The Keyboard Music of Bach

Yes, Roussets English suites are superb, brilliant, spell-binding and very french. I bought them because of the recommandation of RdS above, and I don't regret. But I should not want to be without the introvert and congenial Gustav Leonhardt (the nearest we come to Bach i our age - according to some) or his obviously underrated but very elegant pupil Alan Curtis (who recorded the English and French suites for Teldec). Now I have ordered Rannou and awaits eagerly to hear her version.

 

Bach French Suites

Hi all.

I am currently without a system, without an instrument and totally prevented from listening or playing music.

However, I did listen to Christophe Rousset's French Suites. The harpsichord (a very warm, very caressing Rückers that made me examine the soundboard of my own Rubio to see if it was not cracked!) is a marvel but what do you all think of the interpretation?

I loved it (but then I just listened to it about four times). I particularly liked the way the repeats are rendered. Most often, one must endure them; with Rousset, you actually expect them, because he plays so flowingly. Ornamentation is a very strong asset of this version, too.

The text of the French Suites is difficult to establish, so I was somewhat amazed to listen to an WTC prelude... (I forgot which). And, to be totally honest, I didn't like the 1st, very somber, very dark and earnest suite. The Gigue is, I think, underplayed. But all the rest was magnificent.

When I listen to records like these I really refrain from playing... Even though the French Suites are rather easy.

Anyone would care to comment?

Yours ever,

RdS

 

Apparently not. LINK, please.

 

Loussier is funny to listen to when you are in a very good mood. Otherwise... Well, let's jus say it annoys me. But, a couple of years ago I had a very interesting experience. A friend of mine is a jazz musician. He were discussing Loussier. And so I asked him to 'swing' many themes from Bach's fugues. The results were quite amazing and quite funny. He even managed to swing The Art of Fugue main themes (for instance, he did Counterpoint 10 rather well: it almost sounded like Goebel :JOEL:

 

Truly, I couldn't agree with you more about Leonhardt. I have his partitas and English Suites and they are truly seminal works despite the lack of repeats. He always sounds in total control of the music yet never seems superficial, stilted or contrived. It is all natural and beautiful, and under the surface of austerity, filled with emotional depth.

Rannou's English Suites are quite good, the sarabandes are slowly and lovingly played, and the recorded sound is wonderful, but Rousset's set, for me, still wins the day with its rythmic drive, understanding (his allemandes and sarabandes may be faster but they are more profound) and his exuberance.

There is another set of the English Suites that are just as compelling as Rousset's, although for different reasons. Edward Parmentier's recording on the Wildboar label is one that emphasizes a slower rythmic approach and a more economic use of notation. Each note played seems important and his phrasing is very interesting. The harpsichord sounds unusual, but to my ears, superb. The recording is excellent.

Rousset has just released Bach's French Suites. Unfortunately, I have not, as yet, heard any of the interpretations by Moroney, Hogwood or Curtis. Does Rousset surpass them?

 

Leonhardts older recording of the Partitas (for German Harmonia Mundi) and the English suites (originally for Seon - now Sony) is even more fascinating than his second recording for Reflexe (now on Virgin classics) and for the same reasons. And there you get most of the repeats. I wonder why he didn't take the repeats in his second recording, thereby missing a splendid occasion to show us, how this should be done with appropriate variations.

As to Parmentiers English suites you have made me very curious, and I have ordered them just some minutes ago from Amazon.uk.

But talking about Partitas and English suites I find, that no one should miss to hear the old preauthentic recordings of Helmut Walcha. His interpretation is despite many stylistical shortcomings filled with extasis and dark passion, to a degree that you won't find elsewhere. They have only been released on CD in Japan, but you can aquire them through JPC. His French suites on the other hand are heavy and squareminded in a way which does not suit the light character of the music and can't be reccommended except for Walcha-fanatics like me.

I have not heard Moroneys French suites, and Hogwoods only superficially. Curtis' French suites are light, elegant, with stylish ornamentation, but only with few repeats, whereas he in the English suites makes most of the repeats with nice and natural added ornamentations. Nor have I heard Roussets French and can't make comparations.

 

Dear RdS

It is very pleasant and encouraging to find you in this forum again.

Unfortunately I can't comment upon Roussets French suites, as I haven't heard them yet. I hope to receive them soon.

Being only a moderately talented player I haven't myself played keyboardinstruments for some years, as I have to little spare time to do it adequately. I have chosen to use my time primarily for listening. But earlier I did not find the listening to good interpretations discouraging for playing myself, but on the contrary stimulating, and I certainly played myself first and foremost to learn the music from within as a supplement to listening, and thereby trying to understand the music and the interpretations of others better. When I retire - and this is not at all near for the moment - I intend to revive the playing-activity.

Cheers

 

Dear PeZulu:

Yes, I also like to learn the scores 'from the inside'. And often (with Buxtehude) I feel a sense of triumph because I actually like my interpretations better than the one from the professionals. That has also happened with some Bach chorales.

But the easiness of playing of Rousset is almost insulting! I mean, he must play as easily as he speaks... Of course most professional virtuosi are like that (Brendel says that is not the case with him; but Horowitz and Kempff actually spoke music!) but it seems so simple, so utterly flowing, so easy -even when it is not- that I must refrain from trying. Also the lush sound of the harpsichord he uses is quite marvelous; it is very fundamental (I mean, the 1st and 2nd harmonics are strong) but it is also very spicy, although in a very subtle way. Rather like a very old Port.

 

I agree with everything Pe-Zulu said. But I have listened both to Hogwood's and Moroney's French Suites.

Now I don't quite know why, I cannot stand the way Hogwood seems to hesitate in every single note. I listened to the record when it came out and returned it as quickly as I could (it was possible to do that kind of thing then). However, the harpsichords he uses (a Rückers and a Goujon) are *marvelous* and that, by itself, may be a reason to have the set.

Moroney's is, as usual, a scholarly approach. As I say in a different thread (the French Suites) the text is rather difficult to establish. And he gives us some extras, one of which I had never heard before. His playing is quite like him (well, not him, but his musical personality): very sobre, distinguished, but not thrilling. The harpsichord is, if I remember correctly, the usual David Philips which I don't parlicularly like (a kind of greyish but brightish sound). Anyway, there are, as there were with (Hogwood - again, if I remember right) two other suites which may be said to the set.

Now about Leonhardt's early versions. I agree with Pe-Zulu: especially in the Partitas, he strikes the perfect ballance with the repeats: he often repeats the shorter A part and not the longer second. It is an almost perfect recording. And, again, I agree, there is only Walcha that may face up to him. One ought, however, to consider Kirkatrick's version. It is not so intense as Walcha, perhaps not so deep as Leonhardt, but it is a marvel, in spite of the harpsichord (the Neupert Bach-model). I don't like the way he plays the repeats (and he does play them *all*): he usually moves to the upper keyboard, so what one gets is a somewhat systematic downtoning of emotion. Sometimes this works beautifully; but it totally spoils (in my view) the great e minor Sarabande, which is plain *fantastic* under Walcha's strong and decided fingers (a typical tracker system organ touch: you actually press the key, quickly, to get a strong chiff in the begining of the sound; you can never just caress it the way Gilbert or Rousset do).

 

I have a very odd vinyl recording of selections from the WTC, played by Richter, on the Meloydia label. It's on 3 sides of vinyl, and the record has no 'sleeve', the dscs being enclosed in a plastic wallet with a couple of sheets of information about the music, but nothing about the recording, which is excellent in terms of playing, though not so good in terms of 'hifi'-ness.

In fact I might well dig it out and give it a spin ternight!

 

Not having heard Hogwoods French suites on beforehand I decided to hear them to day. And found out that this is the most uninteresting interpretation I have ever heard. The playing has no authority and sounds artistically underrehearsed, and one wonders what the intention is. Deserves oblivion.

Afterwards I needed to hear something more affirmative and I
opted for Colin Tilneys English suites which I hadn't heard either.
From the first bar I feared the worst because the first prelude is played in a very hesitating manner, but without reason. Only the first and sixth preludes and some of the allemandes are played in that way, stressing the improvisatory character of these pieces and completely appropriate. All in all he gives a stylish and authoritative interpretation, phrased in long beautiful lines somewhat like Gilbert, but with stronger singing sarabandes and more tense gigues. Most exciting is the sixth suite which is played throughout with strong rhytmic drive, tecnically a par with Rousset and more expressive if not quite as "elegant". Tilneys harpsichord is more dry in the bas than Gilberts usual latebaroque french types, but it is not typical german either.

At last I opted for Koopmans French suites. This is a wonderful interpretation. Clear harpsichord-sound, relaxed comfortable tempi, excessive nimble fingerwork and expressive articulation, and a Koopman-speciality: In the repeats (but elsewhere to less extent) extra ornamentation, passing notes, diminutions - almost melisms, but always in good style. All in all warm, human and friendly, making these suites almost ingratiating despite the sombre mood of some of the pieces.

 

Dear RdS
This is just the answer to my question why I find Walchas harpsichord-touch unsuited to period harpsichords, whereas it makes little difference with a preauthentic harpsichord which per se seem to allow less differentiation in touch and thereby suits his style better.

 

Dear RdS

In Denmark we have a saying like this: "Selfmade is wellmade."
I don't know if it exists in other languages, but certainly we are ourselves the first to know our own taste. And I understand well your sense of triumph. If I were a more talented player I should feel in the same way.

Cheers

 

Dear chaps,

I had heard that Christophe Rousset's set received very favourable reviews from Grammophone. Considering that this set of suites was among Bach's simplest, how does Rousset's interpretation compare with that of David Cates and Blandine Rannou? Is the Ruckers harpsichord used similar to the one in his English Suites? I believe it is the same label, Ambrosie, that released his earlier set, which was beautifully packaged with an informative booklet. If this is as good or better, I will definitely purchase it.

Regards.

 

RdS, you are A Bad Boy. I read your review (and your identical review on Amazon), so I just had to buy it. Thank you! (I think...)

 

I have only listened to Walcha's organ works; very distinctive in nature. However, I have had the privilege of listening to Kirkpatrick's and Richter's partitas. Despite the odd-sounding harpsichords and the inauthentic tempos, the performances are wonderful. One wonders what they could have achieved on a Ruckers or Hemsch with the marvels of modern recording technology.

For instance, I listened to Trevor Pinnock's partitas, both the Archiv and Hanssler recordings. There are no significant differences in the interpretations - more moderate tempos and observance of all repeats in the Hanssler set - but the sound in the latter is quite amazing. The harpsichord is the same but the sound balance and impact are substantially better. I truly believe that is the reason the set has received such excellent reviews although the playing is very, very similar. The bass is very prominent and there is also less echo - kudos must go to the sound engineers.

One of the better sets to have surfaced recently was Masaaki Suzuki's partitas. He plays on a rather dry-sounding instrument but it somehow suits the interpretation perfectly. A reverant and beautiful set; his allemande in the 4th partita is especially exquisite. I had hitherto known him as an inspired conductor of Bach's cantatas but he also proves to be a tremendous soloist. I will look out for his French Suites.

Cheers.

 

To day I decided to listen to French suites, and started with Lars Ulrik Mortensen. He is a pupil of Pinnock and has inherited some of his grand style, but plays with brisker tempi, more pointed articulation and more pronounced but still quite natural agogics, rather in the spirit of Leonhardt.
He takes all the repeats and makes the most stylish variations I have ever heard. Listen to the sarabande of the 5th suite, the relation to the Aria of the Goldbergs is quite clear in his version. Like Leonhardt (and Suzuki) he is very fond of arpeggio and uses it to great effect. His tecnical power is a par with his teacher, and his playing is extremely fluent and organic, and his interpretation is indeed exciting in a way I don't recall having heard before. You sit on the edge of the chair in a figurative sense. The harpsichord is a fullsounding danish copy of a latebaroque frenchtype instrument. Recorded at more distance than usual, but not annoying so. On of the best interpretations I have heard.

Preferable to Leonhardt? To find out put Leonhardt on the deck. Leonhardt plays the beautiful Dowd he uses in his recording of WTC I. His tempi are slower, his style generally calmer, more intimate. And his subtle expressive agogical articulation must be heard. On the other hand he does not take all the repeats, and I was decidedly disappointed with his scanty embellishments in the repetitions. Certainly not up to the imaginative standard of Mortensen. But both are essential listening.

Then I opted for Suzukis French suites. He plays everything so nimble-fingered and perfect. Certainly according to the latest HIP-news. But most often it looks
as if the need for perfection is preferred to the need for expression, and the result is painfully dull and superficial.. Or as if the intimate character of the music makes him shy, and you can imagine him sitting and smiling politely and without succes trying to hide his dislike of contact with the music.

But is Suzuki that dull? So at last I opted for his Partitas.
And this is just a marvellous interpretation, worthy to name among the best. Wonderfully expressive all way through, the style much like the way Mortensen plays the French suites. The instrument is a rather dry Kroesbergen and recorded close, but not too close.

So next I shall listen to Mortensens Partitas.

Karl Richter emerged like Helmut Walcha from the Straube-Ramin school, and both were essentially praeautenticists who "fought" against the historically informed movements. I can't imagine that Richter possessed the patience or interest to learn to play a period instrument.

 

Probably none of us have heard neither Cates' nor Rannous French suites, so we can't tell. RdS gives Roussets French suites a strong recommandation, so I have ordered them recently. I have furthermore ordered Rannous English suites. Purchase of her French suites must wait until I have heard her English suites.
And I am awaiting to receive Jarrets French suites too(recommended by Bat). I have read a rather critical review of
Cates French suites, and don't intend to aquire them.

Regards

 

There is a positive one-line Parmentier review (including other WTCs) in the web,
but I am now very careful with my links. In short it says that if allowed only one WTC1, the PArmentier would probably be it.

 

I have ordered Parmentiers WCL 1 along with Jarrets French suites (delivery-estimate ca 1.5.05), so one day I may be able to tell.