Different playing approaches to Bach's Prelude and Fugue in F minor, BWV 881

Daniel Barenboim

Barenboim’s interpretation of this prelude and fugue is incredibly romantic and expressive. In the opening melodic idea of the prelude, he leans into the second quaver each time, giving an almost sighing feeling to the phrase. He indulges in many rubatos, often at the ends of phrases. I personally think he takes too many liberties and over uses this idea although I am a firm believer that Bach should not sound metronomic. His playing style is not as clear as other interpretations as I think he focuses more on the elegance of the piece as a whole and on building the harmonic tension rather than the detailed polyphonic writing. However, some of his melodic phrasings are truly beautiful and I like his wide range of dynamics.

He attempts the prelude in a controlled manner but at a reasonable slow speed with carefully measured ornamentation. In comparison, the fugue has an increased tempo and Barenboim rubatos much less frequently. Each entry of the fugue is visibly defined with clear articulation and he effectively exaggerates some of the left hand rising arpeggiated figures, especially near the end of the fugue.

Glenn Gould

In contrast, Gould’s interpretation focuses very much on the polyphonic writing and less on the piece’s elegance as a whole. He performs the prelude at a lively speed and pushes the fugue on even more so although I think by doing this he loses some of the harmonic tension and style. His use of rubato is sparse and is only really used at the end of the fugue. I think his choice of tempo is a little relentless for this prelude and fugue, especially as he speeds through the thick modulations with such intensity that you almost miss them.

The dynamics are less diverse than Barenboim’s interpretation but Gould still maintains clear articulation throughout which helps to showcase the polyphonic texture of Bach’s music. His use of ornamentation is very sparse but combined with his impressive technical proficiency; he creates the purity that is associated with his playing style.