Deciphering Bach’s Master Key — an interview with Kimiko Ishizaka
When Kimiko Ishizaka plays Bach, it sounds amazing. You hear everything that is happening with such clarity that it almost seems simple, transparent. This is not by accident, however. It is the result of a grueling study and preparation process that Kimiko has pioneered and made her own. She calls it the hunt for the Master Key.
Kimiko’s approach is to analyze the thematic material and counterpoint in such a way as to find all of the elemental similarities. She looks for patterns of ascending and descending notes, rhythmic emphasis, and variations that Bach uses, carefully cataloging everything she sees. When all commonalities are fully understood, she begins applying decisions about the articulation — whether notes are connected or separated — and observing how various decisions in this regard affect the clarity of the themes and counterpoint. This whole process leads to a unified understanding of how to play every note in a fugue. If there are any notes which are unexplained or ambiguous, Kimiko assumes that the hunt is not yet over and that she must dig deeper to find the Master Key.
Andrew Melck interviewed Kimiko on this topic, and in the video below you can hear some of her insights. There are also some photos of charts that result from her quest for the Master Key. Should the Kickstarter campaign reach the €25,000 stretch goal, all of her charts, articulations, fingerings, and analysis will be released under Creative Commons license.
