Illuminating Conversations Between Bach and Chopin

Music can be a vital conversation not only between composer and listener, but also between composer and composer, as demonstrated by the fabulous and intense “Bach Meets Chopin” recital Wednesday in the Bing Theater at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Sitting at separate Yamaha grands, pianists Sergey Schepkin and Kevin Kenner alternated 24 preludes in the same keys by Bach and Chopin, thereby exploring the startling similarities and differences between the two sets.

With Bach coming historically and programmatically first, Chopin initially seemed to be responding to him. But then an amazing transformation occurred. Bach appeared to respond equally to Chopin. Chronological time became a vapid notion. Music unmasked an eternal present.

Of course, there were differences in style as well as form. Bach wrote two books of preludes and fugues in each of the 24 keys, for a total of 48 pairs of works. He alternated major and minor keys that share a common root (C major and C minor, for example), ordering the pairs by ascending half notes.

Chopin wrote 24 stand-alone preludes (followed by no fugues). He alternated relative major and minor keys (C major and A minor, for example), ordering the pairs by ascending the cycle of fifths.

Schepkin and Kenner followed Chopin’s order, and chose from among Bach’s 48 to best pair the works to make their points of influence and contrast.

Both pianists were fluent and dedicated to directness and avoiding wayward distortions. In playing Bach, Schepkin made frank use of a modern piano’s resources, but with discretion. Kenner played Chopin with clearheaded but rich expressivity. The results were consistently illuminating.

Let’s hope someone considers the next step and juxtaposes Shostakovich’s preludes to Bach’s or Chopin’s or both.