🇫🇷Charles Camille Saint-Saëns ： Transcriptions of J S Bach Book 2 Fugue

A piano transcription by Saint-Saëns of a fugue by J. S. Bach. The subject is passed from one voice to another, while multiple melodic lines overlap and propel the music forward, allowing the listener to follow both the individual lines and the larger contrapuntal structure. From the opening, it is important to clarify the role of each voice and make each entrance of the subject distinct. The inner voices should not be allowed to disappear, yet the principal line should not be brought out excessively; a finely judged balance is essential. Pedaling should be used sparingly to avoid blurring the texture, while careful attention to phrase direction and changes in tension can reveal the original’s intricacy and the three-dimensional character of the piano transcription.