Brad Mehldau: After Bach II (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

Mehldau: Prelude to Prelude; J.S. Bach: Prelude No. 9 in E Major from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 854; Prelude No. 6 in D Minor from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 851; Mehldau: After Bach: Toccata; Bach: Partita for Keyboard No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828: II. Allemande; Mehldau: After Bach: Cavatina; Bach: Prelude No. 20 in A Minor from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 865; Mehldau: Between Bach; Bach: Fugue No. 20 in A Minor from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 865;Mehldau: Variations on Bach’s Goldberg Theme – Aria-like; Variation I, Minor 5/8 a; Variation II, Minor5/8 b; Variation III, Major 7/4; Variation IV, Breakbeat; Variation V, Jazz; Variation VI, Finale; Bach: Prelude No. 7 in E-Flat Major from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 852; Mehldau; Postlude. Brad Mehldau, piano. Nonesuch 7559790077 

The American pianist Brad Mehldau (b. 1970) is best known for his work in the jazz arena, perhaps most widely as the leader of his own trio, but also for his work with other prominent jazz musicians such as guitarist Pat Metheny and saxophonist Josh Redman. If you really want to hear some peak jazz Mehldau, you really can do no better than his “The Art of the Trio” albums from the 1990s, especially The Art of the Trio III – Songs (Warner Brothers 9362-47051-2), which is absolutely amazing. However, his musical interests are not restricted to jazz alone. For example, he has composed songs and performed recitals with classical singers such as Renee Fleming, Anne Sofie von Otter, and Ian Bostridge. Other examples of his wide musical interests and talents include an album titled Taming the Dragon, on which he plays a variety of electronic synthesizers while paired with drummer/percussionist Mark Giuliana, and an album in which he performs what is essentially a classical piano concerto of his own composition, accompanied by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Our review of that album, titled Variations on a Melancholy Theme, can be found here.

We have also reviewed some other releases by Mehldau in the past, these featuring his output for solo piano. In 2020, Mehldau released an album he recorded while holed up at home with his family in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. It contains some reflective original music along with tunes by Billy Joel and Neil Young (you can find our review here). Then in 2023, Mehldau created quite a stir when he released Your Mother Should Know, his imaginative keyboard takes on Beatles classics, which you can read about here. But of more interest to followers of Classical Candor might well be an album that he released early in 2018, some months before my old friend and colleague John Puccio invited me to join him here at Classical Candor. his solo piano album After Bach (Nonesuch 7559-79318-0), which contains five selections from Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier plus some Mehldau originals inspired by them. Fast-forward six years and we now are now blessed with After Bach II, which as you can see from the track listing above follows the same formula of selections from The Well-Tempered Clavier plus some Mehldau originals inspired by them. In addition, we also get to hear Mehldau improvising on the theme from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, a nice bonus. 

 

Mehldau recounts in his liner notes that the idea for including his take on the Goldbergs in this recording stemmed from having been invited to participate in a gala evening at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland during which the Goldberg Variations would be presented, each by a different pianist. Among the pianists invited to participate were such luminaries as Daniel Trifonov, Yevgeny Kissin, Yuja Wang, Richard Goode, Michel Pletnev, and Yefim Bronfman. Writes Mehldau of the occasion, “Mr. Engstroem asked me to play one of the variations. I considered it for a moment, and declined. Frankly, I did not have the balls to do that in front of so many piano giants. The Verbier [Festival] is hist to the premiere classical pianists of our time, and this evening was no exception. I presented another idea: I would improvise a variation instead. Mr. Engstroem accepted, his only guideline being to keep my contribution to three minutes. Sergei Babayan opened, giving a sanctified reading of the Goldberg’s famous aria theme… I played a variation in 5/8 time, and it seemed to go over well with the audience – no eggs were thrown. When I went into the studio to record the music presented here, I built on that approach, presenting an aria-like opening theme, continuing with 5/8 and 7/8 metered variations, toggling between major and minor modes, and culminating in a high-energy finale.” The end result is fascinating – allowing us to hear the Goldbergs from a new perspective as Mehldau imbues them with improvisatory energy and imagination.

The album has a flow to it that is pleasing to the ear and emotions. After the brief opening Prelude to Prelude, which has just enough harmonic edge to it to wake up our senses, Mehldau then plays two Bach Preludes with energy and grace. The comes a real highlight, Mehldau’s Toccata, with its pounding rhythm and propulsive energy, inspired by Bach but infused with the energy of jazz. Not just toccata as touch-piece, but at times as a “pound-piece.” Then comes the respite of a relatively peaceful Cavatina, Mehldau’s touch now sounding more suited for a harpsichord. His own Cavatina has a more ringing, melodic style, with a pulsing left-hand figure and a singing right-hand melody, truly beautiful and uplifting.

 

Then we are back in Bach’s orbit. Another Prelude is followed by Mehldau’s Between Bach, an interesting composition in that it sounds at once both very improvised and very much inspired by Bach. You can hear Mehldau starting with Bach-like ideas and just going with them. This is followed by some Bach with some extra energy – a Fugue, once again showing off the deftness with which Mehldau can attack the keyboard. Next up are his take on the Goldbergs, then Mehldau chooses to close the album with a final Bach selection, the E-Flat Major Prelude, of which he says, “for me, the piece can be so sensuous, even luxurious, inviting me to linger here and there along the way in its unfolding, continuous stream. If I linger too long, though, the slower, stately chorale-like theme that hovers around or intersects with that stream will lose its thrust, and the large glacial cadences will diminish in effect. It’s a metaphor of being/becoming – finding the balance between enjoying the ride and keeping one’s eyes on the road, between pleasure and purpose.” The album then closes with Mehldau’s brief (2:16) Postlude, a heartfelt melodic farewell to the listener. Veteran engineer Tom Lazarus is responsible for the superb sound quality, and Mehldau’s liner notes are packed with insight. To any lover of Bach’s keyboard music, this album – and its predecessor – is recommended without reservation, for it opens a whole new perspective on the great master’s music.