J.S. BACH :(Arranged by Marek Wegrzyk) : Adagiosissimo from the Capriccio BWV 992 and Prelude for the Cantata BWV 106: Bergmann Edition

J.S. BACH (Arranged by Marek Wegrzyk)

Bergmann Edition: 12 pages

Polish-born Marek Wegrzyk has arranged a number of Bach pieces for the guitar in the past , many published here by Bergmann Edition. This latest pairing are pieces that I have never seen before for guitar and so that immediately makes them desirable for guitarists who love their Bach!

The first thing to say is that both pieces are tuned like the Renaissance Lute, namely with the third string to F#. This tuning is something that, once you get used to it, is absolutely fine, but if you haven’t tried it before, it does take a little while to get used to!

The Adagiosissimo is a two page work, but at that speed is still quite a considerable piece, and           moreover a speed marking I have never seen before; it is that rare. The piece is set in E minor and consists largely of a descending chromatic bass line that then moves all over the voices , as one often finds in Bach. The effect is extreme sadness and as a result the piece is beautiful and heart –wrenching. It is set for the most part in two voices.

The second work, the Prelude is still with an F# third string but is now set in two staves throughout. The second stave consists throughout of the bass line which would have looked really untidy had it been stuck at the bottom of the first stave which in itself is largely in 2 voices but occasionally including a number of chords too. This piece is also extremely slow, marked Molto Adagio and set in E Major. Slightly more complex than the previous piece, this one is nonetheless a lovely work to get your fingers around and another fine addition to his previous Bach arrangements.

This is a lovely book, with two rare pieces of Bach’s that you almost certainly will not have played before, and therefore this edition is well worth getting.

Chris Dumigan