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Hello Friends,

If you are inclined to give it a listen, I have posted a live recording of Bach's E-maj violin Partita "Preludio" from my recent recital tour. I am planning a CD of Bach transcriptions to be available this summer.

http://www.benpierce.com/Clips/Preludio.wma" target="_blank

thanks!

Benjamin Pierce

This is one of my favorite Bach solo pieces. The entire Partita from which this movement comes is delightful.

The Preludio is also enjoyable in other guises besides the original violin solo: in Rachmaninoff’s transcription for piano solo (with a bit of his own harmonic flavor and new inner voices tossed in for good measure), in Stokowski’s transcription for 20th century symphony orchestra, and even Bach’s own presentation with the full orchestra of his time (or, for that matter, synthesized by Wendy Carlos) as the Sinfonia to Cantata #29.

More than once, I have thought of transcribing the Preludio for two tubas so that one player could relieve the other when a breath is necessary, thus maintaining a steady pulse throughout. But since it is now fairly common practice to perform Bach’s Cello Suites as a tuba solo with the occasional breath that the cellist does not have to take, violin solos can be done in the same fashion by one tuba player. The sense of perpetuum mobile may be absent, but Ben Pierce makes an excellent case for playing this on a wind instrument if the breathing and phrasing is done as musically as he does. Why shouldn’t we enjoy playing Bach’s marvelously crafted music even though we don’t have a bow to keep the sound vibrations going constantly?

Bravo, Ben.

Ben,

That's it, I'm finally taking a stand. I hereby officially propose that:

a. if you're going to play play tuba that well you are hereby required to start sucking on euphonium, or vice-versa. and,

b. If you insist on continuing to play all of the correct notes with good fundamentals, you must start playing them in a non musical robot-type fashion so that I have something to complain about.

There, I've said it.

Sincerely,

My Ego