the start of his intercontinental career.
Constantly programming essentially the most challenging pieces, Okonsar's orchestral debut had been the Third Concerto by Rachmaninoff performed at the de Singel Concert Hall in Antwerp.
However his actual leaping board have been in Utah, the 6th prize at the "Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition", 1991.
The "Academie des Arts Contemporains" of Enghien, Belgium rewarded him in 1991, for his acoustic and electronic compositions with the Gold and Bronze medals respectively.
His noted concerts incorporated the premiere in Turkey of the Concerto for piano by Schoenberg with his fantastic performances of the Concerto for piano by Lutoslawski in Poland.
Working substantially on technical things, as he comments "the technology may actually "totally free" the artist", his researches were being shown in a lecture at the Yamaha head office in Hamamatsu, Japan.
His repertoire encompasses a variety from the early seventeenth century ("The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book") for example composers, amongst others, Orlando Gibbons and Giles Farnaby and reaches late 20th century with all the works by Karlheinz Stockhausen and Witold Lutoslawski.
Dominant works with this repertoire are: J.S. Bach "The Art of Fugue" carried out on organ (or piano) and harpsichord; the Goldberg Variations, the integrale of Well-tempered Keyboard.
The entire mastering by Okonsar of the particular theme, "Aria", is without a doubt near that of Glenn Gould. Certainly, there is simply one noticeable straightforwardness and also "naivete" which in turn rarely covers a powerful outstanding neatness and a good flawlessly manipulated effect. Those are really unmistakable symptoms for a powerful awesome keyboard technique which in turn will probably showcase rapidly through the impending variations.
The clearness of the main outlines continue to be exemplary. In fact it only comes anywhere close with Gould. Every bit of scales, arpeggios combined with other runs are really incredibly equal. But, the multi-faceted music artist Okonsar manages not to fall into mechanized nor "robotic" performing.
Only a good handful of music artists will be able to play J. S. Bach on the piano in addition to however secure the particular purity and sharpness typically involved with the Harpsichord. The Belgian artist Mehmet Okonsar is without a doubt one of those. The particular so-called heritage legitimization is without a doubt not likely a dry up statement right here.
Okonsar, composer, conductor and musicologist in addition to pianist is certainly a particular adept of the actual "Free Music" philosophy. Virtually all his audio recordings are typically shared according to the very self-sufficient musician. This is actually a real unique viewpoint which in turn, regarding to the particular artist will probably be of large returns to both the very artist, the very release together with the entire classical music arena.
Similarly the particular main video web-site Youtube(r) contains a assortment of Mehmet Okonsar playing clips. Oftentimes his Compact disc releases are simultaneously submitted as live performance video clips into the artist's Youtube(r) channel: mokonsar.
