Monday, 25 November 2024

Kempff Again

 The first time I put up a Wilhelm Kempff post – this one – it attracted more readers than anything in years. So, as it's Kempff's birthday today (born 1895), I'm putting up an other beautiful specimen of his playing – his own transcription of the Siciliano from Bach's Flute Sonata, BWV1031:


Kempff wrote a number of Bach transcriptions, one of which features on Vikingur Olafsson'sgreat Bach album. It's a transcription of the Chorale Prelude 'Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein', and it's a pretty astonishing performance. Indeed, Olafsson was even accused of overdubbing the chorale theme – which he somehow manages to play with his thumb, all his fingers being, er, otherwise engaged...

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