The Keyboard Music of Bach

When listening to Bach that is the correct approach: his counterpoint is harmony-driven, so you need to know the harmonic base of what is going on. With more pure polyphony, that is somewhat more difficult, because the modes are unusual for modern day listeners and because each voice is a little more independent.

But try to focus only on the bass of the Beethoven's opus. 106 3rd movement... (That's the Hammerklavier slow movement) You'll miss the absolute miracle of the music.

Plus, musically uneducated people usually sing the soprano. Therefore, you are too knowledgeable.

 

Thanks! I'll keep that one in mind.
Have to slow down with buying discs though, due to economical issues.
But yes, I remember a Missa by Obrecht that I very much liked .... the Missa Caput? .... dunno exactly. There was a rather stunning canon-esque 'Cantus firmus' in it, if I remember well. And indeed, whilst listening I somehow entered a trance. But I just forgot the title, I'm afraid.

Mmm, been listening too much to mr. Bach lately.

 

Thanks Rodrigo, you're far too kind!
(Because honestly: that's a weak aspect of my musical [non-] talents: getting a fast grip on the second/third/fourth voice.) But on the other hand: yes, apparently I am very susceptible for the thorough bass. My entire body seems to respond to that, both in classical and in other music.
But of course, there is more in the classical music field than Bach. When f.i. Mozart's music is concerned, I am indeed touched by his melodical inventions first, combined with the dramatic expression that goes with it. I especially experience this in his 'adult' operas.

 

I may be alone in this but I like Rosalyn Turecks' 1979 harpsichord version of the Goldberg variations. What is the opinion of the resident experts?

 

Rosalynd Trucke ...

 

It did not impress me much, and neither did her other Bach harpsichord recordings (e.g. Chromatic Fantasy) impress me. Heavy and pedestrian I think.

 

Yes, it is Heavy metal Bach but on the other hand very clear. It could be better in some respects but at the expense of absolute clarity.
That's why it is perhaps the best classical record of all times !!!

One night I was writing my mother of all blockbuster novels and I listened to Tureck's version at least four times in a row. My writing improved 100 %

Tureck's last piano version on DG is also fantastic. It takes about 93 minutes with all repeats.
I recommend that one especially to pe-zulu !!!

 

So, Pollini's WTC I is out. I listened to bits of it in a shop, it seems he is now adept to humming. Otherwise I thought it boring. I was waiting for that release, mind you, and yet could not be bothered to buy it... I'm getting old.

 

Tell you what, ... Bach on piano!!!!?

I would not waste my time on that. :MILD:

 

Thanks, but she is not my cup of tea. And I have heard a certain number of her recordings as well as live at recital (playing Bach, of course).

 

Is tasty food healthy? No, it is awful tasting health food that is good for you.
Perhaps we should avoid things we like and prefer things that we do not like.
You know, for spiritual reasons.
That is the ascetic way to enlightenment. Indian hermets do it all the time.
Now let's hear some Bach on the piano.

 

If you go for ascetic interpretations of Bach's music, you should rather listen to Helmut Walcha - for spiritual reasons.

 

Seconded!

 

Thirded!

 

I am currently giving a hard listening to the Emerson's reading of the fugues of the WTC (not all the fugues, but the most impressive are there).

It is totally addictive... I'll post further.

 

So, about the Emerson quartet's version of the fugues.

While I do not agree with many of the renderings, I cannot deny that they put their souls into those fugues. In some fugues they manage to convey a firework effect (the stretti make the themes spring up as if in a firework display); the more sombre fugues are well played, but I distinctly prefer the harpsichord renderings (that is to say: I know them rather better, I studied some of them, so I find no thematic surprises in them...). That said, in the 5 voice fugue in c#minor from wtc 1 this is the very first version where I actually can listen to every voice, even when they cross or begin with the same notes (as is the case in the bass: the third and first themes begin in the same note; I can find out the number if you want).

But in fact I like violins very much, I love the sound, I totally love the music, and it is honestly and well played. Of course I would like it.

I would heartily recommend this record to anyone interested in unravelling the polyphony of the work. That said, Marc, one or two months are not yet past, so I am not recommending this to you

 

A good revision, a bit too authoritative, but on the whole, correct, in my view. http://ioannis.virtualcomposer2000.com/music/gould1.html

 

Thank you, Rodrigo, that's very thoughtful of you.

Nevertheless I decided to (ab)use the cheap library to order it.

Some people seem to think that libraries are old-fashioned, but in musical and bibliophile ways they have helped and still help me out many many several times.

 

Dear me, I actually ordered their recording of the Art of the Fugue. Never mind, might be interesting stuff, too.

 

I might be interested in some report about this recording. In my rather completistic traversal of AoF recordings I have hitherho (among others) avoided recordings with arrangements for modern instrument string quartet, beecause the items I have heard so far (Roth Quartet and Bel Arte Quartet with S Lautenbacher in front) didn't convince me that this is suitable medium for the work - a parallel to Bach on piano dare I almost not to say - but maybe I should investigate some more string quartet recordings.