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Azica Records4.5
The Art of Prelude and Fugue
Lura Johnson, piano
Azica Records
The two volumes of the Well-Tempered Clavier are rarely performed in their entirety. When they are, however, the order of the pieces is at times adapted according to their similarities in tone and character. With her latest album, The Art of Prelude and Fugue, Lura Johnson brings us to a whole other level.
First of all, the American pianist does not hesitate to separate the preludes and the fugues. She uses this to advantage by placing side by side Bach’s timeless work and the 24 Preludes and Fugues by Shostakovich, thereby showing their common origins.
Johnson is not only offering us her interpretation, but also the fruit of her analysis. With the booklet, the experienced listener has access to a detailed listening guide and is immersed in the parallel universes that no one before her seems to have cohabited.
Bringing together Bach’s Prelude in C Minor and Prelude in A Minor by Shostakovich, for example, is very relevant. It creates a stimulating listening experience and makes you want to discover the rest, up to the 144th and last track. In conceptual terms, therefore, this recording is a veritable subject for musical appreciation.
As for its delivery, Johnson also surprises the listener, but not always in a good way. The detached notes and the moderate use of the damper pedal translate her wish to stay true to our idea of the baroque style. At the same time though, she finds a lot of vibration in the lower register of the piano and proves to be rather flexible in her handling of rhythm, more in keeping with a romantic, rubato style. Even if she is not the first to adopt such an approach, it is regrettable that some of the preludes and fugues are not performed with the same fluidity.
Nevertheless, Johnson offers what amounts to four complete concert programs, a feat worthy of her ambitions.
Translation: Karine Poznanski
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Français (French)
