6/4 meter

Yesterday in the morning I finished recording Sonatina Quinta (Allegretto) by Johann Ludwig Krebs:

It’s like a minuet but in 6/4 meter. Usually we see minuets in simple 3/4 or 3/2 meter where there is only one strong beat per measure (1). Oh yes, Kirnberger teaches that 3/4 meter can have 2 strong beats per measure - 1 and 3. So anyway, but with 6/4 meter it’s different. It’s a compound meter and there are 2 strong beats - 1 and 3. So it was interesting to see how this piece is constructed and think if anything would change if the meter was 3/4 instead 6/4. I guess, it’s just for composer’s preference.

It wasn’t very easy to record - took me 7 takes to get it up to the level I was satisfied with without editing the recording. The most difficult part wasn’t actually jumps from one manual to the other for echos but it was concentrating long enough and not letting my fingers slip on any sharp (there are 4 next to the clef - it’s written in E major). I didn’t stop the recording going after each unsuccessful attempt and kept playing. With each new take I felt more relaxed and with the final take which I kept for this video, I was able to add a number of improvised diminutions which was nice.

In the afternoon I practiced a few times Praeludium and Fugue in C Major, BWV 566a by J.S. Bach on 8’ principals of Velesovo sample set by Sonus Paradisi. I tried to get the page turns right with my Bluetooth iRig device which I use to turn the pages with my foot when I’m playing from an iPad. Those Principals on Hauptwerk and Oberwerk sound so beautiful that I could actually play on them alone for hours and not be bored.

Today I will start recording the last sonatina - Sonatina Sesta and hopefully by Monday or Sunday (if you support me on Patreon) you will hear me playing some chorale preludes by Kauffmann from his beautiful collection “Harmonische Seelenlust” (1733). Kauffmann was contemporary of J.S. Bach. In fact, as I’m writing these lines early in the morning, I’m listening through the headphones how my friend Auke Jongbloed plays them on YouTube. If you like early organ music, you can find many unknown gems in his YouTube channel “Partitura Organum” along with the links to the scores:

​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx2iiqZuzri08lwGU4zbaBA