Hi everyone,

I'm preparing for my Grade 8 piano on the 2007-2008 syllabus and have been learning the Bach Prelude and Fugue in Ab Major. I'm finding it pretty heavy going, and not just because of the technical difficulty of the fugue, but because i'm not really loving the style in general. I've never been a fan of playing baroque pieces and tend to avoid them, but on looking at the other choices the prelude and fugue style seems pretty standard.

I think my problem is with the lack of expression, and I tend to see these pieces as never ending strings of notes. My teacher is helping me to bring out the theme each time it appears and to make the prelude more interesting by changing dynamics and articulation, but i'm finding it hard to capture the spirit of the piece.

I was wondering if anyone else is playing this piece and if they have any tips? Or can anyone suggest another choice from the syllabus? I was thinking of perhaps trying the Mendelssohn.

My list B anc C pieces are Beethoven Sonata in G Allegro Vivace and Brahms Intermezzo in E. I love both of these and am really getting stuck in. I'm really starting to get frustrated with the Bach now though, and although I don't really want to have to start another piece from scratch i'm worried that it might let me down in the exam.

Any comments much appreciated.
Thanks!
Jenny

the scarlatti sonata in a minor is nice. have a listen to the alternatives as well and pick on that you will enjoy playing

I'm also doing the Bach Prelude & Fugue. My teacher has got me to learn all the individual voices, asking me to play them individually, in various pair combinations etc. The aim is to ensure I bring the character of each individual voice out when the fugue as a whole is played. I've found this has really helped me get inside the piece and enjoy it.

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The Scarlatti A Minor or Mendelssohn are the obvious alternatives. Dont try the Shostakovich unless you have big hands, though its a piece I like.
If you persist with the Bach, I hate it when players over-emphasise the theme each time it comes, some really bash it out, but remember that all parts are equal in contrapuntal music, in fact there is no real reason for the theme to be emphasised at any of its entries, but most of us tend to do it even slightly !

It does not surprise me that Bach's Ab Prelude and Fugue is proving difficult. I think that whoever set this piece for Grade 8 made a mistake ... in that I find it more difficult than the Preludes and Fugues that have been set for DipABRSM and LRSM! I think they probably looked at the length of the Fugue and the number of voices and failed to analyze it in detail - otherwise they would have found two or three extraordinarily tricky sections that raise the bar ... a lot. It is ... by far ... the most demanding piece on the Grade 8 List A.

On the bright side: it is a wonderful composition, learning it will do any pianist a lot of good, and the examiners should take the difficulties into account when they mark it.

I'm not suggesting the AB is infallible, but I would have thought someone might have, erm, played this fugue! Analysing the voices and duration away from the piano would seem a rather bizarre way to determine its difficulty. I may be wrong of course...

I don't think it was in there by mistake. Not many people go on to do diplomas or any music courses after grade 8. I personally find the scarlatti sonata hard particularly with the trills and the tremulo bits. When you approach bach you've got to expect high levels of counterpoint. That is after all what he was known for so maybe the AB put this one in there to give the pianist satisfaction at playing one of his fugues. I see what people mean though in terms of its difficulty. All the melodies in the fugue should have equal weighting perhaps a little more emphasis on the subject.

Thank you for all the comments, it's really useful to hear what others think! I've decided to have a Bach weekend and try and get into it! I think I might need to listen Really hard and try to appreciate the value of each note, then I guess the structure should show a bit more clearly. I'm nearly there with the fingering on the fugue so perhaps it will begin to click now it's getting more comfortable. Maybe I can learn to love Bach...I hope so! Otherwise I think I might look at Mendelssohn or Scarlatti before it's too late.

I am having the same trouble with List A Grade 8 piano. I started the Bach P & F in Ab, before realising the fugue was supposed to be legato molto - beyond my small hands. Then the Shostakovich attracted me, but the same problem reared it's ugly head. My teacher then started me on Scarlatti Sonata in A minor, which is a challenge - almost manageable, except for the trills and tremolos. But the piece which is holding my attention, and proving the most playable (at least to my unreliable hands) is the Handel Prelude & Gigue in F# Minor. So try the other pieces and give each a bit of time, we have until March 2009 to take the exam...

Fair enough - but my point was not complaining about the presence of a Bach P&F in the Grade 8 list: It was making the point that the fugue that has been set for Grade 8 is harder to play than some of the fugues that have been set for DipABRSM and LRSM (or to be more precise - I find it more difficult).

<-- sticks to Scarlatti - for exams at least!

I'm also learning the Prelude & Fugue in Ab for Grade 8.

I find that a really useful strategy for fugues is to work backwards from the end, a couple of bars at a time, playing all the way to the end each time. This way when you're practicing a tricky bar it gets easier the nearer you get to the end, and in turn you are practicing everything you've already practiced.

I find it works really quite well.

Tom

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Im doing the prelude and fuge, but i really like it. The trick is just to practice beat by beat. it takes time but it is a lovely piece.




i disagree, but then thats the way i play it. i found it hard to bring out the tune in certain bars and much preferred them slightly detatched (obviously not like the prelude) but then thats personal preferance.

Well, I'm doing the Soler Sonata in D minor (allegretto) R15 No.2, and I'm finding it fairly straightforward. I've got the 2007/8 syllabus here in front of me and you're not wrong about the Bach being tricky! If I were you, I'd try to look at the List A pieces that aren't printed in the blue ABRSM grade8 book and enjoy the exploration!

I'm learning the Prelude and Fugue as well. Only started about 2 weeks ago, doing well me thinks
The thing with the fugue for me is just the fingering. Small hands aren't good for piano
Basically, I just practise it bar by bar. Literally. Like playing it about 10 times through until everything is absolutely perfect. The semiquaver passages should be legato and cantabile, if you can get your fingers round it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCL5Zvnt0TU
I think this is amazing. You can hear every part so clearly, every time the motif appears.
People on here saying every part should be equal, etc.. That would make it soo much easier. Lol. But I think the whole point is to make the theme stand out a bit, not overdoing it.

God I ramble on

Jenny, when is your exam? Make sure you have plenty of time if you're going to change piece..

Everyone's saying it's so tricky and stuff. It's not so bad for me..

I agree that the themes were beautifully brought out, and I expect I shouldn't criticise Richter. However, I thought the fugue was a bit slow, and I hated the way he slowed down so much at the end.

Wish I could play like that though!

I thought it was overdone


Why not? Some times he was wonderful, occasionally not.


You are too restrained. It was appalingly slow. And the Prelude was probably too fast.


I wish I was half as good as Richter was - but NOT based on this performance

Just listened to Richter.
I agree completely with the tempi, the fugue is not too slow ! But , as others, I do feel he over-emphasises the theme. Thats not playing contrapuntally !

I'm playing the mendelssohn myself, and I find it quite nice, and not too difficult

Oh yes it is !

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