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Track(s) taken from CDA67309

O Mensch, bewein' dein' Sünde gross, BWV622

composer
circa 1713/7; Weimar; Orgelbüchlein
arranger
commissioned by Harriet Cohen and first published by Oxford University Press in A Bach Book for Harriet Cohen; first performed at the Queen's Hall on 17 October 1932

Angela Hewitt (piano)
Recording details: April 2001
Henry Wood Hall, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Ludger Böckenhoff
Engineered by Ludger Böckenhoff
Release date: August 2001
Total duration: 5 minutes 24 seconds

Cover artwork: Front photograph of Angela Hewitt. Steve J Sherman
 

Other recordings available for download

Jonathan Plowright (piano)

Reviews

‘A magnificent addition to both the Bach repertoire and Angela Hewitt's artistically unparallelled survey of Bach's keyboard compositions’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘A collection of rarities and oddities that makes for enjoyable listening. The quality of the Hyperion recording is excellent, with the right balance of ambience and instrument in the fine sounding Henry Wood Hall’ (Pianist)

‘For pure listening pleasure that is both delightful and profoundly moving, this one is hard to beat’ (National Post)

‘One of the foremost Bach interpreters of our time, Hewitt brings her own distinctive timing and touch. She makes the most of the piano’s sonority … demonstrating remarkable finger strength in sustaining the various lines of Bach’s melodies and counter-melodies and effectively drawing out the tenderness, vigour and serenity of the music. [An] attractive and impressive recording’ (The Inverness Courier)

‘Divine, uplifting’ (Ottowa Citizen, Canada)
Like Arthur Bliss, Herbert Howells chose a chorale prelude from the Orgelbüchlein: O Mensch, bewein’ dein’ Sünde gross BWV622. Howells had been a passionate admirer of early music since his student days, and was no stranger to composing in an archaic style. (He would later produce an inspired blend of old and new in his keyboard suite Lambert’s Clavichord.) Unlike some of the other contributors Howells is lavish with dynamic, tempo and expression marks and phrasing. His very slow tempo—slowing further to an Adagiosissimo in the final bars—helps to sustain and clarify the intricate polyphonic web of Bach’s writing. Only towards the end, in the assai sostenuto ascent to the climax, does he do much to personalize the harmony.

from notes by Calum MacDonald © 2010

Comme Arthur Bliss, Herbert Howells opta pour un prélude-choral de l’Orgelbüchlein: O Mensch, bewein’ dein’ Sünde gross BWV622. Fervent admirateur de la musique ancienne depuis ses années estudiantines, Howells savait composer en style archaïque. (Sa suite pour clavier Lambert’s Clavichord sera un inspiré mélange d’ancien et de neuf.) À l’encontre de certains autres contributeurs, Howells est prodigue de dynamiques, de tempos, d’indications expressives et de phrasés. Son tempo lentissime—au point d’atteindre un Adagiosissimo dans les dernières mesures—concourt à soutenir et à clarifier le complexe réseau polyphonique de l’écriture bachienne. C’est seulement vers la fin, dans la montée assai sostenuto vers l’apogée, qu’il personnalise vraiment l’harmonie.

extrait des notes rédigées par Calum MacDonald © 2010
Français: Hypérion

Wie Arthur Bliss wählte auch Herbert Howells ein Choralvorspiel aus dem Orgelbüchlein, und zwar O Mensch, bewein’ dein’ Sünde gross BWV622. Howells war seit seiner Studienzeit ein glühender Bewunderer früher Musik, und das Komponieren in einem archaischen Stil fiel ihm nicht schwer. (Später schrieb er eine inspirierte Mischung aus Alt und Neu mit seiner Klaviersuite Lambert’s Clavichord.) Im Unterschied zu einigen anderen Beiträgen schwelgt seine Transkription in Dynamik, Tempo, Ausdruck und Phrasierung. Das sehr langsame Tempo, das in den letzten Takten noch weiter zum Adagiosissimo verlangsamt wird, trägt zur Erhaltung und Klärung des komplexen polyphonen Gewebes von Bachs Komposition bei. Erst gegen Ende des Stücks, im assai sostenuto auf dem Weg zum Höhepunkt, bringt er viel Harmonie aus eigener Feder ein.

aus dem Begleittext von Calum MacDonald © 2010
Deutsch: Henning Weber

Other albums featuring this work

Bach: Piano Transcriptions, Vol. 9 - A Bach Book for Harriet Cohen
CDA67767 Piano albums for £8.00
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