Beyond the Notes: Prelude & Fugue in Am, BWV 543

[@michaelschwaiger8071]

This is exactly the type of content I always wanted, but never really found on KZbin! You explain Bachs music in a very clear way, in easy terms and demonstrate it on the organ. I will definitely watch the whole video again. 👍A big thumbs up! I hope of a follow up video!

[@AuthenticSound]

Great to hear!

[@_SoliDeoGloria_]

Ditto!! I LOVE Bach's music, and my kids like to make fun of me because when I listen to these pieces I get emotional (meaning my emotions run the gamut) and sometimes I even look like a "headbanger" at a heavy metal concert! At the same time, I'm not an organist (or any kind of keyboardist) and have only a very elementary level of music theory, so I feel like I can't access all there is on my own. Thank you Wim Winters!!! Hope I get to hear you live someday.

[@kaibroeking9968]

I always wonder: if even we still stand in awe today, how outlandish, not from this earth, must this music have appeared to people almost 300 years ago.

[@Lucas-Kretzschmar]

Great, feels like you are opening a new chapter on the channel. Like if you're saying "Ok, I have proven my point, now let us go back to enyoing the music".

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks Lucas!

[@gabithemagyar]

This was a fantastic video !!! As someone who because of the vagaries of life never had as much musical theory and analysis training as he would have wished, videos like this are immensely educational, interesting and a wonderful means to open one's ears and mind to the subtleties of the music. Thank you so much ! Very selfish of me, but I do hope that you will continue to make videos like this not only for Bach pieces but for those of other composers featured on this channel as well. Much appreciated.

[@AuthenticSound]

Great!

[@darrenwilliams4828]

I honestly would watch so much more of these videos on other Bach organ works - very insightful.

[@AuthenticSound]

Great to read!

[@hooram]

"Whatever your philosophy or religion is you can find something there that really resonates with you." Absolutely.

[@pbhuygen]

Dank voor je mooie uitleg. Bach is de meester van de dissonant. 'Hoe meer het wringt, hoe meer het swingt.'

[@homhomtube]

Danke!

[@AuthenticSound]

Thank you so much for the support!

[@davereich8719]

Wow!!! After listening to Bach for thousands of hours, you have given me great insight in just a few minutes to the beauty and genius of Bach's music! Thank you!

[@drmarcushead9036]

Could anyone imagine the loss to humanity if these weren’t written down (and what did JSB play that was never annotated?). I would love your analysis of the Passacaglia and Fugue in Cm. That, for me, is the peak.

[@wolkowy1]

Bravissimo!!! - Emotional, exciting way of explaining the drama behind the notes. Thanks for uploading.

[@channelelectronique]

Simply priceless! There is such a thirst for deep understanding of thematic and harmonic language and you managed to supply this awesome fountain from which we can finally drink. Thank you!

[@matttondr9282]

As an organist myself, I’m really happy about how you showcased Bach’s art of balancing the voices in a fugue. When talking about Bach’s organ works, my teacher always used to say that the most interesting parts are not the notes, but the rests in between them. Also, what a beautiful sounding organ!

[@AuthenticSound]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@benhawkes7503]

bach and aphex twin‘s music are insanely smart and ethereal

[@lordchameleon2650]

Wonderful Mr. WINTERS. This is my favourite prelude&fugue and what drove me into bach. I can also play the first 1-2 minutes of preludue on my humble home electronic organ. Thank you very much for your insight.

[@AuthenticSound]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ArtVanAuggie]

Now we find the Carl Sagan of organ music. I finally have a better understanding of the piece it took me a year to learn to my satisfaction. Bravo.

[@hansweichselbaum2534]

Excellent! Thank you for sharing your knowledge, and please more of this!

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks, will do!

[@j-dub8399]

I love your passion for Bach’s artistry. He truly gave us hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years worth of puzzles to decipher.

[@marceljanssens5935]

The e entrance in the pedal gives me goosebumps everytime. And I've played this piece for 30 years. It has however been a while and this video inspired me to return to it!

[@POSAUN16]

Many thanx for that material its helpful for me , I'm just going back to this Prelude and fuge after many years ,I heard many times that BWV 543 is the most beautyful fugue theme of Bach.

[@homhomtube]

Spürbar engagiert/sichtlich intrinsisch motiviert, SO machen musikalische Erläuterungen richtig Freude, Danke für die Ermunterung zum genauen Hinhören, eine wirkliche lohnende Lehr-Viertelstunde, gern mehr davon!

[@AuthenticSound]

Glad you liked it!

[@homhomtube]

Yes, I was excited just because for me a convincing interpretation always includes: "score plus X", is where "X" represents the amount the interpreter or the performer adds to the plain source. There are probably hundreds of people that somehow, even without errors, can play back the musical notes errorless, but rather few really show valuable personal emphasis, that's why I found your recording so convincing!

[@DaleHubbard]

Wonderful analysis of one of my favourite pieces. The colour introduced and sustained by the first A in the pedals is just hypnotic. You have a great skill, family - and a lovely dog. Thank you for your videos.

[@mikesmovingimages]

Art is story-telling and the great art not only tells stories but, in its interpretation reveals how the story affects and even transforms the medium of the telling. In this case first the score itself and then the performer and then the audience. Thanks for your exciting presentation and analysis - now I have to go back to my scores!

[@AuthenticSound]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@harryjoseph1802]

One of his finest works & the Fugue? out of this world!!

[@pseudotonal]

I first heard this on the radio in the early 70s, played by Anthony Newman. I can't now find that recording. It is fabulous.

[@AuthenticSound]

it is an amazing piece indeed

[@ziruihe841]

I really like this video, not only because I love organ and it tells something I didn't know, but aslo because your speech brings me back to the days I lived in Belgium (in Louvain-la-Neuve). I have been to the church in Leuven (seems where this video was taken). Wish I can go back to Belgium someday and have a chance to listen to your play.

[@asherwade]

YOUR Video is truly a panacea for me {I didn't really want to reveal too much personal info here}. I am, unashamedly, a JS Bach Fanatic; many of my musical & musician friends still push me to like or at least listen to other composers, however at near 74yrs old, I tell them, I have found {back at the age of 16} my true love and I still haven't listened to [nor played] everything {we have that} Bach wrote. Your ["obvious"] gift of deep inward Music coupled with astoundingly well-learned Music Theory knowledge and the pure emotional ability of communication simply 'spoke-directly-to-my-heart-&-soul'; for that Thank You; especially since this is one of the top 5 pieces by Bach which are my favorite; 💕

[@nilsvanvelzen]

Dank voor deze video, zeer informatief en nuttig hoe je dit stuk behandeld/analyseert.

[@AuthenticSound]

fijn om te lezen!

[@PrimaSiPensaDopoSiFa]

My favourite Bach piece.

[@lemonemmi]

This is an amazing video! Thank you for this!

[@AuthenticSound]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Garrett_Rowland]

I think this video is moving towards the kind of content that can become very successful on KZbin. The editing is solid, and the information is very engaging. If you could carve out a place in your channel for regular videos like this, breaking down pieces written by the greats, I think you will gain a whole new audience. I have followed you off and on for many years, and I admire all your recordings and research, but I have to admit that this is probably the best "KZbin video" I have seen on your channel. I understand you were having internal conflicts about the direction of the channel a while ago. If this is a direction you might want to go, I can see it becoming very successful. Put out some content like this for a while to fall into a "groove" of how these videos will work, then hire a video editor. The most valuable thing you provide is your playing and speaking. Editing is a waste of your time; like a ship captain trying to manage the sails himself instead of using his expertise to direct his crew. (I have no idea if you do your own editing or not, but it is a common trap I have seen other content creators fall into.) Take a look around KZbin at the successful music youtubers. There is a massive audience for this kind of content. I wish you all the best success, whatever you decide to pursue.

[@stefanosanna3654]

Yes

[@lims]

I strongly agree!

[@SiteReader]

Moi aussi.

[@nigelburge3613]

Many thanks Wim. That is fantastic. It is so good to see Bach's work explained like this - more please!

[@AuthenticSound]

great to read!

[@KesloKeslic]

Absolutely love this video. And the piece itself of course.

[@jb8256]

That opening chord you play reminds me of Poulenc's Concerto for Organ, Strings and Tympani. My very favorite work of Bach's is the 543...thank you for this wonderful video!

[@williamburroughs2273]

Bach's fugues are some of the greatest music ever written, and no. 543 is my favorite. Now that marijuana is decriminalized in Germany, you vill have to celebrate by getting stoned and listening to Bach's fugues, including this one.

[@Jrvdhulst]

Thanks so much for this analysis!! I am studying this piece on the piano right now. The Liszt- version and this video helps me so much!! Great inspiration!

[@Kurtlane]

Thank you so so much! I love your analysis, and this is one of my favorite pieces of music. Another of my favorite pieces is Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 548, "The Wedge." Could you please analyze that one. Thanks.

[@susankinney5193]

I LOVE THIS!! This is definitely a video I'll have to watch a few times to absorb all the info you just dropped here! I'm just finally discovering the awesomeness of Bach so this was very timely for me. I also like Mr. Orange... lol. Anyhow keep up the great work!! So exciting! 😁

[@AuthenticSound]

That's so great to read Susan!

[@shrihansuchit6647]

From historical tempo to sheet analysis great!

[@stefanosanna9317]

Complimenti! Un ottimo lavoro, positivo, istruttivo e convincente. Ottima anche la realizzazione tecnica di questa nuova serie di filmati.

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks Stefano - take care of your son over there with his much deserved "Master" title now!

[@stefanosanna9317]

@@AuthenticSound lo farò, grazie.

[@rodolfovicenzi9167]

I loved the didactic way you sent, through eloquence, the message. I'm grateful to you because it is the only way I'm able to learn about thing of that magnitude. (coloring, showing, performing) - you do an unic duty. Thank you so much!

[@AuthenticSound]

You are so welcome

[@renatoviniciusdinizdecarva7110]

Very good - Do more like this!

[@peteacher52]

Well done, Wim. When listening to a piece of music I have a sub-conscious habit of asking myself "Is this composed to a formula learned at a composition school?" With the true genius composers the music is so good that the question is irrelevant but with some others, the answer is yes; it's good but nevertheless composed to a formula.

[@aleksanderkalicki5518]

This is my favourite Bach's piece, thank you for this video.

[@Kurtlane]

Albert Schweitzer has a terrific performance of this piece. Probably the best of all.

[@michaelnancyamsden7410]

Thank you for this analysis and playing..

[@AuthenticSound]

you're welcome!

[@JoshWalshMusic]

I love these breakdowns. Please more of these!

[@cooltrades7469]

Bach is something we start to understand only at some point. His greatness is always an elegant one even dealing with tragic things , as you said m in this case it's the ''fall from grace'' the confusion and the chaos it comes with it. He is a metaphysiker. If you look at the three part invention in Fm ( forgot the number) there's a lot of reflection on the human condition. What a succes of the human species. How would he see the modern society and the decay of culture...generally. Guess he know somehow that it's not gonna last.

[@hoon_sol]

Fantastic, this is exactly the type of analysis I greatly enjoy, especially as someone who spends considerable time ruminating on and analyzing Bach pieces myself. Would love to hear something like this for P&F in G-sharp minor, BWV 887 as well; that's my favorite P&F.

[@AuthenticSound]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@r1p2m32]

Wonderful analysis, I am mesmerized, hooked... Wow!

[@AuthenticSound]

great you liked it!

[@lmclrain]

thanks for sharing your experience, it is really helpful

[@phileo_ss]

Great enthusiasm and clear, exciting analysis!

[@_spiritual_music_]

Beautiful piece and explanation. And a beautiful instrument and space!

[@magesterium2485]

Enjoyed your excellent engaging lecture demonstration on this great composer. One thing u might have overlooked was Bach although a composer wasn't a mathermatician and yet some how it's worked out genius in his preludes & fugues.

[@picksalot1]

I enjoyed the insightful musical analysis. One of things that I particularly like in Bach's Organ music is the freedom in which he explores themes and harmony. It's as if each melody has a life of it's own, a direction it wants to go, an Bach doesn't constrain it. Each chord appears to live happily in it's own Key, if even just for a moment. Bach is a Wizard at modulating effortlessly from one harmony to the next in a split second. It makes his music so creative, unpredictable, unexpected, timeless, and breathtaking. Can you mention something about the Tuning System used on that Organ? I thought I heard some different sized intervals. Thanks

[@jamesparrot4821]

thank you, thank you, thank you!!! It seems JSB came to us from the future with his multi-dimensional but overwhelmingly beautiful music ... Often, I find myself not wanting to play anything else on the classical guitar ... best wishes!

[@AuthenticSound]

great to read 😁

[@antoniavignera2339]

Che meraviglia! Lei Wim è eccezionale nel modo come spiega le complesse argomentazioni dell’arte Bachiana interessante l’uso dell’evidianzatore. Grazie

[@AuthenticSound]

Thank you Antonia

[@moreira7daniel]

It's bliss to watch you explain this piece of wonder... And your excitement about the genious and beauty within it make it all the more impressive. Thank you.

[@AuthenticSound]

Thank you so much 😀

[@profeluisegarcia]

¡¡What a wonderful master class¡¡ Thanks¡¡¡

[@ColinHarvey78]

12:41 you have that amazing disguised entry of the subject in the sub tonic (VII6 😍🥰 it’s just amazing

[@ColinHarvey78]

It’s a proper entry, just disguised - the whole subject is there if you simplify the first three beats to the usual subject

[@Ianthe22]

8:38 is a playful dance rythmic figure very popular in baroque music.

[@汗をかいたアヒル]

Thankyou for the masterclass Wim!

[@farahmohammed1963]

Excellent video!! Thank you so much for explaining the mechanics & magic behind Bach’s music!! More please!!😊🌺💕🎶

[@AuthenticSound]

thanks!

[@julienroussillesuarez6244]

Very educational. Really love it. Could you maybe do the same thing for the fantasy and fugue bwv 542? Regards

[@EliaTaubert]

I absolutely loved this, thank you so much!!! May I suggest BWV 538 for you to analyze next? That would be awesome!!

[@lfugh1]

Would love to see this type of video for BWV 542 and 546!

[@albarrakaka]

Such insight! It's a great piece and it also works very well on the piano (Liszt arrangement).

[@AuthenticSound]

Thank you very much!

[@sebastianbravo8829]

learning that piece is one of my goals in life, and this video motivated me a lot to practice more, thanks!

[@AuthenticSound]

Happy to hear that!

[@ytmhcubed]

Something that has to be mentioned is that the Fugue in 543 is actually very, very, very strange for Bach and the time period in general. The reason is two fold: 1) The length of the subject, and 2) The sequencing within the subject. The reason why sequences were a no-no in fugue subjects for a long time is because once you get into more voices, there's a good chance that the subject disappears into the background (Specially if a countersubject is more prominent, specially rhythmically.) Length causes a similar issue, where if a subject is too long, it risks fading into the counterpoint texture as more voices are introduced and there is no more clear audible division between subject and the rest of the voices. In fact, this is something that Beethoven and other later composers would use, on purpose. The idea being that they would use the subject "mixing" into the counterpoint (or not so counterpoint), to push the harmony in different directions. In essence, avoiding the things that give a fugue any kind of structural clarity. So Bach in the 543 fugue is doing the "wrong" things to make the fugue lose clarity. Very important also to mention the lack of clearly defined cadences. Sure, there are resolutions that come up in the counterpoint, but there are only a couple of true cadences where there is a structural division, thus further blurring the overall structure.

[@yuhengwu6853]

Loved this video!

[@AuthenticSound]

Glad you liked it!!

[@CyrusandAurelius]

As you may know Rick Beato is a huge bach fan. Hopefully you can get a shout out from him since it's high time for a what makes this song great for classical music!

[@AuthenticSound]

I love his channel - he is an amazing teacher as well

[@CyrusandAurelius]

@@AuthenticSound I will leave a comment in his most recent video on bach and hopefully he takes a look at this video!

[@carlofarina]

Spectacular video!

[@Bach6032]

Nothing but high praise for your analysis and performance. I was especially captivated by hearing the light registration of the fugue at 5:55.

[@AuthenticSound]

Great you liked this!

[@volleswerkfullorganpower249]

super explanation, thanks

[@AuthenticSound]

thanks!

[@haldentoyorganist3896]

I do rather enjoy your approach to this work, and I have to commend you on sticking to one manual Pleno (as god intended). So many people wimp out and get so idiosyncratic... This music is so natural it hardly needs anything...

[@saidtoshimaru1832]

Amazing video!

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks!

[@KD-ml3co]

Great job, loved your analysis! Would you consider making a similar video on a fugue of Buxdehude? Kind regards Konstantinos

[@AuthenticSound]

sure!

[@lshin80]

The beginning of a new series? 🤓

[@AuthenticSound]

yes - will be a journey to bring this channel to where I want - perhaps we'll even open new channels, who knows, all to be decided!

[@artemasgray]

10:04 If Valentina Lisitsa were an organist. Sorry for the joke and thank you for this wonderful presentation!

[@ENRICODALMASO]

Lezione superba !

[@thomaseriksson6256]

Thank y ou

[@massimodeangelis7770]

Grazie

[@schrysafis]

Thoughts of Bach's mysterious Die Kunst der Fuge? Contrapunctus XIV may not touch everyone but when it does you cannot get out of it because you keep learning something new...

[@dlwangxiaohu]

Please make a video on the next piece BWV 544 thanks!

[@AuthenticSound]

that's on the list - will be hard to select some passages out of many!

[@merlindavids]

Thank you! Have you noticed that episode in the fugue that is exactly like a passage of Chopin etude op.10 n.4?

[@AuthenticSound]

Interesting!

[@777rogerf]

I am not an advanced music lover 😃with a specialization in Bach. but with my major limintations I could still benefit from your lecture-demonstration until the pedal entered (on A ) at what seemed to be twice the volume of the other registers: physically-painful loud. Either I have a weird medical problem (could be, I suppose) or the mixing of bass and other tracks is way off.. If it is my problem, kindly accept my apologies.

[@musicalintentions]

very cool! 🎵💕🎵

[@AuthenticSound]

Glad you like it!

[@roaringbasslines6221]

Please do more like this one! This video is just perfect, I could watch hundreds of them

[@AuthenticSound]

great to read

[@andreasvandieaarde]

I like this kind of video, I can only imagine you were inspired by Rick Beato for the video idea? Also, what's your favorite non-classical music?

[@AuthenticSound]

I'm a big fan of Rick indeed - though he sets the benchmark unreachable high! My favorite non-classical music varies each time I hear Rick break down a song!

[@gergokovacsjazzpiano8165]

13:19 perfect jazz harmony. Bach is my favourite jazz composer :-)

[@milenamansanti5448]

Great

[@ledanielzeppelin]

nice

[@AuthenticSound]

Thanks!

[@surgeeo1406]

Wirh my modern mind I can only hear a jet engine on that pedal note at 3:30... I wonder what they were thinking about at the time when this was written.

[@AuthenticSound]

:-)

[@achaley4186]

Love this video! 🙂🙏🏼❤️

[@achaley4186]

Wim! I did not watch yet, but just saw the patroon update and learned about this new vid!!! Conclusion? KZbin did NOT notify me or put in my feed and I am both subscribed and have ‘rung the bell’ …dirty dogs! I will watch the video tonight. 🙂🙏🏼❤️

[@juanbelmonte8920]

Seriously, is there any piece on the earth with better technique than this?

[@michaelshark1]

Very nice video and great to hear the interpretation on the Organ has a little different understanding then the piano.

[@AuthenticSound]

thanks for watching!

[@DEVILPUTIN]

Answer: It's Hippocampus

[@raymundovergararoman2473]

Bach had color markers for his music?

[@billhatcher9303]

Personally I would think that the A is delayed a couple of bars to let the opening lick of the new section…which starts out very low….speak clearly and not compete with the pedal A.