Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)

Hyperion Records CDA67980 (2CDs)

‘Hewitt’s eloquent exposition of each fugue’s “formula”, the result of a lifetime’s immersion in Bach’s music, could hardly be bettered’ (Financial Times)

Angela’s much-awaited recording of Bach’s ultimate masterpiece, The Art of Fugue, is destined to be the crowning achievement of her Bach cycle for Hyperion (…) With decades of experience behind her, she breathes fresh air into the most complex keyboard-writing of Bach, bringing it to life with crystalline clarity and thoughtful sincerity.

‘… playing of unusual distinction…This Art of Fugue is marvellous. The variety and beauty of tone alone make compelling listening, bringing contrasts, clarity and warmth to Bach’s intellectual marvels… radiant majesty and humanity’ (Geoff Brown, The Times)

The Art of Fugue BWV1080 (84’26)

CD1

1. Contrapunctus 1 (3’24)
2. Contrapunctus 2 (2’47)
3. Contrapunctus 3 (3’18)
4. Contrapunctus 4 (4’37)
5. Contrapunctus 5 (3’16)
6. Contrapunctus 6 ‘in stylo Francese’ (5’34)
7. Contrapunctus 7 ‘per augmentationem et diminutionem’ (4’39)
8. Contrapunctus 8 (6’07)
9. Contrapunctus 9 ‘alla duodecima’ (2’49)
10. Contrapunctus 10 ‘alla decima’ (5’38)

CD2

11. Contrapunctus 11 (7’03)
12. Contrapunctus 12 Rectus (3’15)
13. Contrapunctus 12 Inversus (3’08)
14. Contrapunctus 13 Rectus (2’22)
15. Contrapunctus 13 Inversus (2’24)
16. Canon per augmentationem in contrario motu (4’35)
17. Canon alla ottava (2’21)
18. Canon alla decima in contrapunto alla terza (4’52)
19. Canon alla duodecima in contrapunto alla quinta (2’23)
20. Contrapunctus 14 (Fuga a 3 soggetti) (9’54)
21. Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein ‘Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit’ BWV668a (5’14)

‘Angela Hewitt’s performance on the piano over two recitals brought this apogee of musical thought to vivid life through sound … Hewitt’s achievement is to bring its abstract purity to memorable tonal embodiment by providing an emotional context that audiences connect with’ (Sydney Morning Herald)

‘Hewitt’s eloquent exposition of each fugue’s “formula”, the result of a lifetime’s immersion in Bach’s music, could hardly be bettered’ (Financial Times)

Angela’s much-awaited recording of Bach’s ultimate masterpiece, The Art of Fugue, is destined to be the crowning achievement of her Bach cycle for Hyperion—a revelatory recording and performing project which has taken her all over the world and won her international acclaim and millions of dedicated fans. With decades of experience behind her, she breathes fresh air into the most complex keyboard-writing of Bach, bringing it to life with crystalline clarity and thoughtful sincerity.

‘This Art of Fugue is marvellous. The variety and beauty of tone alone make compelling listening, bringing contrasts, clarity and warmth to Bach’s intellectual marvels. The fugal subjects pile up; they are inverted, augmented and turned inside out — permutations neatly documented in the pianist’s typically detailed booklet notes. (…)
Each piece casts a specific mood, sombre, flighty or relaxed. Hewitt maintains, too, an innate sense of the pace required for letting the counterpoint’s individual voices breathe. Dotted rhythms and decorative flourishes are polished and placed with infinite care (…) There can’t be any doubt about the expressive benefits of performing Bach’s epic on a modern concert grand — other options are possible — or the radiant majesty and humanity of her playing.’ (Geoff Brown, The Times)