Bach: Contrapunctus 14, BWV 1080, 19 (Compl. Trifonov)

Johann Sebastian Bach did not live to finish The Art of Fugue’s final contrapunctus, and a number of musicians have attempted conjectural completions. For this recording, Daniil Trifonov, himself an accomplished composer, has created a seamless, stylistically respectful conclusion worthy of Bach’s genius. It reflects the extent to which he has absorbed and internalised every nook and cranny of Bach’s valedictory masterpiece. Trifonov is intrigued by Bach’s attempts to base the work on the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio, but observes that the result is “far more than a scientific experiment: as always with Bach, he managed to make music of indescribable beauty and emotion”.

Soloist: 

Daniil Trifonov (Piano)