BWV 1007 Menuets I & 2
Over the last few months I have been learning the first cello suite by J.S. Bach and now have the Prelude, Allemande, Courante, and Sarabande pretty well under my fingers. Next up are the Menuets 1 & 2, The Community Concert Challenge seems like the perfect challenge to motivate me to learn & practice them and possibly perform them over the course of the next month! We shall see. I'll post a status video of Menuet 1 very soon. Lookin forward to it!
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Hi Rick, what transcription are you using? I just started learning the prelude but would love to eventually learn the entire piece. Looking forward to seeing your video!
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Brett Gilbert Rick Lord So cool, you're practicing the same beautiful BWV! Looking forward to when you're ready to share a status video
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Brett Gilbert Hi Brett. I'm using Jeffrey McFadden's Arrangement (Clear Note Publications) but modifying it based on other performances I have in my collection. Glad you are learning the prelude and I would heartily endorse learning the whole suite!
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I've started work on Menuet 1 from BWV 1007 and have attached a status video of where I am after two days or reading through the piece. I still need to build a solid foundation with fingerings and damping embedded to memory. The trickiest measures for me are the final three, 21 -23. McFadden's arrangement calls for 8th note rests after each bass note in those measures, and I assume this is to imitate a cello like articulation. Keeping the melody line legato over those rests will require some slow isolation practice for sure, or I may simply play them as quarter notes. I've started reading through Menuet 2 and will have a status video on that early next week. My reading glasses make me I look too serious in this video. Lol!
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Rick Lord That is so beautiful, Rick! I'm really impressed by your right hand control. The articulation and well-executed damping make this sound so polished. Also, I think the glasses look just fine.
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Rick Lord Sounds excellent! So interesting to hear and compare different transcriptions and I listened his version of the whole suite. Great attention to detail damping the notes so precisely, I'm still focused on just getting the right notes
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Rick Lord That's sounding great Rick, very clean and confident
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Rick Lord nice job! Beautiful! Well controlled and phrased. it has a nice sound and flow…. Btw your serious look is not the glasses: Bach does have that effect on us. Try playing the chaconne with a smile on your face. Speaking of… if this is the result of just 2 days reading through …
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joosje Thanks for listening and for reassuring me about the Bach effect! Yes, this was two days in on Menuet 1. I've spent a good part of this past year learning the previous movements and hope to get to the final Gigue before the end of the year or shortly there after. Then, I just need to live with the suite for a good bit of time.
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Rick Lord Wow, absolutely lovely! And what a wonderful sound you have, may I ask how you recorded that? The video looks stunning , too! Talking abut the rests in Bach's, this Livestream "Pitches, Rhythms, Rests - Are we Misreading Bach?" might be helpful in terms of the musical background!
By the why, I got my glasses as well and suddenly everyone takes me more seriously!
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Martin Hi Martin. I have a small guitar studio that I refinished in the basement. In front of my iMac, I have my "Zoom" set-up using a MixPre 6II as an interface into Reaper. I'm running an AT2020 on an overhead boom and an Octava MK-012 on a small stand on the left side of my desk. Even though I have to put up with unwanted fan noise from the external hard drives, I think this setup provides very decent audio for online study. I have my Canon D90 mounted on another arm stand. I use a Camlink and record the video with OBS.
At the "quiet" end of the room, I do my performance videos and use two Line Audio CM4's running through an Audient ID44 interface into Reaper. For the price, they sound amazing to me! And here, let me offer a standing ovation for your Recording Series this past year! Martin, it was amazing - thank you, thank you, thank you!
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Rick Lord wow that's sounding great, both the playing and the production! I can't wait to hear more from you.
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks Blaise - will keep working on it!
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Rick Lord That's an amazing setup, I am happy that you can put it to such good use with your exquisite playing!
I know that Blaise Laflamme is also rocking the MixPre6 and I almost, almost got myself one for audio-video-work on the go! Almost! I mean, 32bit float recording, timecode-generator, how cool is that! But the battery solution doesn't convince me yet, but we'll see, Christmas is on the horizon!
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Martin Yeah - I just use the power supply at this point. I have used it to record pianist and vocalist at a local church not long ago - but even there, used the power supply. Christmas is just around the corner!
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Rick Lord this is beautiful Rick, beautiful sound and colours. Only 2 days? very very well done. I think you look great, relaxed, not in a hurry, with the right moments to breath. Congratulations
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Eric Phillips and Brett Gilbert , Thanks for your encouragement. One good note at a time.
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Your Minueto sounds beautiful and so clear like transparent water....thanks
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Nora Torres-Nagel Thank you Nora.
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Practice Diary Update - 11/15/2021
I've continued to build the technical foundation for Menuets 1 & 2 BWV 1007 over the weekend. Menuet 1 is coming along, though still needs slow practice on selected phrases. I hope to feel more comfortable and express the phrases with improved clarity (minimize buzzes/clicks etc.) Here's a video of my practice performance today (see fist video below).
Next up is Menuet 2. I've started reading through this movement and experimented with some ornamentation. It's a beautiful contrast to Menuet 1 with a more delicate harmonic and rhythmic soundscape. My plan is to complete these movements with a final return to Menuet 1. I thought that the Menuets might be ready to perform for the Community Concert Challenge, but they just need more time (see the second video below).
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Rick Lord Well, I think that both of those are already stunningly beautiful, Rick. You are so right about the nice contrast between the two. The second one really pulled me in. I know I've heard them both before, as I have listened to the entire suite many times, but just hearing the two minuets on their own is quite wonderful.
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Rick Lord That was absolutely beautiful! These minuets are wonderful and you played them beautifully. Your phrasing and tone were excellent. Great job Rick!
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Eric Phillips Many thanks. It will be good to link these two menuets together and experiment with the contrast.
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Jack Stewart Thanks for the encouragement. There really are satisfying to play.
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Rick Lord You play these very nicely Rick. I thought it was a very good performance!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
