The Art of Fugue

Johann Sebastian Bach

Notated on four staves, as though intended for some unspecified set of instruments (or even voices? or keyboard?), these thirteen erudite contrapuncti, four canons, and an unfinished triple fugue—incorporating the letters of Bach’s name—are often considered to be his musical testament. Shrouded in myths traceable to its very origins, The Art of Fugue is a puzzle for the performers and for the listeners alike, but when a brilliant string quartet takes up the challenge, a solution becomes obvious, and the music takes flight.

track list

The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080

Contrapunctus I, a 4

3’02

Contrapunctus II, a 4

2’52

Contrapunctus III, a 4

2’29

Contrapunctus IV, a 4

3’05

Contrapunctus V, a 4

2’40

Contrapunctus VI, a 4 in stilo francese

3’26

Contrapunctus VII, a 4 per augmentationem et diminutionem

3’25

Contrapunctus VIII, a 3

5’21

Contrapunctus IX, a 4 alla duodecima

2’20

Contrapunctus X, a 4 alla decima

3’21

Contrapunctus XI, a 4

5’15

Contrapunctus XII, a 4

2’02

Contrapunctus XIII, a 3

2’11

Canon per augmentationem in contrario motu

4’43

Canon alla ottava

2’25

Canon alla decima in contrapunto alla terza

4’24

Canon alla duodecima in contrapunto alla quinta

2’25

Contrapunctus XIV, a 4 Fuga a tre soggetti

9’17

Chorale Vor deinen Thron tret’ ich BWV 668 (extr. 18 Chorale Preludes, BWV 651-668)

3’32

more discography ...

The Art of Fugue

Johann Sebastian Bach

W. A. Mozart 1756-1791

String Quartets dedicated to Joseph Haydn. K. 421, 458 'Hunt' & 464

Apotheosis

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN. THE COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS. VOL.3

Revelations

Ludwig van Beethoven. The Complete String Quartets. vol.2

Inventions

Ludwig van Beethoven. The Complete String Quartets. vol.1

W. A. Mozart 1756-1791

String Quartets K428, 465 & 387

Haydn

Haydn the seven last words of christ, hob. xx:2

20th century string quartets

Ravel, Turina, Toldrá, Debussy & Zemlinsky

Schubert

Schubert string quartets d87 & d887

Boccherini

La musica delle strade di madrid

Metamorphosis

BARTÓK, LIGETI & KURTÁG

Haydn

String quartets op.33

Brahms

The string quartets and piano quintet op.34

Influencias

Quartets of ravel, turina and toldrá

Mozart

The Early Quartets

Debussy & Zemlinsky N.2

String Quartet

Arriaga

String Quartet

DVD - FRANZ SCHUBERT

STRING QUARTETS # 3 - Live in Barcelona

DVD - FRANZ SCHUBERT

STRING QUARTETS # 2 - Live in Barcelona

DVD - FRANZ SCHUBERT

STRING QUARTETS # 1 - Live in Barcelona