I was looking around comparing different versions of this on Qobuz.
As a recovering harpsichord-phobe, I have been very enamoured with Trevor Pinnock's second recording on Hänssler. Lovely airy sound, no weird distracting clicking sounds (Rousset) and no over elaboration (Suzuki, Koopman)...Perhaps Leonhardt is an acquired taste, but he does sound a bit stodgy in comparison to Pinnock.
Try the latter's Partita No.1 on for size. Incredible range of dynamics and it convinced me that perhaps the harpsichord hits parts in this work that the piano simply can't reach. And the trills...the trills are phenomenal. Then there's the lute stop in the menuets...plucking lovely!
Let's hope the harpsichordist who converted me, Luc Beausejour, records these works. In the meantime, his Goldberg Variations, WTC Book 1, and Italian Concerto and Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue really should be heard.
As for the piano, I have Perahia, and he does bring out manage to bring some colour to these pieces. Aside of that, it seems slim pickings. A few pianists have recorded this or that partita (Argerlich, Pires), and perhaps don't convince as Bach pianists. There's Schiff, whose earlier Bach seems excessively mannered. Given Pogorelich's wonderful English Suites 2 & 3, I'd like to hear what he'd do with these. Hewitt falls at the first hurdle for me. I do have a soft spot for Nikolayeva, who recorded 1, 2 and 6. Alas, only available on YouTube...
One recording I wanted to flag up for members was Vladimir Feltsman's recording of all six. I'm not sure if this is a re-release of this , now only available on download. Perhaps someone knows. From the looks of the covers, he doesn't appear to have aged in ten years!
Anyway, the latter is available on Qobuz and I've been impressed thus far.
As a recovering harpsichord-phobe, I have been very enamoured with Trevor Pinnock's second recording on Hänssler. Lovely airy sound, no weird distracting clicking sounds (Rousset) and no over elaboration (Suzuki, Koopman)...Perhaps Leonhardt is an acquired taste, but he does sound a bit stodgy in comparison to Pinnock.
Try the latter's Partita No.1 on for size. Incredible range of dynamics and it convinced me that perhaps the harpsichord hits parts in this work that the piano simply can't reach. And the trills...the trills are phenomenal. Then there's the lute stop in the menuets...plucking lovely!
Let's hope the harpsichordist who converted me, Luc Beausejour, records these works. In the meantime, his Goldberg Variations, WTC Book 1, and Italian Concerto and Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue really should be heard.
As for the piano, I have Perahia, and he does bring out manage to bring some colour to these pieces. Aside of that, it seems slim pickings. A few pianists have recorded this or that partita (Argerlich, Pires), and perhaps don't convince as Bach pianists. There's Schiff, whose earlier Bach seems excessively mannered. Given Pogorelich's wonderful English Suites 2 & 3, I'd like to hear what he'd do with these. Hewitt falls at the first hurdle for me. I do have a soft spot for Nikolayeva, who recorded 1, 2 and 6. Alas, only available on YouTube...
One recording I wanted to flag up for members was Vladimir Feltsman's recording of all six. I'm not sure if this is a re-release of this , now only available on download. Perhaps someone knows. From the looks of the covers, he doesn't appear to have aged in ten years!
Anyway, the latter is available on Qobuz and I've been impressed thus far.
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