Pieter Dirksen’s Art of Fugue

An interesting record has been released by Et’Cetera: the reconstruction of the hypothetical 1st version of the Art of Fugue. According to scholar, harpsichordist and organist Dr. Pieter Dirksen the manuscript version (P200) contains a completed version of the earlier finished Art of Fugue (circa 1742). This work was later corrected (1748) and finally it was published in a rather modified and probably incorrect (due to Bach’s illness and death) version.
This has been done before (Gilbert started this trend) but Dirksen’s version is different, because he rejects all the supposedly 1748 corrections). Many pointed rhythms disappear, there are harmonical and melodical differences. While these differences do not transform the work – after all, the general layout of each fugue is the same – they are very interesting.
He further records the mirror fugues and the new canon al rovescio, but these are not part of the earlier version: this is composed of only 12 fugues (or rather, 10 fugues and 2 canons), culminating in the famous triple fugue for four voices), after which the first version of the canon al rovescio is played. The result is consistent.
There are many arguments that give credence to the reality of this arrangement: the french fugue is at the beginning of the second half of the work; there are 3 simple straight fugues; 3 fugues with the inverted theme; and 6 fugues combining the two versions. It is also true that the work progresses in complexity – although the ending with a canon (which Dirksen claims to be a mark of Bach’s work at the time) leaves me somewhat unconvinced.

Dirksen’s playing is, to me at least, very convincing. He plays the music and lets it speak for itself. By just playing the phrases as they suggest themselves (harmonically and melodically) and respecting the work, Dirksen lets the supreme beauty of the Art of Fugue come through.
The harpsichord is a copy of a Ruckers. While the harpsichord is not very transparent (as some new Saxon copies are) it is very expressive and rather well suited to the precise and respectful way Dirksen plays. Polyphony is very clear throughout – at least as far as it can be.
A very interesting version.