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I've been studying Bach's Cappriccio on Bb on the departure of the beloved brother, and it's quite a masterpiece. It's been played by many amazing pianists, and I was wondering if there are more pieces by Bach that don't often get performed in concert halls.

When's the last time Bb minor from Book II was performed?

Or the unfinished fugue from Art? (Or the really really long fugue from Art?)

Even among the "known" works, there are underplayed masterpieces....

-J

....but I would agree that the "Capriccio" is relatively way neglected among Bach's works of that type.

...and an amazing piece to boot.

Many years ago I played a Prelude & Fugue in a-minor. Unfortunately I don't remember the BWV-number and do not have the sheet music at hand. It does not belong to the WTC, and I believe it is not a transcribed organ piece.

The second part is a four-part double fugue.

This is a great composition, but very seldomly performed I think.

half of the WTC are underplayed.

Regarding the first... probably the last time an offering of the complete set was given.

Regarding the second... Angela Hewitt, recently, has performed the complete Art of Fugue several times and has also recorded it for an upcoming release.

Regarding the last... it is unfortunate that so much of Bach is still not played, even after so many have jumped on the bandwagon in the last 25 years or so. In large part, it is because he still isn't given as much attention in the classroom as other composers, and even when he is, students will choose fast, loud, and showy for their recital before considering adding Bach to their programme.

All of Bach's keyboard works are well documented on record, but those playable on the piano are not often included in live piano recitals.
rk

This sounds like BWV 904, although that's a fantasy and fugue, not prelude and fugue. The clues I'm basing this on are that you've stated it's a four-voiced double fugue that no one plays. And I agree: phenomenal piece, and it's basically never played. I only know of three pianists to have played/recorded it: Edwin Fischer, Brendel (who strangely enough, only made one Bach recording to my knowledge), and Sokolov. The fantasy is truly beautiful, but can be a hand-twister because of all the voices that are held. I've been meaning to learn this piece for a long time, maybe now I will actually do it!



This would have actually been my own vote for underplayed Bach piece (assuming that's the piece you meant). I would add to that the French Overture BWV 831, which almost no one seems to play either (but at least more often than BWV 904). Another one that I've been meaning to learn.



One un(der)played Bach piece that I have played is another fantasy and fugue in A minor, BWV 944. I only found out about the piece because of Richter - I know of no other pianist to have played it. It's a great piece that's really just a long fugue with a very short introduction that is a few arpeggiated chords - not a particularly elaborate fantasy. The fugue is 8 pages of non-stop running sixteenths, but at least it's only 3 voices so it's manageable.

Indeed this is the one. Fantasy, not Prelude, and Fugue; BWV904.
I also know BWV944 and have the score somewhere in my archives, but I have never played it myself. Although the fugue is probably less difficult than the four part double fugue of BWV904.

I've read through BWV 904 and it is *definitely* harder than BWV 944. Both are great pieces and should get more attention than they do now.

I'm currently working on the third Partita (a-minor). This is another example of a great composition that is rarely played. But after this dicussion I seriously consider taking on BWV 904 again. It must be 20 years since last time I touched it.

I actually really like that "Departure" piece mentioned in the OP. I just learned about it in my piano literature class a couple weeks ago, and it's one of the pieces I will upload soon in that YouTube project I've been doing.

There's also a wonderful feinberg rec of BWV 904. Great piece, might have to take it up in the spring.

My recording of Feinberg playing BWV 904 shows that it's actually a Feinberg transcription. It's wonderful regardless.

To address this topic more broadly, I feel like the Well-Tempered Clavier (and sometimes the Goldberg Variations also) gets the most performance attention with Bach. The pieces from it are undeniably great, but I feel like there's less drama or journey or narrative or (pick your descriptive term) in them than in some of the other large works that have been discussed, especially the keyboard suites. I find the dramatic scope and journey of most of the keyboard suites (especially the minor English Suites, minor Partitas, and the Overture in the French Style) to be as great as the best of Beethoven's sonatas. And they aren't performed nearly enough. I've only ever heard live performances of French Suite No. 5, Partita No. 1, and the prelude to Partita No. 6. And the Partita No. 1 was the only one I heard performed by a professional.

The Toccatas are also very worthwhile. Perhaps they're "less worthwhile" since they're younger Bach, and one could echo Glenn Gould in saying that they deserve an editor's red pen to mark out the repetitive sequences, but I still love them, and they're NEVER played.

What's the Bach piece that goes like 'DA d-d-d-d- DA da da DA d-d-d-d- DA da da'?

I think it's called Dafrom Danotebook ofd-d- anna magDAlena DaBach-d-d-DA.

Oh, you mean the one where the middle section goes DA d-d-d-d DA da da DA d-d-d-d DA d-d da DA d-d-d-d-d DA da da DA d da da DA?

I believe that's Beethoven's Symphony No.5.

Beethoven didn't write a Symphony No.5.