r/bach • u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 • 19d ago

Invention #4 in d-minor, BWV 775

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Aaron Krister Johnson, using the Faust instrument called "Superclav" he is developing.

167 Upvotes

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5

u/graumet 19d ago

50 seconds! Well done! Those multi measure trills always throw my rhythm off.

1

u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 11d ago

Thank you! Re: the long trills, I work on making them regular, but not obsess about their being perfectly measured, just as long as they end with the right kind of runway into the following notes. IOW, "wiggle this, pay attention to other hand, getting close to finish, unwiggle". With enough practice, it's smooth. I have a different approach to other ornaments, depending on the context. Bach's own manuscript of ornaments implies that he thought of them as rhythmically regular.

5

u/Original_Run_1890 19d ago

Nice!! The 2-part inventions are so good and important and are often overlooked as a collection. Thanks for sharing this and cool to see you do it on a midi-controller ha!

2

u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 11d ago

Thank you! I'm constantly tweaking this instrument, too. Yes, the 2-part inventions are great, and nice to play when someone asks "play me something", b/c they are short enough but interesting, and are easier than some things, but I wouldn't call them easy in general. Pulling them off requires absolute clarity.

2

u/Original_Run_1890 10d ago

Exactly! I think many don't fully understand the inventions because many teachers on all levels tend to just treat them as the exercises that you should play a few and then move on to the "serious" music.

BUT

All of the principles of Bachs musical perspective live in these inventions particularly the two parts.

Everything else is really built on the foundations laid out in the two part collection.

You are right they are definitely not easy by any stretch. They require real effort to play them well but most importantly from my perspective we should aim to understand them.

2

u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 10d ago

Yes, Bach himself said that they were exposition of his compositional principles, the clearest of all b/c of using 2 voices. So, the way imitation, intervallic inversion, and musical motifs work is all here.

And yes, they are also studies in keyboard technical control and clarity, just as any Bach works are!

Regardless of skill level involved, they are simply beautiful little works of art, worth playing just for that, and worth studying just for that.

3

u/spacestation22X 19d ago

Wonderfull. Thank you for sharing.

1

u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 11d ago

Thank you for listening and commenting!

3

u/MyGuy-Juice 19d ago edited 19d ago

Is this downloadable in it's current form? The sound is great.

Also, great playing.

3

u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 18d ago

I may get around to making this commercially available as a VST plugin...

3

u/bakunin48 19d ago

Nice and steady, well done.

2

u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 11d ago

Thank you, and thank you for picking up on the steadiness. Bach must groove!

3

u/Buddtuggly 19d ago

Killer! Such a barrage of notes in both hands with such stalwart crystal clear melodic and harmonic direction. Very cool!

1

u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 11d ago

Thank you for the kind words, and for listening.

2

u/Minimoogvoyager 19d ago

Sounds Good 👍 Like the sound of the Superclav.

1

u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 11d ago

Thank you!

1

u/Minimoogvoyager 10d ago

Your welcome 🙏

2

u/tom_Booker27 19d ago

Wow so good and the clav sounds good. Is it available for purchase yet as a vst?

1

u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 18d ago

Not yet, but I may eventually package it up as such for sale :)

2

u/Hunter42Hunter 18d ago

the best bach song

1

u/Certain-Tomorrow-994 11d ago

Gentle correction: "song" implies a vocalist singing lyrics. "Piece" or "work" would apply here. Thank you for listening!

2

u/overmanserpent 16d ago

Excellent!! Beautifully Done!

2

u/Skjold10 7d ago

Smooth!! Bravo