A Bridge to Bach (Piano Works)

Contents Gibbons, O: Lord of Salisbury Pavan & Galliard Sweelinck: Mein junges Leben hat ein End – variations Almande gratie (More Palatino) [Attrib. J.P. Sweelinck] Tisdale: Fitzwilliam Virginal Book Vol.2, No.214, Pavana chromatica (Mrs.Katherin Tregian Paven) Sweelinck: Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 2, No. 217, Fantasia Tomkins: A Sad Paven for These Distracted Tymes, MB 53 Tomkins: A Paven Tomkins: Voluntary Froberger: 14 Ricercare, No. 6, FbWV 406 Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131 I. Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo (Arr. for Piano) Farnaby, G: Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 2, No. 230, Loth to Depart Sweelinck: Unter den Linden grüne, SwWV 325 14 Ricercare, No. 13, FbWV 13a Bach, J S: Three-part Invention (Sinfonia) No. 9 in F minor, BWV795

Andrew Rangell’s latest disc is a recital of compositions that the pianist connects, in various ways, to the music of J.S. Bach. Most of the works which comprise this recital were written in the early to middle 1600’s, and Rangell writes that: “one can hear fleeting soundprints of Bach here and there: moments of the Goldberg Variations in Sweelinck’s Linden Grüne variations or the Tomkins Voluntary; the contrapuntal abstractions of the Art of the Fugue surfacing in Sweelinck’s long fantasy or Froberger’s mystical ricercares; dance rhythms and metrical patterns from innumerable Bach suites, prefigured in the pavanes and galliards. Though many-faceted, this program is essentially intimate and interior in character. “A Bridge to Bach” — a figurative, slightly fanciful designation– is a metaphor meant to suggest how, for me, all the present pieces are linked, spanned, connected, encompassed. Andrew Rangell’s though-provoking recordings for Bridge have sparked considerable debate for their individualistic approach to repertoire and performance practice. Charles Michener in the NY Observer writes: “such was Rangell’s intensity like the late Glenn Gould, he seemed to be propelled by an irresistible force that the listener’s attention was riveted to the music.”