Janine Johnson’s original suites showcase her considerable composition talents as well as the thoughtful harpsichord playing for which she is known. Janine is one of those artists who puts enormous quantities of consideration and attention to detail into her work, and it all comes out in the music. Rich tones, reflective work.
Listen to Track No. 1
From: Magnatune
One of my favorite works for organ is the great Praeludium in E flat from Bach’s Clavier Übung III, which is usually followed in recital by the Fugue in E flat, called “St. Anne’s”, though in Johann Sebastian Bach’s manuscript the two are separated by the entire remainder of the work, 27 pieces in all. As a harpsichordist, the temptation was too great to not adapt these and other works to my own instrument. The Praeludium especially reminds me of the French Ouverture in ClavierÜbung II and the Ouverture of Partita #4 in ClavierÜbung I, both harpsichord works. I also have a great fondness for Bach’s Chorale Preludes, as well as his Fugues. ClavierÜbung III being organ music, often has pedal parts, though much is also for manuals alone, including the Duetti which are often performed on the harpsichord.
From: Magnatune
Listen to Track No. 8
Despite the sophistication of the Inventions and Sinfonias, and their value as teaching pieces of performance and compositional technique, these works were not published in Bach’s lifetime, but rather in 1801, 51 years after his death. The “simple” version we are all presently accustomed to comes from this 1801 publication (Neue Bach Ausgabe), though we now are aware of other handwritten copies, including by Johann Sebastian Bach himself. Begun as teaching pieces for his own son, Wilhelm Friedemann, they were likely finished in Leipzig, where he moved in 1722.
Perhaps “finished” is not quite the right word, as Bach continued to tinker with them. It is evident to me that as teaching pieces, personal instruction by Bach would have been invaluable to his pupils, as improvised ornamentation would have been encouraged, hence the varying versions that have come down to us. It is my opinion that the simpler versions were kept as such to allow for the freedom to exercise one’s own taste in regards to ornamentation (within reason). Unlike Francois Couperin, who was annoyed at anyone’s altering of his text, Bach expected it.
In the pupils’ versions I am working from I find it interesting that in many, suggested ornamentation of the main subject only appears at the beginning. I would think the student was expected to extend the logic through the entire piece, though in my performance, I mostly stick to the text, so that you, the listener, can hear what was passed down to us. In a few cases I do carry the ornamentation a bit further, (see above) but am pretty discreet. In several of the later Sinfonias, the students’ ornamentation is heavy throughout, as is also true in Bach’s final versions.
The two most radically different works, in Bach’s hand, are Invention #1 with triplets, and Sinfonia 5, highly ornamented in the French style. In the case of Sinfonia 5, I wonder if my simple performance is even remotely correct. I suspect not.
In this performance, I also do not play every conceivable ornament. Sinfonia 12, for example, has some appogiaturas in the subject (appearing only once), that I personally don’t care for, though I suppose one could get used to them, and maybe even like them if they were carried out in all voices. The same holds true of an appogiatura in the opening subject in Sinfonia 14, which to me sounds like an interruption. It all eventually boils down to taste.
on: Magnatune
Listen to Track No. 31
Known for the intricate artwork with which she adorns world-class harpsichords, the multitalented Janine Johnson’s style of playing is elegant yet extremely agile. Her German Keyboard Masters album highlights the splendid work of Dietrich Buxtehude, whom Johann Sebastian Bach walked for miles to hear and study, and Johann Pachelbel, who was Bach’s brother’s teacher–the brother who in turn taught Bach. This album makes a great pairing with her recordings of J.S. Bach’s, as these two composers had a profound effect on his work.
Listen to Track No. 2
German Keyboard Masters by Janine Johnson
Recorded on a 1890 Broadwood grand piano, Janine Johnson’s Chopin interpretations of Frederic Chopin show off her elegant, agile style of playing as well as this Romantic-era composer’s full range of poetic expression. The waltzes are charming, the preludes delicate, and the nocturnes—rich.
Listen to the first track:
Known for the intricate artwork with which she adorns world-class harpsichords, the multitalented Janine Johnson is also a gifted harpsichordist and pianist in her own right. Her style of playing is elegant yet extremely agile, and she has performed extensively in the Bay Area and beyond.
Ms. Johnson began her musical studies on the modern piano and started playing the harpsichord as a teenager. She majored piano performance and two dimensional art at California State University, Northridge and began building and decorating harpsichords in earnest at this time. She has continued as an instrument maker ever since and is now working with renowned harpsichord builder John Phillips in Berkeley, California.
The “Goldberg Variations” by Johann Sebastian Bach, played by Janine Johnson (Magnatune Edition) are on line in AAC, M4A, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WMA, WAV.
From: Magnatune
on: https://www.classicistranieri.com/goldberg/
Score: https://www.classicistranieri.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/01_opengoldbergvariations-score.pdf
Biographical Notes on the Author: https://www.classicistranieri.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Johann_Sebastian_Bach.pdf
Notes on Magnatune: https://www.classicistranieri.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Magnatune.pdf
First Track:
