Piece d'Orgue

[sesquialtera]

Hello friends,

I'm starting to learn the Fantasia "Piece d'orgue" in G. (J.S. Bach bwv 572).
A question for the experimented players :
The first part seems to be playable with the right hand only.
Do you think it's a good idea to practice this part that way ?
Thanks for your advices.

[profeluisegarcia]

Hello
My version of this magnificent pìece (J.S.B. Werke für Orgel - Gesamtausgabe für der praktischen Gebrauch-1904) recommends the left hand use in some bars (second bar, 4-5-6 notes, for instance). I can share the sheet music.

Luis

[itsabird]

Have a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiGJMkJAAnY. This shows what Luis is mentioning I think.
itsabird

[robsig]

It's definitely a good idea to use two hands, to punctuate the detached notes as you say 4-5-6. It also makes it much easier for the alternating keyboards approach, which I think is preferable to having the same sound all through the section. And it gives the right hand a chance to rest!

I also like to take the third section softer than the fugué pleno middle section. I come back to full organ for the final cadenza in the last measures. That approach corresponds to experiences I have in meditation, where once you get beyond the ecstasy you pass into a space of utter calm. For that third section I use flute 8, 4, and principal 2, or flute 8, principal 4 and 2, depending on your instrument.

[Franz64]

I also play this piece with two hands.
I once read somewhere (cannot remember where exactly) that Bach himself meant to advise which notes are to be played with the right or left hand, using the direction of note stems (I hope this is the right word): upward stem, right hand; downward, left hand. If you check with many editions of this piece, the notes are grouped consistently with this principle. Following this rule makes the music more fluid, I think, so the I came to the conclusion that this "hidden" indication is indeed reliable, good and authoritative. I also apply the same rule to any fast single-voice passage, when notated similarly, and it works.

[sesquialtera]

Thank you friends for your replies.
I tried to learn the first part with right hand only, it was ok, but not fast enough.
So I followed your advices and it's far better now.

I still have doubts about the two last bars of this part :
Changing hands is possible every group of 6 notes, but I have to memorise the whole section because I need to look at my hands ...

@ Mr profeluisegarcia : I'm interested about sharing your old score... can you send me a private message so I can give you my mail address. Thanks in advance.

[montyjnc]

Hey there,

It depends on the manual switches for me. I start alternating manuals after the first 4 measures and for the fast scales up the very last beat (written as four sixteenth’s stems down then a sixteenth and two 32nd notes in the right), i take all of that last beat in the left hand to allow my right hand time to move manuals. This is less critical when there are not the tiny 32nd note runs because you have more time.

Also, side note, be extremely careful of the releases in the B section! While an ordinary touch is used throughout this work, make sure you can hear the horizontal motion of this passage. Often it becomes very vertical and choppy if overly articulated. I recommend practicing each of the 5 voices individually to hear their musical lines.

Just my 2 cents