Bach (and early keyboard music) on the Piano: thoughts

[Barbirollians]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYMJ1a-GdJk

The most compelling case for Bach on a piano I know .Lipatti in the First Partita .

[Mattbod]

While I am at it here are a few favorite harpsichord CDs following on from the glorious Scott Ross CD mentioned above.

1. Sweelinck: Music for the Harpsichord: Glen Wilson. A magnificent performance on one of the finest sounding instruments I have encountered. It is an absolute bargain as well (I have reviewed it on Amazon)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sweelinck-Music-Harpsichord-Wilson/dp/B0020MSTH2/ref=sr_1_2_bnp_1_aud?ie=UTF8&qid=1384287122&sr=8-2&keywords=glen+wilson+sweelinck

Glen Wilson: Buxtehude Harpsichord Music: Same performer, same instrument, equally wonderful.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buxtehude-Harpsichord-Works-Dietrich/dp/B0007ORDW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384287207&sr=8-1&keywords=glen+wilson+buxtehude

Handel Harpsichord Suites Volume 1: Sophie Yates (Chandos): Exquisite playing especially the epic Chaconne:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handel-Keyboard-Works-Georg-Friederich/dp/B00001T6KZ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1384287301&sr=8-2&keywords=sophie+yates+handel

Handel Overtures: John Kitchen (Delphian): Here John plays kepboard transcriptions of Handel's famous overtures (many originating it is said from the composer himself) on the magnificent 1755 Kirckman harpsichord of the Russell Collection in Edinburgh

http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Kitchen-Plays-Handel-Overtures/dp/B002B847I0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384287444&sr=8-1&keywords=Handel+overtures+kitchen

Trevor Pinnock: Keyboard Concertos by Bach (Archiv) Trio: Great value set and interesting to compare Trevor's performances to Angela Hewitt's piano version on the hyperion label.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Harpsichord-Concertos-1052-1058-1060-1065/dp/B00006IQFL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384287605&sr=8-1&keywords=pinnock+bach+complete+harpsichord+concertos

[BBMmk2]

Murray Peraha, I have some of his JSB, very good listening it is! Very tastefully done!.

[amateur51]

Scott Ross' Scarlatti box is truly a thing of great joy, mattbod and it's available here at £62 ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-lis...&condition=new

[Mattbod]

@Barbilrollians: Thanks that is a nice recording but I think Glenn Gould just does has the edge for me (though not heard Angela Hewitt play the Partitas)

@amateur51: many thanks i will ask for it for Christmas!

BrassBandMaestro: Thoroughly agree about MP. He won a Grammy for his first CD of the Bach English Suites and his Goldberg Variations disc was a Grammophone Editors choice.

[MickyD]

I wish I could appreciate Glenn Gould - I have never understood his appeal, which is obviously my loss judging by how many revere his playing.

[ardcarp]

(though not heard Angela Hewitt play the Partitas)

You must!

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/s.asp?s=S_9

[BBMmk2]

Scott Ross' Scarlatti box is truly a thing of great joy, mattbod and it's available here at £62 ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-lis...&condition=new

that's a point, Ams! Scarlatti suits the piano down to a tee! I have played quite a few of them too. Strongly reccomend this! :)

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

i do not enjoy Ms Hewitt nearly as much as Ms Tureck, or Mr Kempf

a long standing favourite:



and here is a treat, one of the long videos on youtube!

[amateur51]

that's a point, Ams! Scarlatti suits the piano down to a tee! I have played quite a few of them too. Strongly reccomend this! :)

Scott Ross does 'em on harpsichord, Bbm.

Mikhail Pletnev recorded a stunning set on piano, and any chance you get to hear Emil Gilels playing Scarlatti should be taken immediately

[Dave2002]

i do not enjoy Ms Hewitt nearly as much as Ms Tureck, or Mr Kempf[f]
...

Tureck did several versions - a few on harpsichord and at least one on piano. I missed, sadly, getting the double version which had one piano and one harpsichord version - they are probably still available as individual CDs. My inclination would be to prefer harpsichord, or in some cases fortepiano, but it's not always quite as simple as that. A very good pianist - such as Murray Perahia or Charles Rosen might frequently be preferable to a merely average harpsichordist or player of fortepiano. However, playing on older instruments is such a specialised area, that many players one can get to hear, either on recordings, or in some cases live, are actually very good. I have heard several very good performances on harpsichords and fortepianos at Hatchlands, for example. Sometimes I hear that clavichords are appropriate - and they can do something which other instruments can't - bebung, but they are very, very quiet.

[BBMmk2]

Scott Ross does 'em on harpsichord, Bbm.

Mikhail Pletnev recorded a stunning set on piano, and any chance you get to hear Emil Gilels playing Scarlatti should be taken immediately

Roger that Ams! Thanks! :)

[Dave2002]

Scott Ross does 'em on harpsichord, Bbm.

Mikhail Pletnev recorded a stunning set on piano, and any chance you get to hear Emil Gilels playing Scarlatti should be taken immediately

As also perhaps Horowitz, and I think Gavrilov did a good set of Goldbergs.

[vinteuil]

I cannot abide Angela 'metronome' Hewitt.

I love some pianists performing harpsichord works : Christan Zacharias, Rosalyn Tureck, Sviatoslav Richter, Alexandre Tharaud, Zoltan Kocsis, Friedrich Gulda, Grigory Sokolov, Charles Rosen.

But Hewitt!!

[Mattbod]

He was unorthodox but it is his phrasing and shaping of the music that does it for me. He also changed as a player as he grew older. His first famous 1950s recording of the Goldberg Variations is very fast but his 1980s recording (just before his death) slower and more measured. Gould in his notes says he found on listening to his earlier recording that it was far too fast.