Christophe Rousset (harpischord)
Aparté AP313 83:00 mins
Ever since his death in 1750, Bach’s contrapuntal masterpiece has enjoyed – and perhaps suffered, too –speculation, hypothesis, fantasy, legend and romance. We should not be surprised since Bach did indeed invite questions which, in all probability, will never be answered.
Though he left no specific instrumental requirements for performing The Art of Fugue, it is nowadays widely accepted that he conceived it for keyboard. Bach died during the process of engraving, leaving us in the dark over his final intentions. A taste for alternative instrumentation has comfortably held its own since Wolfgang Graeser’s large, orchestral edition of 1926.
For his new recording , harpsichordist Christophe Rousset understandably favours his own instrument, in this instance one built by an anonymous German craftsman dating from the early to mid-18th century. Rousset plays with commendable linear clarity, taking the 13 Contrapuncti in their accustomed sequence and concluding with the four Canons.
For the prospective listener, it is of importance to know that, following the lead of Gustav Leonhardt, Rousset omits the final uncompleted Fuga a tre soggetti, which may not even belong to the work. Two reasons are given: first, that Bach would never have played an incomplete fugue; and, second, that all available completions are to be avoided. Readers must decide for themselves the merit of such considerations.
Aside from that issue, this is a fine performance where I found myself revelling in the delightful mirror fugues, where Rousset is joined by fellow harpsichordist, Korneel Bernolet.