Pianist Alexandra Sostmann aims to avoid a Romantic approach to Bach's music, which she feels has always troubled her, especially the legato playing that became common in Chopin's time.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in January and March 2023 at Friedrich-Ebert-Halle Hamburg, with Bernhard Hanke as the recording producer and digital editor.
Interpretation
Alexandra Sostmann uses the sustaining pedal to highlight the powerful bass lines, which she believes are derived from the organ and serve as an ecclesiastical symbol, while maintaining transparency in other voices.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach's 22nd Prelude in B-flat minor is thought to relate to Psalm 22 of Luther's Bible, with its emotional climax on the 22nd bar, featuring a nine-note 'chord of anguish'.
Performer Biography
Alexandra Sostmann is a Steinway Artist and has performed on distinguished stages across South America, including the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Historical Context
Bach was a member of Mizler's Society, a group of educated thinkers who believed music was a science directly related to mathematics.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach's instrumental music, including The Well-Tempered Clavier, is believed to contain number symbolism, similar to his cantatas, Masses, and Passions, making it a 'profession of faith'.
You might also enjoy...
Bach, J.S.: Well-Tempered Clavier (The), Book 1
The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I
Bach, J.S.: Inventions and Sinfonias, Bwv 772-801
The Koroliov Series, Vol. 1
Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
Bach: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier - Buch I (BWV 846 - 869)
Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier Book I
Johann Sebastian Bach: Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080
Bach, J.S.: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, BWV 846-869
