The Keyboard Music of Bach

Dear Sn66

As to English suites, I intend to comment upon among others van Asperen and Watchorn as well as Rübsam and Parmentier, as soon as I can, and then make some short overwiew of all the recordings, I have heard in my time. Unfortunately my job leaves me often only sparse spare time at the moment.

And I still intend to make an update of RdS' Kunst der Fuge thread, when I have the time.

Wilsons WTC is played on a fine copy of the famous Zell from Hamburg, which Curtis uses for his English and French suites.

I share your occupation with Froberger as well. In the light of your words I think, I shall aquire the Verlet and more of Rampes recordings. Meanwhile though I think, that Leonhardt - as almost always - is the unsurpassed master of Frobergers harpsichordsuites too (the introvert, meditative allemandes fx.).

Regards,

 

The harpsichords of David Rubio

Dear RDS

I am an author living in Warsaw writing a book about Poland and Chopin. In 1978 I commissioned a David Rubio copy of a Dulcken which I still own. It was built by the 'team' at Duns Tew. David did not personally build the Duns Tew instruments but oversaw and brought together a brilliant team effort - each part of the instrument built by a specialist - which produced remarkable instruments with a very individual character. They are Rubios first and foremost and not 'copies' in the slavish sense of the term. The original Dulcken register disposition was not good so David arranged the 8' 8' 4' as in a French instrument - just an example of his pragmatic approach.

The instrument was in my music room in Marylebone in London for the last 27 years until recently when I moved to Warsaw in Poland (one of the great cultural, musical and tourist secret of Europe incidentally). I came across your sensitive and perceptive analyses of Bach quite by accident on the web and read your feelings about the many recordings of the Partitas and the WTC with admiration. I entirely share your opinion of the great Gustav Leonhardt in almost all respects. He was a great personal friend of David Rubio and often played the astonishing Duphly Chaconne at Duns Tew where the walls of the cottage seemed to be pressed outwards with the increasing opulence of sound. The recording bears no resemblance at all to the real instrument in life but was the reason oddly enough that I approached David in the first place.

I knew this remarkable luthier quite well and attended the very moving memorial service and concert after his tragic death in Cambridge. He made some of the greatest guitars in the world and also superlative chests of viols (a group of matched instruments) gambas and baroque violins. Harpsichords were not his major art but he had an ear for rich colour and the genius to realise it in wood - his harpsichords have the similar rich characteristics to his other instruments. And some people do not like them!

I noticed you purchased one of his Taskin copies after much deliberation. I agonised for weeks over my own decision when commissioning my own instrument. In those days the excitement over 'early music' was high and Leonhardt owned two Rubio Taskin copies on which he recorded some opulent Duphly. I attended one of his master classes at the Spitalfields Festival which was quite extraordinary and then his recital in Hawksmoor's great church. He seemed apart from most humans as if strangely sheltered behind a pane of glass - an extraordinary experience and certainly the most memorable harpsichord recital I have ever attended. Harpsichordists are seldom the slightest bit charismatic in concert.

At the time I did not know the harpsichord repertoire as I had studied the piano and had an obsession with Chopin which continues. In fact I have just purchased a fine 1847 Pleyel Pianino which is being restored by the eminent David Winston in the UK. Chopin used a Pleyel of this type and period in that ill-fated period in Valdemosa.

Much has changed since those early days and I really must have my instrument attended to - it is still in its original condition after almost 30 years! The passe phosphor bronze bass strings have begun to snap despite my keeping the instrument slightly above 'French Baroque Pitch' at A 403 - known as French Chamber pitch . So much science has been brought to bear on harpsichord building, stringing and voicing since the heady days of the 1970s. But I could never bear to sell this black, gold and carmine instrument with its superb decorated soundboard and other features - commissioning instruments is a very special experience. I was not wealthy then (and am not now) and it was a terrific cost - 9,000 pounds in 1978 would buy a short lease on a London flat. When he began building Blanchet copies on his own after moving to Cambridge the results were mixed. Trevor Pinnock sold his Blanchet copy by Rubio if that means anything at all.

I play a great deal of Couperin and Scarlatti - sounds heretical on a Dulcken I know but Couperin is given enormous masculine spine on this instrument and the tenor is glorious and the bass profound and dark - the speaking lengths of the strings are so long. One could never feel less than spiritually unsettled by the Sarabandes on this instrument. The slighter works are transformed by the Flemish solidity, like struck silver.

I would love to have your opinion on Couperin and the temperament most suitable to play this composer on. It is so difficult to decide - the reason I stumbled over your thread actually.

Leonhardt once answered a question I asked at a masterclass. 'Why do you so rarely play Couperin in recital?" Leonhardt replied "The music is too good for most audiences"

I did not know he recorded some Couperin - you mentioned this - more details please as I have hundreds of vinyls from those early days of fiendish enthusiasm.

Look forward to your reply

Michael

 

I read an interesting review of Rousset's French Suites in Gramofile (Gramophone). I'm beginning to wonder if my musical views and ideas are in fault as this review, in gist, states that Rousset plays beautifully but does not engage the senses, either through a lack of imagination or a reluctance to engage. However, the more I listen to Rousset (I've been listening to his d'Anglebert fairly extensively), the more I admire his style. I suppose he is less emotional and spontaneous, and more serious in nature, than other musicians, but I feel the true music, without any sort mannerisms or eccentricities, come out in his performances.

I also like Gould, who is, in many ways, the diametric opposite of Rousset, but whose performances on piano are the only ones I really enjoy. But in his own way, Gould, although eccentric and almost perverse (I would not recommend his WTC for a first set to anyone) in his interpretations, understands counterpoint superbly. That is what I hear in his records.

Rousset reminds me of Arthur Grumiaux, whose set of Bach's sonatas and partitas remain my favourite, in his elegance and his conveying of emotion without being overtly emotional. Heinrich Schiff's cello suites also come to mind, fast, rhythmically propulsive without sacrificing the inherent understanding and emotion of the music.

Regards.

 

Julia Cload WTC 2

Has anyone heard the new recording of WTC 2 by English pianist Julia Cload? For that matter, has anyone heard her WTC 1? If so, what do you think?

This is my first post. Please give me a warm welcome. Here are some of my WTC favorites: Leonhardt (1; haven't yet heard 2); van Asperen (1 and 2); Gould (1 and 2); Horzowski (1).

 

Hi algaman,

Been pressed for time or else would have welcomed you earlier. Unfortunately, I listen to Bach mostly on the harpsichord so cannot comment on Ms. Cload. But your harpsichord WTCs are very good. I have both the Leonhardt and Van Asperen recordings and they are excellent. May I also recommend both Gilbert's WTC 1 and 2 and Glen Wilson's WTC 2, they are both quite superb. I have also listened to Gould 1 and 2 and enjoyed them both tremendously.

Has anyone listened to Pierre Hantai's WTC 1? And Rousset's new recording of Clavierbuchlein for W.F. Bach?

 

Algaman,

Sorry not noticing your post until now. But welcome in this forum, I hope you will return. I am often pressed for time to listen to all the music, I would like to, too.

I can whole-heartedly second Sn66's words about Leonhardt and van Asperen, which are my preferred versions with Gilberth and Wilson very close. Other rewarding versions are the somewhat academically orientated Moroney (French Harmonia Mundi) and Walcha (EMI).

 

Not yet, Hantai is on my wish-list. I own a number of his Bach recordings. Would characterize them as being almost uninhibited rhetorical-dramatical. I am not that fond of Rousset, but in the end I shall surely acquire this recording too.

 

I listened to Hantaï's version today. Previously I found it rather indifferent. I must rectify my position here. It is a rather passionate view of the WTC, but convincingly so. I don't like the harpsichord he uses, though: a yellow brass strung instrument, rather dull. However, it has plenty of dynamics (for a harpsichord) and Hantaï uses it to very good effect.

An idiossincratic view, but a very interesting one.

 

Dear Michael:

Thank you for your very kind (and exagerated) remarks on my posts on Bach.

Regarding Couperin, I must say that I am as baffled as you about his choice of temperament. For organ music, some kind of modified mean tone is enough, but his harpsichord pieces are much bolder than his organ music. So, I really have no answer. However, for all I know, there was a great deal of flexibility in harpsichord tuning. You of course know about Rameaus system, but it is a fact that there is no record that Couperin and Rameau exanged ideas (at least as far as I know).

My beloved Rubio has also reached the point of breaking the marvelous red brass bass strings. I substituted them for yellow brass, but I confess I don't like the result. Perhaps iron would be a better choice.

The Leonhardt Couperin record was released by Philips. If I can find the exact reference I'll give it to you. I do not have it in the house I am currently living in. But it is really superb, and the harpsichord is a magestic one, tuned very low and with an extremely rich bass.

I too, regard Leonhardt as one of the great masters of our time. I listened to him playing an organ Reinken tocata that I did not know about, and I was marveled: the organ in which he played it is nothing special and yet he shined. As a matter of fact I thought about what he once said: no good organist can shine in a bad organ. Well, he did it.

I am very sorry I did not answer your post before, but I had terribly urgent things to attend to at the time - I did try to answer it, but could get no adequate view on Couperin's tuning.

I hope you will post again.

 

Re The Well Tempered Clavier

Thank you that brief summary of the WTC it was most enlightening- you mention various interpretations- i have the keith jarrett ecm new series recordings- book 1 in played on the harpsichord and book 2 is performed on a concert grand piano- have you heard these recordings? and would you like to comment?

regards

kenneth

 

Dear Kenneth: As a matter of fact I don't know Jarrett's WTC - I even seem to remember it wrong: I though the 1st book was played on the piano and only the 2nd on the harfpsichord.

Even so, my recollection is that he was rather rhythmical. If you read through the thread, you'll notice that I favour more fluid interpretations. But again, that is a matter of personal taste.

 

Re The Well Tempered Clavier

You are correct- book 1 is played on piano and book 2 is played on harpsichord- you may have gathered I am a bit of an ECM fan- have your heard Andras Schiff's Goldberg- I would also add that my fondness for ECM recordings is in no small way because of the attention to detail played on behalf of the production and overall presentation overseen by Manfred Eicher

regards

kenneth

 

Jarrett's wtc is, while not bad, perhaps too Jarrettish, and I think wtc is not quite at its best on piano. Partitas work well on piano

 

Just to say I received Walcha's French and English Suites. I had listened to the French before, but never to the English suites.

I won't come as a surprise to you that I loved the records. But it was a surprise to me. As I very often stated, I have a love-hate relation with Walcha's Bach. Whenever I try to play something and afterwards compare my result with Walcha's, I always find I don't like his version.

I never played the English Suites (the are very difficult) but I was expecting a general lack of poetry. That may be right, but how he compensates for that by means of a concentrated, vigorous vision of the pieces.

The 3rd suite's sarabande is incredible in its expressiveness. The preludes are impeccable, even the allemandes are flowing and expressive. A marvel. I never expected this.

 

Walcha

Dear RdS

May I guess that you acquired Walchas English and French suites from Japan.
I agree completely with your words about his English suites, which contain all the dark passion, we know from his recording of some of the Partita's and the Chromatic Phantasy. But whereas the English suites may be looked upon as virtuosic showpieces (if this concept exists in Bach at all), the French suites are quite another matter, and I don't think Walchas approach is absolutely successful. Some movements stand his treatment well (most courantes and gigues, and the sixth sarabande), but the more delicate movements are IMO leaden-heavy. Surely the close miking is partially responsible, but Walchas style talks its own language. But his English suites would be my choosen version for the desert island, even if Leonhardt is a strong contender.

Regards,

 

Dear pe-zulu:

Yes, it was from japan amazon, but it is qite impossible to buy things over there - there is an english page, but it immediately jumps into japanese...

I had not yet the time to listen to the French and I did not listen very thouroughly to the English. But it is funny you mention Leonhardt. I too though that the Walcha versrion was even more expressive than Leonhardt's. I even thought about the desert island, too.

 

I would drop you both to desert island with GLENN GOULD's English suites.

 

Why we both? We would probably throw the record away, anyway...

 

Dear RdS
Not just PROBABLY. I actually threw Goulds English suites away about 15 years ago.

Regards,

 

Bat, I should have known about your sadistic tendency