The Art of Fugue stands as a monumental testament to the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach, and countless recordings have sought to capture its profound depths. Given its open-ended nature, not written for any specific instrument, I’ve always been intrigued to hear how different ensembles would interpret this masterpiece.
Having explored numerous recordings, Neville Marriner’s interpretation, while undoubtedly polished, feels somewhat lacking. His conducting, though elegant and balanced, often lacks the precision and dramatic outbursts found in Karl Münchinger‘s more incisive approach. Goebel’s rendition is intriguing, but I’ve never been fully convinced by his rushed tempi, dry string sound, and rather dull harpsichord.
Karl Münchinger‘s recording remains, for me, the definitive interpretation of The Art of Fugue. With stunning clarity and precision, Münchinger and his orchestra seem to have penetrated to the very heart of the music. The performance is serious without ever being cold, and above all, it captures the spirit of Bach with remarkable accuracy.
Münchinger‘s personality and understanding of the work shine through in this recording – serious, yet deeply musical. Like his fellow conductor Karl Richter, his Bach has often been questioned by subsequent generations, but his recordings seem to transcend trends and fashions. This is a truly magnificent recording, one that reveals new depths of Bach’s masterpiece with each listening
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestra: Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Karl Münchinger
Format: Reel-To-Reel 7 ½ ips, 4-Track Stereo
Label: London Records (Decca)Release: 1967
Catalogue: LCK 80181
foobar2000 v2.1.2 / DR Meter v0.7
log date: 2024-08-03 09:44:13
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Analyzed: Karl Münchinger, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra / The Art Of Fugue
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DR Peak RMS Duration Track
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DR11 -9.41 dBFS -24.91 dBFS 4:20 ?-A1.No 1
DR10 -7.83 dBFS -23.12 dBFS 2:46 ?-A2.No 2
DR10 -7.73 dBFS -24.91 dBFS 4:14 ?-A3.No 3
DR10 -9.36 dBFS -23.20 dBFS 3:24 ?-A4.No 4
DR10 -9.05 dBFS -23.69 dBFS 4:57 ?-A5.No 5
DR11 -9.22 dBFS -24.49 dBFS 3:33 ?-A6.No 6
DR10 -8.83 dBFS -23.43 dBFS 2:54 ?-A7.No 7
DR12 -11.94 dBFS -28.21 dBFS 6:09 ?-A8.No 8
DR11 -8.75 dBFS -24.07 dBFS 2:38 ?-A9.No 9
DR11 -8.78 dBFS -24.77 dBFS 4:48 ?-A10.No 10
DR11 -8.65 dBFS -23.53 dBFS 7:11 ?-A11.No 11
DR10 -14.30 dBFS -28.88 dBFS 2:46 ?-B1.No 15
DR12 -13.82 dBFS -30.67 dBFS 2:40 ?-B2.No 17
DR11 -18.39 dBFS -33.21 dBFS 4:02 ?-B3.No 16
DR13 -15.10 dBFS -33.27 dBFS 4:46 ?-B4.No 14a
DR10 -16.81 dBFS -29.95 dBFS 2:29 ?-B5.No 13a
DR11 -15.78 dBFS -29.63 dBFS 2:30 ?-B6.No 13b
DR11 -18.86 dBFS -33.75 dBFS 2:35 ?-B7.No 19a
DR12 -18.95 dBFS -33.50 dBFS 2:37 ?-B8.No 19b
DR11 -9.78 dBFS -25.50 dBFS 3:18 ?-B9.No 12a
DR12 -10.55 dBFS -26.89 dBFS 3:07 ?-B10.No 12b
DR11 -8.94 dBFS -25.22 dBFS 14:26 ?-B11.No 18 Chorale
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Number of tracks: 22
Official DR value: DR11
Samplerate: 96000 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 1
Bitrate: 11290 kbps
Codec: DSD128
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