Bach: Partita No. 1 in B-flat major, BWV 825 | Martin Helmchen, piano

This is the first published piano piece by Johann Sebastian Bach: Partita No. 1 in B flat major, BWV 825. Johann Sebastian Bach published the piece in 1726 with “enthusiasts” in mind, but actually it was written for professionals. Pianist Martin Helmchen gave his lively interpretation during a piano recital recorded live at the Verbier Festival on July 23rd, 2011.
(00:00) Coming on stage
(00:12) I. Praeludium
(02:10) II. Allemande
(05:32) III. Courante
(08:06) IV. Sarabande
(12:48) V. Menuets I & II
(15:39) VI. Gigue
Johann Sebastian Bach’s six partitas are not only famous but also challenging. They are Baroque suites with stylized dance movements such as Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, or Menuet. The works are regarded as highlights of Bach's secular repertoire. Bach first published the partitas in individual volumes, which were refined with a copper engraving technique between 1926 and 1931. The well-known First Partita, which Bach described as “these modest musical beginnings,” was “most humbly dedicated to the newborn Emanuel Ludwig,” the first son of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen.
In 1731, Johann Sebastian Bach then published his six partitas for cembalo solo BWV 825 - 830 under the title “Clavier Übung” (“Keyboard Exercise”), thereby reaching a larger segment of the public. He called the volume “Opus 1,” although Bach was already 46 years old and a distinguished keyboard virtuoso and composer. On the title page, Bach noted that he had written the pieces to “delight the spirits" of enthusiasts. But they were more than mere “exercises”. A well-known pianist in Leipzig, Luise Gottsched, wrote at the time: “Even after playing them ten times, I still feel as if I were just beginning.”
Pianist Martin Helmchen considers Johann Sebastian Bach as one of the greatest keyboard composers of all time, and Bach’s partitas are among his favorite pieces. Born in Berlin in 1982, Martin Helmchen is one of the most sought-after pianists in the world. He studied at the prestigious Hans Eisler Academy of Music. Among his mentors included Galina Ivanzova and Alfred Brendel. Critics have praised the originality and intensity of Helmchen's musical interpretations. In 2020, he received the prestigious Gramophone Music Award for his recording of the complete piano concertos of Ludwig van Beethoven. As a concert pianist, he has performed with many of the world's leading orchestras, especially in Germany and the USA, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. Since 2010, Martin Helmchen has been Associate Professor of Chamber Music at Kronberg Academy, a conservatory for exceptionally talented musicians.
After the Partitas, Johann Sebastian Bach published three more volumes of “Keyboard Exercises” in the years that followed. The fourth part of these keyboard exercises was published in 1741 and went down in music history as the famous “Goldberg Variations”.
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[@user-lq1sj3oi5w]

Yes, Martin Helmchen does an amazing performance of this Bach. Yes, very lively and fine dynamic range without pounding any of the notes. Excellent fingering technique. A top-notch pianist and fine interpreter of Bach. This is a real treat, thank you!! (from Canada)

[@user-cq9oc9cq6l]

Bravo! Israel

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@cssantisteban]

Thank you, DW, for this unexpected gift.

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@hisukserjeant5204]

Love his not too rush or too crispy approach .. so comfortable and simply lovely!

[@TERRYBIGGENDEN]

Hey-this is crisp, clean and so so musical. Gorgeous refreshing performance! I can't imagine better Bach playing. :-):-)

[@Rodrigodealencarlima]

AMAZING!👏👏👏🎹

[@elenam5740]

Какое прекрасное исполнение Баха! Свежее и живое, искреннее, изумительные украшения, деликатный звук! Виртуозное владение штрихами! Браво!

[@DWClassicalMusic]

Thank you for your comment. If possible, please comment in English next time so that more people can follow the discussion. All the best!

[@leaveyofairarmy185]

Just phenomenal! His execution is effortless and joyful. I'm so glad to be able to hear this without ads and publicity. Thank you for the good work, DW!

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@jpiano2]

Gorgeous, and the ornamentation so in style but at new. So much magic in his music making. ❤

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@philippemassip8310]

Je dois dire….Pour le Glen Gouldien convaincu que je suis que voilà une belle interprétation ! De la nuance, sans trop, un bon équilibre des deux mains et une belle articulation. J’ai particulièrement apprécié les menuets pleins de délicatesse. Bravo. Dommage que cette Partita et les autres n’apparaissent pas dans sa discographie.❤

[@rems4544]

Même chose pour moi et mêmes remarques… Belle interprétation en effet.

[@alanbash2921]

Magnificent Pianist !....I was fortunate to have been a friend of Vladimir Horowitz and can tell you that he would have flipped for your Playing.......keep up the Spectacular Playing...Alan B. Juilliard M.M. 1977

[@dianabrown1444]

I like it! That’s enough Horowitz aside😊

[@giulianopessot]

Finalmente uno che si avvicina alla sonorità di Glenn Gould con evidenziate anche nel volume le melodie al basso. Bravo

[@71lupenzo710]

concordo

[@DWClassicalMusic]

Thank you for your comment. If possible, please comment in English next time so that more people can follow the discussion. All the best!

[@EttorealbertoGelli-vr6sz]

No Giuliano, GG è molto lontano

[@Scoubidou-if1of]

Use your eyes, if your brain is not working: just click 'translation'.​@@DWClassicalMusic

[@connypiano5038]

Perfect. Couldn't be played any better!❤

[@fernandohidalgo5941]

Una belleza y muy expresiva la interpretación del pianista !! Muchas gracias y felicitaciones!! Abrazo y saludos desde Patagonia Argentina Fernando Hidalgo 3ro

[@user-rs4hn5ht6r]

Великолепно!!!Браво!!!

[@anigiuran109]

Thank you DW Classical Music for sharing this beautiful video and music ! 😊😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤❤

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@rafaelramirez6331]

¡Los tiempos de Bach son perfectos!

[@davidmcnicol5322]

Beautifully performed. Superb!❤

[@user-kg9mh7yg6w]

Какой замечательный музыкант.!!!!!

[@DWClassicalMusic]

Thank you for your comment. If possible, please comment in English next time so that more people can follow the discussion. All the best!

[@Ainzleeriddell]

@@DWClassicalMusicI simply translated the comment… why haven’t you objected to posting languages besides this one (Russian)?

[@user-nx7qc2tx1v]

Бах в музыке наш путеводитель к Господу Богу, ...Он берет тебя за руку и ведет к счастью... .

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@javieramundarainvitali7525]

Bravo! Vielen Dank für dieses Video.

[@200715209]

Oh goddess, that exact, mystic thrill at 12:00 !

[@like-a-dog]

Beautiful!

[@calib5]

....absolutely incredible.

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@antekketna7080]

One of the best performaces of this Partita on YT. BRAVO!!

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@giorgiomalandra3597]

Il paragone con Glenn Goold è molto condivisibile!

[@williamwatterson8711]

Sublime. Thank you . . .

[@Mstadri]

Bach, if he didn't exist, we would have to invent him!!!

[@DWClassicalMusic]

We absolutely agree!

[@EttorealbertoGelli-vr6sz]

JSB Is a misterius "SINGULARITY", a not human miracle

[@Willhelmfriedemann]

Eine musikalische Offenbarung !! SO - alsm wäre sie gestern komponiert, BACH war der Größte !! Dr. Felix Mertens Nervenarzt Düsseldorf.

[@modesti712]

My favourite work music piece. This is such a lovely playing of it too.

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@sirleysanti1]

Congratulations! Awesome sound for Bach!

[@margaviolin]

Amazing ❤❤❤❤😍👌

[@manfredstolze8484]

Wonderful

[@jillmcaleese6514]

Exquisite. Wonderful play between the hands. Thankyou.

[@stephenjablonsky1941]

I was introduced to this music in Dinu Lipatti's 1950 recording and have loved it ever since. That's 74 years of music appreciation. Thank you JSB. This is a very musical performance.

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@djperry211]

Lovely piano playing and very educational notes. Great post.

[@xhfkshd]

so beautiful ! bravo

[@azirusS]

magnifique !!❤

[@skoromoh_]

Good afternoon. It's so gentle performance. Lovely moment 😍 . 14324

[@xvsj5833]

Bravo 👏🏻 and thank you for sharing ❤

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@jandrosibilia5242]

Very fine ornamentation

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@renatagabrielli6968]

grande intreprete e un Bach ultramoderno

[@user-yb6oi3ou4z]

Amazing😀

[@raffitorossian6994]

It was an excellent performance. I felt it so easily in my heart. Thanks for uploading

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@rravvia]

This is super good. ❤❤❤

[@elentok2225]

Thanks!!👏🏼👏🏼💐💐❤️❤️

[@johnjulian88]

Perfect, can't be better.

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@giorgiomalandra3597]

Bach è il più Grande in assoluto ❤❤❤

[@imhappyinthesun]

Happy with this partita no. 1. I feel relaxed. :)

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@pavelandreev8015]

Amazing interpretation❤

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@ursinaspring4647]

Wonderful🤗

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@mailywong9612]

Amazing performance ❤

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@SebFa32]

Même si je considère la version de Lipatti indépassable, j'avoue que celle-ci est très belle, ornementation très intéressante

[@EttorealbertoGelli-vr6sz]

Yes SebF, LIPATTI Is far far far away

[@yh2682]

아름답습니다

[@DWClassicalMusic]

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[@seongtaek84]

Original. Never heard partitas this way.

[@user-cq9oc9cq6l]

В сарабанде звук как у клавесина , schönes !

[@DWClassicalMusic]

Thank you for your comment. If possible, please comment in English next time so that more people can follow the discussion. All the best!

[@gky7170]

I think part of Bach's genius lies in the fact that most of his pieces can be interpreted Romantically as well as in the traditional Baroque manner. Thanks to the modern piano, crescendi/decrescendi (as opposed to terraced dynamics), gradual ritardandi, pointillistic articulations, etc., can be deployed to great effect by a good pianist. Busoni understood this and his Bach-on-steroids transcriptions took this idea to its logical extreme!

[@DWClassicalMusic]

Thanks for the insights!

[@tasdourian]

This is very good. If I had never heard Dinu Lipatti playing the same piece, I might have thought one could not do much better, but Lipatti (both the studio version and the Besancon Live performance) is on a completely different plane.

[@LamVudinh]

Tout simplement divin ,je me délecte de son interprétation.

[@peterwilson9699]

❤

[@journeymancellist9247]

Channeling his inner Glenn Gould

[@markmulfinger]

Silk and honey with precision and panache!

[@Schleiermacher1000]

Is this the special wing that Mr. Helmchen had made?

[@cliffhughes6010]

He's the opposite of Glenn Gould.

[@aliasreco]

He cannot sing...

[@yu5458]

This style is good too😊

[@TomTom53421]

This isn’t the insult you think it is

[@cliffhughes6010]

@@TomTom53421 No insult intended. Interpretations may differ, but are equally valid.

[@fxcourty1593]

I had the chance to hear Martha Argerich opening her concert with this partita unfirtunateky i cant find this on you tube….

[@silversurfer512]

I see some influence of Glenn Gould on his play.

[@johnpark9523]

5:38

[@Scoubidou-if1of]

YOU invent him???

[@mariainesdeandradealcantar3263]

🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@user-bn7bv2zv2n]

he reminds of Andrea Schiff in early years,.

[@DWClassicalMusic]

He does, doesn't he? :)

[@beehoney9357]

@@DWClassicalMusicabsolutely,.... softness which leads to losing the essence times...

[@felixsinniger280]

Die Allemande spielt H.H. nicht so durchgehend flüssig wie andere Pianisten. Das Praeludium finde ich besser.

[@Schleiermacher1000]

Well, don't be so condescending!

[@felixsinniger280]

@@Schleiermacher1000 I hope, it is not condescending. It is only my humble opinion. Comparing with Andras Schiff and Murray Perahia, I think, that there are some differences, logically.

[@prundonmcavoy7155]

I appreciate what you mean, but on the contrary! This shaping is actually possessing of a great fluency in movement, with gentle swooping upbeats making downbeats feel extremely gentle and well-placed - very dance-like. If you listen to the meter with the hope to really dance, you'll find it here!

[@yangluo]

He's playing like a 70% Cortot, just a bit more muscular.

[@presidentstaatshoofd473]

If you like Chopin, fine. P.ease play Chopin.

[@EttorealbertoGelli-vr6sz]

Una punta di inutile manierismo. E quel arpeggio finale del preludio da dove viene? Comunque un pianista molto dotato

[@mauriziobellone568]

Esecuzione molto "romantica",parecchi errori ,piacevole ma in fondo una brutta copia di Gould.

[@felixsinniger280]

I think, it is a special performance of H.H. with a nice ornamentation. I prefer the cantabile style of Andras Schiff and Murray Perahia. H.H. performs for my taste with too much staccato and with a lack of dynamics and fluency.

[@felixsinniger280]

I think, the interpration of H.H. are not so robotic as the one of G.G..

[@DWClassicalMusic]

Thank you for your comment. If possible, please comment in English next time so that more people can follow the discussion. All the best!

[@felixsinniger280]

​@@DWClassicalMusicI thought that my comments were in English !

[@PooyaRadbon]

It is a shame to play Bach on the Modern piano...educate yourself about the historical performance practice. We study this so called early music and it is so hilarious to see people ignore facts about great composers of the past.

[@TheBPOtheory]

Bach was not narrow minded. He would not have objected to putting his music in this beautiful form.

[@francescodefendi3201]

It’s not a shame, come on. If this hurts your feeling why don’t you just watch and listen to something else?

[@DWClassicalMusic]

We agree with the two comments before us. Musical practices evolve and grow. Historically accurate renditions are great, but so are more modern interpretations :)

[@PooyaRadbon]

@@DWClassicalMusic that is a hilarious statement. Music of Bach was performed in the best way by people like himself, his sons, pupils and some others like Quantz etc. who left us treatises which clearly show their music was performed with much more different principles unlike today. Bruce Haynes discussed your stupid nonsense in his fantastic eternal book "the end of early music" published by Oxford University Press. We study early music and try our best to perform the music of the past as close as possible to what we have from them: their music in urtext edition at least, instruments of their time or copies, treatises, paintings, magazines and other sources. Your opinion: we play the music the way we like NOW and it is Scheiss egal how they played back then because we are superior!!! You deutsche Welle and your terrible political agenda, get some historically informed professors from Basel, the Hauge, London or Amsterdam who can wake you up. Otherwise post your shitty Shostakovich and such headache music with your modern instruments. Music from psychopaths FOR psychopaths!! Leave Bach alone ...

[@laurenth7187]

It should be played a bit less nicely, as for real men, and not poor ladies drinking tee. Less barock-like also.

[@jaspernatchez]

Very nice playing. Break the habit of non-legato in the right hand and, for no apparent reason in similar passages, legato in the left. The non-legato sounds fussy - just let the piano sing with a light legato.

[@EttorealbertoGelli-vr6sz]

Sorry, no good

[@Margaret-of8sm]

Why?

[@paulorgel4503]

Very fine playing, but his constant exaggerated facial expressions and gesticulations are a real distraction.

[@shooshieroberts3913]

Try not looking. It’s not like he is trying to do that. If you haven’t played this stuff, on the level at which you’re creating the line and making everything work, and you’ve got these voices (in your hands) singing to each other, and so forth, then you may not realize how one’s face expresses what you’re doing. You can train yourself not to do it, but it’s actually distracting to STOP. Some people find it so distracting to keep still that they can’t play normally that way. So give people a break. If you’re not comfortable watching it, close your eyes. Don’t be surprised when someone tells you that you are doing it, too, listening with your eyes closed!

[@misterfunnybones]

Guitarists mastered the art of "guitar face;" now it's time for "piano face" to shine.

[@KarlLetcher]

What an absurd aspect of a musician's performance to focus on. You might as well be talking about what brand of shoes he's wearing.

[@FingersKungfu]

He sits really high.

[@conallgeneral8136]

Maybe he has haemerrhoids ? 😮 poor man !

[@smurf902]

I ain't never seen the bench so high off the support

[@Ainzleeriddell]

Russian style

[@spicy7302]

Could be a deliberate way to make the sound more airy and less pressed down into.

[@jillkitzmiller7255]

Support for his fabulous trills and turns

[@annafalcone6530]

❤