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Thread: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

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    Default G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    You might have heard about Giuseppe Anedda and you surely know the famous J. S. Bach's Ciaccona for the violin -- one of the most difficult composition ever written for the instrument.

    I would like to have your opinion about this execution.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP2_kBKC9jU

    Ciao !

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    I have always said that the Ciaccona is a supremely difficult piece to pull off on mandolin. The tone of the recording is annoying to me and there is some distortion or intonation with some of the notes. Frankly I would rather hear it on the violin. I am curious what other mandolinists who have the chops to do so would do with it.
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    Registered User Hany Hayek's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    Anneda was considered the Paganini of the mandolin. Maybe the recording was not that good, but it is a very difficult piece to play.
    He did a great job.
    Here is someone else playing it:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRn29Xc-mV4
    I too prefer it on a violin. Heifetz for me was the best one playing it on the violin. (although Menuhin was my idol)
    “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
    ― Victor Hugo

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    No doubt it is very difficult. I think it does require lots of sustain which mandolins lack compared to violins. There are many other Bach pieces that work better on the mandolin. I know that Thile will play it on one of his next recordings but I still think it is not well suited for the mandolin.

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    I have always said that the Ciaccona is a supremely difficult piece to pull off on mandolin. The tone of the recording is annoying to me and there is some distortion or intonation with some of the notes. Frankly I would rather hear it on the violin. I am curious what other mandolinists who have the chops to do so would do with it.
    I'm with Jim on this. Anneda was clearly an exceptionally able mandolinist, and his Embergher Tipo 6 a wonderful instrument, but listening to this performance is somewhat of a chore. The percussiveness of mandolin and the nasality of the Embergher tone work against the piece rather than with it (although to be fair some of this appears to be in the recording process -- Emberghers are difficult instruments to capture on tape). Great music should sound effortless even if it isn't; this one sounds like hard work for performer and audience alike.

    This is not to take anything away from Anneda, it's just that while most violin music can be played on mandolin, not at all of it benefits from that transition.

    Martin

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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    While I find it difficult to criticize anyone who can play this piece on any instrument, I have to agree with the others that it really doesn't work well on the mandolin. The lack of volume and sustain of the mandolin makes the double stops sound choppy and the performance just seems to lack the overall power usually associated with violin performances of this piece. My favorite violin performance is by Itzhak Perlman and (IHMO) Julian Bream playing this on the classical guitar is the definitive non-violin performance of this extremely difficult piece. I have to praise Anneda's technical ability though. Thanks for posting the video.

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Jonas View Post
    while most violin music can be played on mandolin, not at all of it benefits from that transition.
    I agree.

    Though parts of this video are quite beautiful.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

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    Registered User Ken_P's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    While it is no doubt supremely difficult to pull off on mandolin, I don't think I agree that it's not suited. In fact, I think some of the more chordal or chorale like passages benefit from the ability to sound the notes virtually simultaneously, as opposed to having to sweep across 3 or 4 strings with the bow. I'm thinking particularly of the last couple variations in D major (mm. 185 -200).

    I saw Avi Avital perform the entire D minor Partita a couple years ago, including the Ciaccona, and I didn't feel anything was lacking. I'll be interested to hear Chris Thile's take on it as well, when he gets around to the second volume of his S&P set.

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    All right... some excellent opinions here and I would certainly re-consider my assessments top some extent. Just to stir up some other comparisons here is another plucked instrument virtuosos take on the Ciaccona.

    Jim

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    MandolaViola bratsche's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    Subjective personal taste, I know, but my favorite mandolin version on YouTube is Alon Sariel's:



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    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    Interesting - and thank you for the posts and comments.

    Maybe I must be the only one that likes all those performances, and can appreciate the stylistic variety of the artist's choices. I think what you hear, beyond the issues of the sounds of the various recordings, is the differences in schools of playing style and to a degree the time period during which the performers learned music.

    I sort of like the percussive, edging into banjo territory, sound Anedda gets; he does seem to have a few issues with tuning and fingering app. 8 to 8 and a half minutes in. The other players seem to have less problems with these passages.

    There is a charm to the somewhat less smoothly modern sound Anedda has, it's like a strong Italian red wine made the old way. The other performers - both are wonderful - are like the new wines made under scientific methods and are very good, very smooth, but a certain bit of character has been lost in the process.

    I wish to applaud the Japanese and Israeli classical mandolin schools, too, they turn out fine players and help keep this genre alive.

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    MandolaViola bratsche's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Maybe I must be the only one that likes all those performances, and can appreciate the stylistic variety of the artist's choices.
    No, not at all, I completely agree! I like them all, as well, I appreciate the reasons for their differences, and even tend to think, more than some do, that this work lends itself well to all sorts of instrumental interpretations (I have even collected a rather diverse playlist for my own personal enjoyment). As far as mandolin goes, I said the Sariel was my favorite because it is, to me, the easiest on the ears tonally, even though I do not interpret the piece myself in quite a romantic way as he does. But I do prefer the mellow timbre of his Kerman over the others.

    The Chaconne is quite easily my favorite piece, and as such I strive to spend time with it as often as possible. I have played it live for (very) small groups of people close to me, and would even like to record it myself for YouTube one day, although that will be a monumental undertaking, and this is a really tough crowd here, as well. :D But even when I've played it, it is not always the same - I often discover nuances in it, so my interpretation will evolve from time to time. And there are things I have to do a bit differently on a larger, more resonant mandola, of course. One thing is sure, though - you wouldn't catch me dead even thinking about recording it on viola or violin. I believe it sounds much better when I pluck this work than it ever has when I've bowed it, regardless of having a few decades of advantage at the latter. (One may make of that whatever one will! LOL)

    bratsche
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    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: G. Anedda -- J. S. Bach, Ciaccona on the Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by bratsche View Post
    But I do prefer the mellow timbre of his Kerman over the others.


    bratsche
    Those Kerman mandolins sure do sound good, I'd love to try one.

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