Twenty-Four Preludes And Fugues
Albany, 2023
8/10
Listen to Twenty-Four Preludes And Fugues
A body of work influenced by Bach's magisterial Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, this lengthy recording recruits the pianists Carmen Rodríguez-Peralta, Maja Tremiszewska, Jennifer Elowsky-Fox, and John McDonald to flesh out Larry Thomas Bell’s strong attention to tonality.
The first 12 chapters belong to Rodríguez--Peralta, whose swift keys and exciting sense of melody unfold with moments of sublime beauty amid the quicker bouts, and Tremiszewska takes the next 12 pieces and emits a very playful spirit that can occasionally hold some tension in firm gestures, and other times mesmerizes us with the meticulous progressions.
Elowsky-Fox’s contributions land on the back half, where a stirring sense of intimacy is present and appreciated amid the sometimes lower registers, and McDonald exits the listen with swirling dynamics and a fascinating dreaminess.
All the players on hand have enjoyed careers as recitalists and chamber musicians, and they certainly illuminate Bell’s work with highly technical and universally enjoyable piano music that we could never tire of.
Travels well with: Rochelle Sennett- Bach To Black: Suites For Piano, Volume II; Allen Shawn- Fantasia & Other Pieces