Bach: Arrangements – Angela Hewitt Hyperion

This delightful disc offers a selection from the wealth of piano transcriptions of Bach’s music. The Bach revival that gathered momentum during the nineteenth century created a climate for many composer-pianists to interpret his works through their own piano transcriptions, whether of chorale preludes, organ works or other instrumental music. Much of Bach’s music was made domestically available via such arrangements (and the tradition continued well into the twentieth century, even after Bach originals were well known). Indeed, the practice of such transcriptions was widely used by Bach himself, who freely adapted his own and others’ music for different instrumental settings.

One of today’s finest Bach pianists, Angela Hewitt concentrates primarily on those arrangements of Bach that keep pianistic elaboration and virtuosity in proportion: whatever instrument his music is played on, Bach should still sound like Bach. Eugen d’Albert’s magnificent transcription of the C minor Passacaglia and Fugue for organ, BWV582, is included, as are five beautiful transcriptions by Wilhelm Kempff, and a number of arrangements by English composers that were included in A Bach Book for Harriet Cohen (a collection compiled for the pianist Harriet Cohen, who knew many English composers of the early twentieth century). Angela Hewitt also includes three transcriptions of her own. A fascinating companion to Angela Hewitt’s acclaimed Bach recordings for Hyperion, this ravishing disc will appeal to lovers of Bach as much as connoisseurs of the piano.

Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir BWV29 arr. Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991)
1
Movement 1: Sinfonia[4’01]
Sonata in E flat major BWV1031 arr. Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991)
2
Movement 2: Siciliano[3’54]
3
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV659[5’43] arr. Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991)
4
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV645[4’18]arr. Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991)
5
Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ BWV639[2’48]arr. Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991)
Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd! BWV208arr. Mary Howe (1882-1964)
6
Movement 10: Sheep may safely graze[5’47]
7
Jesu, joy of man’s desiring (Part 2 No 10, Choral from Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV147)[3’50]arr. Dame Myra Hess (1890-1965)
8
Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein BWV641[2’29] arr. Angela Hewitt (b1958)
9
Das alte Jahr vergangen ist BWV614[2’40] arr. Angela Hewitt (b1958)
10
In dulci jubilo BWV729[2’01]arr. Sir Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson, Lord Berners (1883-1950)
11
Herzlich tut mich verlangen BWV727[2’36]arr. Sir William Walton (1902-1983)
12
Meine Seele erhebt den Herrn BWV648[1’20]arr. John Ireland (1879-1962)
13
O Mensch, bewein’ dein’ Sünde gross BWV622[5’24]arr. Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe BWV22arr. Harriet Cohen (1895-1967)
14
No 5, Choral: Sanctify us by thy goodness[2’28]
Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott BWV127arr. Harold Bauer (1873-1951)
15
No 3, Aria: Die Seele ruht in Jesu Händen[5’29]
16
Passacaglia in C minor BWV582[11’45]arr. Eugen d’Albert (1864-1932)
17
Alle Menschen müssen sterben BWV643[3’15]arr. Angela Hewitt (b1958)