The Keyboard Music of Bach

RdS said:
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.
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How do they compare to Rousset's English and French Suites?

Regards.
 
While Roussets interpretations are stylistically blameless, I find they are imbued with a certain superficial elegance.
Walchas interpretations are stylistically at least questionable (pre-HIP), but on the other hand they are intensely concentrated, passionate and expressive to a degree you won't find elsewhere. I have learned to accept his frequent use of 16F, indeed it adds to the expression. What annoys me the most is his articulation. It is not contrieved, just wrong in places. And the forceful flamboyant reading detracts a little from the more intimate parts of the suites. But all in all, as I wrote earlier, Walchas English suites are definitely desert island stuff.
 
bat said:
Rousset's Suites are French, Walcha's are German.
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Wery well expressed in a few words. But it is even more important to mention, that Rousset's suites are HIP and Walchas pre-HIP.
 
sn66 said:
How do they compare to Rousset's English and French Suites?

Regards.
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They are very different. Rousset is very keen on flow and his allemandes are graceful. His preludes are wonderful, and, concerning the overall suites, I like them immensely.

Walcha is very different. There is not exactly flow, or if there is, it is much more angled. The very deep sarabandes are a pure wonder, and I think he goes much deeper into the terrible mood of the most impressive suites.

I'd say that Rousset did not go through the ii world war and Walcha did. Rousset comes from a easy going way of living, he is often sensuous; Walcha is never that: there is suffering, strength, resilience.

Rousset is satinwood, Walcha old oak.
 
bat said:
No... btw, a new die Kunst der Fuge is out, by Troeger, on clavichord.
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I have recently received this. It is expertly played, but it will never become my preferred version, it is just too reticent in every sense of the word. He has BTW made a stylish and interesting conclusion to the unfinished fugue, actually the most convincing I have heard.
 
RdS said:
This is new. I did not buy it. Any opinions?
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I've bought it....based on the fact that I greatly enjoyed his Shostakovich 24. Not had a chance to listen yet.

The other recording I have is Andras Schiff.... it has never really taken flight for me.

Ashkenazy fits both books on 3 discs.

Barenboim's recent recording uses 5 discs for both books.... that's some difference. Anyone got opinions on Barenboim's version?
 
Because of a not unexpected preference for renderings on harpsichord, the instrument this music in the first hand was written for. I agree, that some of the Preludes and Fugues may be played on organ or clavichord to some effect. But Bachs only implied piano-work is probably the three-part Ricercare from Musicalishes Opfer, and "piano" means in this case forte-piano. Renderings of Bachs keyboard music on modern piano becomes too dull in the long run IMO, whoever the pianist is. What a pity that such keyboard players, who may have some interesting to offer (e.g. Gulda, Hewitt, Rübsam and now maybe Ashkenazy), didn´t play the harpsichord.
 
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alanbeeb said:
What was the reason then?
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Pe-zulu is right, IMO. The WTC sounds much better in the harpsichord because you cannot play with dynamics the way pianists do. All the dynamics are built into the music (texture thickening, for example). And what little dynamics a harpsichord posesses is quite enough for the celebrated bflat minor prelude.

Also, the harpsichord is much more transparent and one does not need to 'bring a theme out', which I find horrible. Fugues flow, they are not an exercise on 'cathing the theme'.

This is not to say I do not enjoy certain piano renderings of the WTC. I posted earlier on that (in this thread). Kempff's piano versions spring to mind, and I am eagerly looking forward to Pollini's version.
 
Desperate times call for desperate measures. If anyone has these CDs (or copies) for sale, please feel free to PM me:

Bach - Partitas - Lars Ulrik Mortensen

Bach - Partitas - Kenneth Gilbert

Francois Couperin - Pieces de Clavecin (Book 4) - Noelle Spieth

I am currently in South East Asia and will be for the next 12 to 14 months. Postage will be higher but I will be happy to cover all relevant costs.

Regards.
 
I think you'll like this!

Hi everyone,

Has anyone heard of The 5 Browns? I just discovered them & they are absolutely amazing! What a talented family! If you like classical music, you HAVE to hear this group. They have just put out a new album called No Boundaries & I have been listening to it nonstop since I picked it up. Check out the track listing:


1 Rhapsody in Blue
2 Malaguena from Andalucia Suite
3. Simple Gifts/Going Home
4 Shaker Hymn
5 Going Home
6 Full Stride Ahead (Rag)
7 Feria from Rapsodie Espagnole
8. Gargoyles, Op. 29
9 III. Allegro moderato
10 IV. Presto feroce
11 Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6
12 Variations on a Theme of Paganini
13 Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2
14 I. Danza del viejo boyero (Dance of the Old Cowherd)
15 II. Danza de la mozo donosa (Dance of the Delightful Young Girl)
16 III. Danza del gaucho matrero (Dance of the Artful Herdsman)
17 Valse and Romance
18 Valse
19 Romance
20 The Firebird (from the 1911 Version)

I just joined their i-squad & found out they are on tour now too. I hope I can get some tickets soon. The i-squad seems pretty neat. You earn Bonus Points and then trade them in for merchandise from The 5 Browns. If you are interested in checking out their music visit this link (hope it works for ya!)
http://i-squad.com/ The 5 Browns.html
http://www.the5browns.com/
 


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